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

In this episode, host Niall takes a closer look at a recent tweet by David Quinn of the Iona Institute, who argued that Gen Z would be better off if they followed religion and God. As Catholicism continues to decline in Ireland, Niall asks: are young people really missing out on something deeper — a sense of meaning, morality, or community — that religion once provided?

Join the discussion as Niall explores the cultural shift away from faith, the rise of secular values, and what this means for Ireland’s future identity. Is the slow fading of Catholicism a liberation, a loss, or a bit of both?

Tune in for thoughtful commentary, social insight, and a conversation that gets to the heart of Ireland’s changing soul.

In this episode, Niall reads an email from a listener — a father of four — who says his car insurance has skyrocketed to over €2,000 after a small accident last year. He explains that, on his modest income, he simply can’t afford it, but still needs to drive to work to support his family. Feeling trapped, he admits he’s considering driving without insurance — something he says he “hates doing,” but feels he has no choice.

Niall asks the hard questions:

🚗 Should driving without insurance mean an automatic jail sentence?

💔 Do you have sympathy for this listener’s situation — or does the risk to others outweigh his struggles?

💶 And why are insurance costs in Ireland still pushing ordinary people to the brink?

Join the conversation as Niall explores the human side of tough laws, the fairness of insurance pricing, and the moral dilemma faced by thousands in similar situations.

In this episode, Niall opens the phone lines to discuss the news that Paddy Power is closing many of its high street betting shops, as the rise of online gambling apps continues to dominate.

With Ireland now spending a staggering €9 billion a year on gambling, Niall dives into the deeper issue — are we facing a national addiction crisis? He asks listeners:

👉 Has online betting gone too far?

👉 Should the government ban or restrict online gambling that’s tearing families and communities apart?

👉 And what happens to the workers and punters left behind as the bookies disappear from our towns?

Expect passionate callers, strong opinions, and an honest conversation about one of Ireland’s most pressing social issues — the quiet but devastating scourge of gambling in the digital age.

Peadar Tóibín on Simon Harris and the State of Irish Politics

In this episode, Niall sits down with Peadar Tóibín, leader of Aontú, to discuss the recent vote of confidence in Tánaiste Simon Harris. Together, they unpack the political drama surrounding the motion — what it reveals about the current government, the opposition’s strategy, and the public’s mood across Ireland.

Peadar shares his candid views on government accountability, media bias, and why Aontú believes Ireland needs a new kind of politics rooted in community, integrity, and sovereignty.

Expect a lively, honest, and insightful conversation about the state of Irish democracy, the challenges facing ordinary citizens, and what comes next for Ireland’s political landscape.

In this episode, Niall opens up the phone lines for one of the country’s most divisive debates — should cannabis be legalised in Ireland?

As public opinion shifts and other countries move toward regulation, Ireland still wrestles with the question: is it time to change the law, or would legalisation do more harm than good?

Callers join Niall with mixed and passionate views — some arguing for personal freedom, medical use, and tax benefits, while others warn about mental health risks, addiction, and the message it sends to young people.

Expect strong opinions, honest stories, and a lively national conversation on a topic that’s lighting up debate across Ireland.

Today on The Niall Boylan Show, Niall sits down with veteran Irish Examiner journalist Fergus Finlay, whose recent explosive column has reignited a 25-year-old debate about Ireland’s most protected — and most controversial — public fund.

Every year, without question, tens of millions of euro are quietly ring-fenced for one purpose: horse and greyhound racing. No scrutiny. No debate. No accountability. Fergus Finlay calls it “a 25-year-old gravy train” — more than €2.5 billion in taxpayers’ money poured into an industry that some say should be able to stand on its own two feet.

Niall and Fergus unpack:

🐎 Why this one industry is the only one in Ireland guaranteed money by law — year after year.

💰 How wealthy racehorse owners pocket millions in tax-free prize money, while struggling public services fight for funding.

🐕 Why Ireland is now the only country in the world still pumping public money into greyhound racing, a sport Finlay calls “barbaric and dying.”

😡 And the big question: Should taxpayers be forced to fund something many see as cruelty?

Niall also opens the phone lines — inviting listeners to weigh in.

Should the government cut the funding and let these industries stand on their own? Or is the horse and greyhound world part of our heritage worth protecting?

Niall is joined by financial analyst Karl Deeter to dig into a shocking new report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) that exposes what many Irish households already feel in their pockets: we’re being ripped off on electricity.

The IEA found that residential electricity prices in Ireland are now three times higher than the wholesale cost. In plain English, that means energy companies are charging households multiples of what they pay for power — and the government is not only allowing it, but adding to the pain with higher VAT, excise duty, and carbon taxes.

As the nights get colder and bills climb higher, Niall asks:

💡 Why are Irish households paying some of the highest electricity prices in Europe?

💰 How much of your bill actually goes to government taxes and levies?

🏛️ And why has there been no intervention to protect ordinary consumers from what looks like blatant price gouging?

Karl Deeter breaks down the data — explaining what’s really driving the costs, where the money goes, and what the government could do to bring relief.

Then Niall opens the lines for your calls:

Will you struggle to pay your heating and electricity bills this winter?

Should the government cut taxes and take on the energy companies?

Or is this just the price of a “green transition” we all have to bear?

Host Niall talks to Paul Tryvaud opens the lines to listeners to debate a hot topic sparked by the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES), which went live on 12 October 2025 for 29 European countries.

Migration and Home Affairs

The system digitally records non-EU nationals’ entries and exits (passport data, facial image, fingerprints) to better detect overstays and identity fraud.

Migration and Home Affairs

But there’s a catch: Ireland has so far chosen not to take part in full integration with the system. Niall asks: should Ireland reconsider? And more provocatively — could Ireland re-establish a border checkpoint with Northern Ireland to help enforce such controls?

Short history of the border

The border between what is now the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland was drawn after partition in 1921, creating a frontier dividing the six counties that remained in the UK from the 26 which became (later) the Republic.

Through decades of conflict, that border was heavily policed, with checkpoints, customs posts, and strict controls during The Troubles.

With the Good Friday Agreement (1998) and subsequent peace processes, many of those controls were dismantled or “softened,” and the border became largely invisible — allowing free movement of people, goods, and services.

In practice, there is still a de facto border (e.g. regulatory and customs checks under the Northern Ireland Protocol), but not the old model of physical frontier posts.

The last time there was a “hard border” with full checkpoints and infrastructure was before and during much of the 20th century, gradually phased out through the peace process.

Coming up at 12pm, Niall is joined by Laura Perrins from Gript Media to unpack a hot political moment: Independent TD Catherine Connolly was asked whether she’d hire a former criminal for a role in Áras an Uachtaráin — but she refused to be drawn, saying only that she supports rehabilitation.

That raises the big question: Would you give someone who’s served time for a serious crime a second chance — even in one of Ireland’s highest offices?

Niall and Laura debate where the line should be drawn between forgiveness and accountability, and listeners call in with their views. Some say everyone deserves a fresh start once they’ve paid their debt to society — others argue that trust and responsibility must be earned, not handed out.

Tune in for a fiery discussion on crime, redemption, and what rehabilitation really means in public life.

In this fiery and funny episode of Niall Talks, Niall sits down with Larissa Nolan, journalist with the Irish Mirror, to dig into her provocative new column: “Forget spoiling votes or re-running the election — let’s get rid of the role of president altogether.”

As the country gears up for another expensive, drama-filled presidential race, Larissa argues it might be time to ask the unthinkable — do we even need a president at all?

She says the office has become an outdated, €30 million vanity project — a “political deathmatch” every seven years for a ceremonial role that was originally created just to prove the Brits wrong. From its symbolic origins in the Vice-Regal Lodge to the endless parade of candidates fighting for a job with “all the glory and none of the responsibility,” Larissa isn’t holding back.

Niall and Larissa debate what the presidency actually does for the people of Ireland — if anything — and whether it’s time to scrap the whole thing and spend that money elsewhere.

After the chat, Niall opens the lines to callers for a lively national conversation:

👉 Should Ireland keep the role of President?

👉 Is it a vital symbol of unity — or just an expensive relic?

👉 And if we got rid of it… what would we replace it with?

Expect sharp opinions, big laughs, and maybe a few constitutional headaches.