The Niall Boylan Podcast (They Told Me To Shut Up)

In this episode, Niall talks to journalist John McGuirk about a question that goes right to the heart of Irish identity: does becoming an Irish citizen automatically make someone Irish?

The debate follows a wider conversation about citizenship, nationality, belonging and what it really means to be part of a country. According to official Dáil figures, 100,471 certificates of naturalisation were issued in Ireland between 2021 and 2025. That included 10,490 in 2021, 14,249 in 2022, 19,464 in 2023, 29,868 in 2024 and 26,400 in 2025. The latest citizenship ceremonies took place in Killarney on 22 and 23 June 2026, where around 4,600 people from more than 139 countries were due to become Irish citizens.

For many people, those ceremonies are a powerful and emotional moment. They represent years of living in Ireland, working here, raising families here, contributing to communities and making a formal declaration of fidelity and loyalty to the State.

But does that legal act answer the deeper cultural question?

Niall asks John whether Irishness is simply a matter of a passport, or whether it is also tied to ancestry, culture, history, loyalty, language, shared values and a genuine sense of belonging. If someone moves to Ireland, lives here long enough, receives citizenship and contributes to society, are they Irish in exactly the same way as someone whose parents, grandparents and great grandparents were born and raised here?

Or is there a difference between being an Irish citizen and being culturally, historically or ancestrally Irish?

Niall also raises the comparison many people instinctively understand: if an Irish person moved to India, lived there for years and eventually became an Indian citizen, would that make them Indian, or simply an Irish person with Indian citizenship?

This is not just a legal debate. It is an emotional one. It touches on immigration, integration, national identity, culture, respect for the host country and the future of what Ireland means. Some will argue that citizenship is enough and that anyone who commits to Ireland should be accepted fully as Irish. Others will say Irishness is something deeper than paperwork and cannot be granted by the State alone.

So where do we draw the line? What makes someone Irish? A passport, ancestry, culture, loyalty, community, or something more difficult to define?

Niall and John McGuirk discuss the issue, and we want to hear from you.

In this episode, Niall looks at the Government’s latest crackdown on vaping, and asks whether this is a sensible public health measure or another example of the nanny state treating adults like children.

The Public Health (Single-Use Vapes) Bill 2025 has now passed through both Houses of the Oireachtas, paving the way for a ban on the sale of disposable vapes in Ireland. Once the law is commenced, retailers are expected to be given six months to sell off existing stock before enforcement begins. After that, health enforcement officers will be able to carry out inspections to make sure single-use vapes are no longer being sold.

Supporters say the ban is long overdue. They argue that disposable vapes are cheap, colourful, easy to hide and clearly attractive to children and teenagers. They also point to the environmental damage caused by millions of plastic, battery-operated devices being thrown away.

But this is only one part of the Government’s wider plan.

A separate piece of legislation, the Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) (Amendment) Bill 2026, is also moving through the Oireachtas. That Bill would bring in much stricter rules on how vapes are sold and presented. It would ban retail advertising, restrict point-of-sale displays in mixed retail outlets such as supermarkets, garages and newsagents, and place new controls on the colours, images and packaging used on vaping products.

Most controversially, it would limit vape flavour names to tobacco and unflavoured. That means popular flavours such as fruit, menthol, sweets, desserts and drinks could effectively disappear from ordinary legal sale.

The Government says this is about protecting children from nicotine addiction and stopping companies from using bright colours, sweet flavours and cartoon-style packaging to lure young people into vaping. The Oireachtas research digest notes that around 7% of adults vape daily, while youth vaping rates are higher, with one study showing 13% of 12 to 17-year-olds had vaped in the previous 30 days, and another showing 16% of 15 to 16-year-olds vaping.

But many adult vapers are furious. They say vaping helped them get off cigarettes, and that flavours were a major part of that. They argue that banning flavours will not stop teenagers getting products, but it may push adults back towards smoking, or push both adults and young people into the black market.

So is the Government right to act strongly to protect children from nicotine addiction, or is it punishing adults who used vaping as a way to stop smoking?

Should disposable vapes and flavoured liquids be banned, or should adults be free to make their own choices?

Niall discusses the issue and asks whether Ireland is protecting public health, or simply banning anything the State does not like.

Niall Boylan is joined by former journalist Larissa Nolan to ask a question that always sparks strong memories and strong opinions: what was the best time in Ireland to grow up?

Was it the Ireland of the 60s, 70s or 80s, where children played on the streets, neighbours looked out for each other and family and community seemed stronger? Or was that Ireland far tougher than we sometimes remember, with less money, fewer opportunities, harsher schools and a society where many people had little freedom or choice?

Niall and Larissa look back at the Ireland of the past and compare it with the Ireland of today. We may now have more wealth, better education, more technology and greater opportunity, but have we lost something important along the way? Has modern Ireland become more disconnected, more anxious, less safe and less rooted in family and community?

They also discuss politics then and now. Ireland’s politicians of the past were far from perfect. Figures like Charlie Haughey became associated with corruption, while Bertie Ahern faced questions over truth and trust. But many people still feel that, flawed as they were, politicians of that era had a stronger sense of national identity and a greater connection to ordinary people. Is that fair, or is it just nostalgia?

Was Ireland better when we had less but expected less? Were people happier when life was simpler? Or do we look back through rose-tinted glasses and forget the poverty, silence, emigration and lack of opportunity?

Niall and Larissa invite listeners to share their own memories of growing up in Ireland. What era would you choose, taking into account lifestyle, happiness, family, community, crime, safety, education and life in general?

Was Ireland better when you were young, or is the best time to grow up actually now?

And if you have never been on air before but would like to join the conversation, send a WhatsApp saying, “Let me on.”

In this episode, Niall talks to Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín about Aontú’s Private Members’ Bill aimed at stopping planned fuel tax increases due on August 1st.

Aontú says the bill is designed to block Government plans that could see petrol rise by 27 cent per litre and diesel by 32 cent per litre when temporary excise cuts expire. The party is also calling for a halt to further carbon tax increases, arguing that ordinary families, workers, farmers, hauliers and small businesses are already being crushed by the cost of living.

Peadar Tóibín says Ireland has become one of the most expensive countries in the EU for essentials such as housing, health, alcohol and electricity, and argues that Government policy is making daily life even harder for people who need their cars for work, school, shopping and family life. Aontú’s “Reduce the Cost of Living” motion also takes aim at rising prices across fuel, electricity, groceries and public charging points, warning that families cannot keep absorbing extra costs while wages fail to keep pace.

Niall asks the bigger question. What is the real solution to Ireland’s cost of living crisis? Retailers, restaurants, hotels, fuel suppliers and service providers are charging prices many people simply cannot afford, but they are unlikely to cut those prices voluntarily. Should Government intervene more directly? Should taxes be cut? Should wages rise, or would that simply push prices even higher again?

As more people ask whether Ireland is becoming unaffordable for ordinary workers and families, Niall and Peadar discuss fuel taxes, carbon taxes, wages, business costs, Government policy and whether Ireland is reaching a point where people simply cannot afford to live here anymore.

In this episode, Niall talks to Sandra Adams, advocate for women’s sex-based rights, child safeguarding and fact-based education, about the reported plan to classify both miscarriage and abortion under the same heading of “pregnancy loss” for the purposes of paid leave.

The proposal has opened up a difficult and deeply sensitive debate. Supporters say this is about compassion, privacy and dignity in the workplace. They argue that women should not be forced to explain to an employer whether a pregnancy ended through miscarriage or abortion in order to access time off. Both can involve physical recovery, emotional distress and a need for privacy.

But Sandra Adams strongly objects to the classification. She argues that miscarriage and abortion are not the same thing and should not be treated as though they are. A miscarriage is the involuntary loss of a pregnancy, while abortion, in elective cases, is the intentional ending of one. Sandra believes placing both under the same neutral administrative term blurs an important moral, emotional and factual distinction.

Niall asks whether this is a compassionate workplace policy or whether language is being used to deliberately soften and sanitise abortion. Should paid leave be available in both cases without asking women to disclose deeply private medical details? Or does calling both miscarriage and abortion “pregnancy loss” ignore the very real difference between losing a baby and choosing to end a pregnancy?

This is a conversation about language, truth, women’s rights, workplace compassion, abortion, miscarriage and whether the State should treat both situations the same when it comes to paid leave.

In this episode, Niall is joined by Senator Sharon Keogan to discuss a new Women for Election report which claims women in Irish politics are facing widespread online abuse, sexualised harassment and threats of violence.

The report, titled Recognize, Resist, Rise Up, was part of a five country European study on gender based violence against women in politics. It found that 96% of female TDs and Senators surveyed said they had experienced online violence, 88% reported psychological violence, 71% said they had received threats targeting themselves or people close to them, 63% reported sexualised violence and 42% reported physical violence or threats involving specific weapons. The research also found that many women had changed how they use social media, with some avoiding comment sections, delegating accounts to staff or reducing their online presence altogether.

Niall asks whether these figures reflect a serious and growing threat to democracy, or whether the definition of online violence has become too broad. All threats of violence should be condemned without hesitation, but do people believe that 96% of women in politics have genuinely been threatened, or is there a difference between abuse, insults, harassment and credible threats?

Some will argue that online abuse has become an ugly part of modern politics, and that anyone who enters public life needs to develop a thick skin. Others will say that threats, sexualised abuse and intimidation are not part of the job, and that no politician, male or female, should be expected to tolerate it.

Niall and Senator Keogan discuss whether public representatives are now expected to absorb abuse as the price of speaking out, whether social media has made politics more hostile, and whether the problem is especially severe for women in public life.

If you were a politician, would you accept verbal abuse as part of the job, or has public debate crossed a dangerous line?

In this episode, Niall is joined by election candidate and podcaster Nick Delehanty to discuss Donald Trump’s proposed visit to Ireland for the Irish Open at Doonbeg this September.

Trump’s possible arrival has already divided opinion. Sinn Féin TD Louise O’Reilly has said she is more likely to be with the protesters than welcoming him, pointing to objections over his relationship with Israel. Cian O’Callaghan TD, from the Social Democrats, has described Trump as “the worst possible representation of the States” and predicted large protests if he comes.

But is this really about principle, or political theatre? Niall and Nick ask whether Ireland should protest the visit of a sitting US President, or whether the country should recognise the importance of the Irish American relationship, tourism, diplomacy, and American investment in Ireland. With US companies employing hundreds of thousands of people here, should Ireland be careful about how it treats one of its most powerful international partners?

Should Trump’s visit be opposed because of his politics, foreign policy and polarising public image? Or should Ireland welcome him respectfully, even if many strongly disagree with him?

Will the streets be filled with protesters, or will it be a handful of activists with angry placards? And should this be treated as an official state visit, or simply a private visit to a golf tournament?

What happens when you strip away the stigma, the myths, and the taboos surrounding sex?

In this fascinating and completely uncensored episode, Niall sits down with Clarity Mills, one of Ireland's best known dominatrices and a professional sex educator, for a candid conversation that explores a side of human sexuality many people are curious about but rarely discuss openly.

Together they delve into the world of BDSM, fetish culture, power exchange, dominance and submission, and why millions of people around the world are drawn to these experiences. Clarity explains the psychology behind consensual kink, the importance of trust, communication, boundaries, and aftercare, and why pain and pleasure can sometimes exist side by side.

The conversation also explores some of the most common fetishes, how they develop, and the misconceptions that surround them. Are people born with fetishes, or do they develop over time? What separates fantasy from reality? Why do some people enjoy giving up control, while others find satisfaction in taking it?

Niall asks the questions many people are too embarrassed to ask, covering everything from dominance and submission to the science of arousal, the role of consent, the emotional connection between partners, and how society's attitudes towards sex have evolved over the years.

Whether you're simply curious, looking to better understand alternative lifestyles, or interested in the psychology of human sexuality, this is an open, honest, and thought provoking discussion that challenges assumptions and offers a rare insight into a world that is often misunderstood.

This is an adult conversation about sex, relationships, consent, intimacy, fetish, BDSM, pain, pleasure, and the fascinating line where psychology and sexuality intersect.

It's that time of the week again as Niall Boylan is joined by his former producer and good friend AJ Walsh to break down the biggest stories making headlines in Ireland and around the world.

This week, they discuss Metallica's generous €80,000 donation to Irish charities during their Dublin visit, RTÉ's decision to make dozens of presenters employees after the bogus self employment controversy, fuel prices as excise duty changes begin to take effect, and the US Supreme Court's decision to uphold birthright citizenship in a major setback for Donald Trump.

They also examine the bizarre Empire State Building marriage proposal that divided the internet, the guilty verdict in the horrific Parnell Square knife attack, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's visit to Dublin as Ireland begins its EU Presidency, and growing calls for tougher border controls following new polling on immigration and the Irish border.

As always, expect plenty of laughs, strong opinions, behind the scenes stories from decades in broadcasting, and the kind of lively conversation that regularly disappears down unexpected rabbit holes.

Whether you agree with them or not, this is a fast paced, entertaining look at the week's biggest talking points that you won't want to miss.

Is Ireland's Bottle Return Scheme delivering on its environmental promises, or has it become an expensive inconvenience for consumers?

In this episode, Niall is joined by journalist Larissa Nolan to discuss one of the country's most divisive environmental initiatives. Larissa has been a vocal critic of the scheme and is even organising a live event to highlight what she believes are its many flaws.

They examine where millions of euro in unclaimed deposit money goes, why so much has been spent promoting the scheme, and whether it has genuinely increased recycling rates or simply added another cost and inconvenience for shoppers. Is the scheme encouraging better environmental behaviour, or has it become what critics describe as a stealth charge on ordinary consumers?

Supporters argue that the Bottle Return Scheme is helping to reduce litter, increase recycling rates, and bring Ireland into line with successful systems operating across Europe. Critics, however, say people were already recycling through household bins and civic amenity centres, and that the scheme has created unnecessary queues, extra costs for businesses, and additional hassle for consumers.

Niall also opens the phone lines to hear from listeners. Is the Bottle Return Scheme a success that deserves time to work, or has it become one of Ireland's biggest environmental mistakes?