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

In this episode of Don’t Call Me Darling, Niall and Karen Boylan sit down for an honest, funny and occasionally uncomfortable chat about marriage, death, relationships and the strange habits couples develop over time.

They begin with funerals, from the famous dancing pallbearers seen online to the very different traditions of an Irish wake. Why do Irish people stand beside an open coffin and say things like, “He looks so peaceful,” or, “I never saw her looking so well”? Niall and Karen also ask whether couples should discuss their own funeral wishes, including whether they want to be buried, cremated or laid to rest beside each other for eternity.

They also discuss budget airlines, hidden charges and why a cheap flight suddenly costs three times the advertised price once you add a seat, a bag and the privilege of sitting beside your own husband or wife.

Marriage counselling is also up for debate. Does it actually work, or is needing a third party to explain how to love, trust and communicate a sign that the relationship is already in serious trouble?

Niall and Karen also discuss the husband who does not want children, but may have forgotten to mention that fairly important detail to his wife. Can a marriage survive when two people want completely different futures, and should something as serious as having children ever be left until after the wedding?

They also take a look at the old junk gathering dust in attics across the country. Could that forgotten ornament, battered toy, old record or box of family clutter actually be worth a fortune, and how much valuable treasure is being thrown into skips every year?

And finally, have couples become far too comfortable around each other? From leaving the bathroom door open to cutting toenails in the sitting room, Niall and Karen ask whether complete comfort is a sign of true love or the fastest way to kill romance.

Expect plenty of laughter, disagreement, personal confessions and the kind of conversations every married couple has, but usually only behind closed doors.

Real marriage, real stories, real laughs and real truths..

Not Suitable For Broadcast: Niall Boylan and Larissa Nolan Round Up the Week

Niall Boylan is joined by journalist Larissa Nolan for a lively, unfiltered look back at the biggest, most controversial and downright strange stories of the week.

They debate whether Gardaí need stronger legal protection when pursuing suspects on e scooters, scramblers and other vehicles, and ask whether criminals are exploiting officers’ fear of ending up before the courts.

They also examine new figures showing that more than 6,300 people have received Jobseeker’s Allowance for over a decade. Should welfare remain an unconditional safety net, or should payments be reduced when people repeatedly refuse suitable work, training or community placements?

The discussion turns to politics and identity following British Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s claim that his country has taken several wrong turns since the 1980s. Has Ireland genuinely progressed through liberalisation, or has it discarded traditions, values and policies that once held society together?

Niall and Larissa also discuss the revelation that more than 16,000 people arrived at Dublin Airport without valid passports or travel documents between 2020 and 2025, while fewer than 1,000 of the thousands of deportation orders signed during that period were enforced. Has Ireland lost control of its immigration system?

Other major stories include doctors facing Medical Council proceedings over views expressed during the Covid pandemic, while politicians responsible for lockdowns, school closures and healthcare restrictions face no equivalent professional process. They also explore age discrimination against workers over 50 and proposals to replace highly paid private legal aid solicitors with salaried public defenders.

Then things get lighter, although possibly no less controversial. Should legendary singers such as Frankie Valli, Paul McCartney, Art Garfunkel, Paul Simon, Cliff Richard and Barry Manilow know when it is time to leave the stage, or do performers have every right to continue as long as audiences keep buying tickets? Niall and Larissa also celebrate older artists such as Angus Young and Debbie Harry, who still appear capable of delivering the goods.

Finally, they look at a best man whose AI generated wedding speech accidentally exposed the fact that he had not read it, and a student who tattooed a supermarket loyalty card barcode on his arm for convenience.

Serious stories, strong opinions, plenty of laughs and absolutely no filter. This is Not Suitable For Broadcast.

In this episode, Niall speaks to Cllr Albert Deasey and restaurateur Paul Treyvaud about executive pay at RTÉ and whether salaries at the taxpayer-funded broadcaster should be capped at €100,000.

RTÉ is once again seeking additional public funding after the current multiannual package, worth approximately €725 million, runs out. At the same time, its latest annual report reveals that nine of the organisation’s ten highest earners are members of management, with total remuneration packages approaching or exceeding €300,000.

Director General Kevin Bakhurst topped the table with total remuneration of €339,538, including pension contributions and allowances. He was followed by Deputy Director General Adrian Lynch on €293,627, Chief Technology Officer Richard Waghorn on €291,160, Director of News and Current Affairs Deirdre McCarthy on €285,063, presenter Claire Byrne on €280,000, former Chief Financial Officer Mari Hurley on €276,344, Director of Video Steve Carson on €276,282, former Director of Human Resources Eimear Cusack on €274,721, Commercial Director Gavin Deans on €269,055 and Director of Audio Patricia Monahan, also on €269,055.

Mr Bakhurst is also awaiting government approval for a recommended €20,000 salary increase, a proposal that remains under review by the Department of Public Expenditure.

Nobody is suggesting that salaries across the private sector should be capped. However, should different rules apply to an organisation that relies heavily on taxpayers, continues to seek additional financial support and repeatedly says it cannot make ends meet?

Niall asks whether all salaries at RTÉ should be capped at €100,000. Would such a limit finally force the broadcaster to live within its means, or would it prevent RTÉ from recruiting and retaining experienced executives, journalists and broadcasters?

Is €100,000 more than enough for anyone working at a publicly funded broadcaster, or is executive pay simply the unavoidable cost of attracting high-quality staff?

In this episode, Niall speaks to callers about a deeply personal email from a male listener who has discovered that his wife cheated on him during a weekend away with friends.

He became suspicious after one of her friends posted a photograph from a bar on Instagram. In the background, his wife could be seen wrapped around another man. The photograph was quickly deleted, but not before one of his friends took a screenshot and sent it to him.

When confronted, his wife broke down and admitted that she had slept with the man. She says she was extremely drunk, deeply regrets what happened and is pleading with her husband to forgive her.

The couple have two young children and a great deal at stake, but he is devastated and does not know whether he can ever trust her again.

Niall asks callers whether a one-night stand should automatically end a marriage. Can trust ever be properly rebuilt after infidelity, or will suspicion and resentment always remain? Does being drunk explain what happened, or is it simply an excuse? Should the welfare of the children influence his decision, or would staying together in a broken relationship only make matters worse?

Would you give a cheating partner a second chance, or is infidelity something a relationship can never truly recover from?

In this episode, Niall speaks to social commentator and podcaster Elaine Mullally about age discrimination in the workplace and whether workers over 50 are being unfairly overlooked.

Approximately 80% of workers over the age of 50 say they have experienced or witnessed age discrimination, including being denied interviews, passed over for promotions or subjected to stereotypes about their energy, adaptability and ability to learn new skills.

Ireland is currently close to full employment, yet many older workers say that losing a job after the age of 50 can leave them struggling to find another opportunity, regardless of their experience or qualifications.

If a candidate over 50 and a fit 25-year-old applied for the same position, and both had the necessary skills, who would you hire?

Supporters of the older candidate argue that experience, maturity, reliability and workplace knowledge should count for more. Others believe younger applicants may be more energetic, adaptable and motivated to build a long-term career.

Are employers making sensible business decisions, or are they dismissing valuable workers simply because of their age?

In this episode, Niall speaks to Larissa Nolan, Communications Officer with Aontú, about the Irish Medical Council’s pursuit of doctors over public comments and professional opinions they expressed during the Covid pandemic.

A number of doctors have faced fitness-to-practise inquiries or misconduct allegations after questioning lockdowns, mask mandates, PCR testing, Covid vaccines and other Government policies. The controversy raises serious questions about professional freedom, civil liberties and whether doctors should be punished for expressing views that challenged the official position at the time.

Aontú has called for these Medical Council proceedings to be paused until Ireland’s official review of the pandemic response has been completed. Party leader Peadar Tóibín highlighted the case of Dr Patrick Morrissey and argued that the State itself has major questions to answer before doctors are judged. He pointed to prolonged lockdowns, school closures, the treatment of nursing-home residents, people dying in isolation, the impact on young people and families experiencing domestic violence, and the absence of a comprehensive vaccine injury compensation scheme.

Aontú councillor Peter O’Donoghue has also argued that doctors who acted in good faith and expressed different professional opinions now face the possible destruction of their careers before the Government’s own decisions have been fully examined.

If doctors are being held accountable for what they said during the pandemic, should politicians also face a disciplinary court over decisions they made that may have caused serious harm?

Should elected representatives be judged for lockdowns, school closures, healthcare restrictions and vaccine policies that may now be viewed differently with the benefit of hindsight, or is accountability at the ballot box enough?

Niall discusses the issue with Larissa Nolan from Aontú.

Niall speaks to journalist Laura Perrins about the arrival of Britain’s new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, and his promise of a ten year plan to transform the country.

In his first speech outside Downing Street, Burnham declared that Britain had taken “some wrong turns” since the 1980s, particularly through privatisation and the weakening of local government. He has promised greater public control over essential services, with lower transport costs and capped fares among the first measures reportedly under consideration. AP News

Laura argues that Burnham appears determined to turn back the clock on more than 40 years of economic policy. She asks whether conservatives would be treated so sympathetically if they claimed that life was better four decades ago, and why looking to the past is considered reactionary when it comes from the right, but progressive when it comes from the left.

Niall and Laura examine whether price caps and greater state control can genuinely address Britain’s economic problems, or whether Burnham is reviving socialist policies that have already failed.

The discussion then turns to Ireland. Is the country governed better today, or was it better before the enormous social and political changes of recent decades, including divorce, same sex marriage, abortion, green policies and the wider liberalisation of Irish society?

Is looking to the past always backward, or are there occasions when a country must return to what previously worked?

Niall speaks to Irish Daily Mail journalist Ken Murray about the newspaper’s front page revelation that more than 16,000 people arrived at Dublin Airport without passports or valid travel documents between 2020 and 2025.

Figures obtained from the Department of Justice show that 16,307 undocumented passengers arrived during that period, with a record 4,968 arriving in 2022 alone. The total does not include arrivals at Cork, Shannon or Knock airports, meaning the true nationwide figure could be considerably higher.

How are passengers boarding international flights with passports, only to arrive in Ireland without them? Are documents being deliberately destroyed during flights to conceal identities, nationalities or travel routes? Why has the Government not required airlines to retain secure copies of passengers’ documents before departure?

Niall and Ken also examine Ireland’s failure to enforce deportation orders. Between 2020 and 2025, 9,142 orders were signed, but only 969 deportations were carried out. Does the State know how many of those ordered to leave remain in Ireland, and why is there such an enormous gap between issuing an order and enforcing it?

Has Ireland become a soft touch with what is effectively an open border crisis? Can the Government regain control of the immigration system, or will the financial cost, political division and social unrest continue to grow?

Niall speaks to Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín about new figures revealing that 6,329 people have been receiving Jobseeker’s Allowance for more than ten years.

The figures also show that almost 39,000 people have remained on the payment for at least two years, approximately 21,000 for four years or more and around 9,000 for over eight years. This is happening while Ireland’s unemployment rate stands at approximately 5 per cent.

Tóibín argues that there is “no shortage of jobs out there” and insists that social welfare must remain a safety net rather than “become a lifestyle”. He estimates that supporting more than 6,000 people for over a decade may have cost the State as much as €800 million and is calling for penalties where someone chooses to remain unemployed despite being capable of working.

Under the existing rules, a person receiving Jobseeker’s Allowance must be capable of working, available for full-time employment and genuinely seeking work. So how can thousands of people apparently satisfy those conditions continuously for more than a decade?

Niall and Peadar discuss whether long-term recipients should be required to accept suitable employment, training, voluntary work or a community placement. Should payments be reduced or eventually withdrawn from those who repeatedly refuse reasonable opportunities?

They also consider the other side of the argument. Long-term unemployment can involve poor health, age, inadequate skills, family responsibilities, addiction, housing difficulties and jobs that are simply unavailable in a person’s area. The figures alone do not prove that all 6,329 recipients are refusing to work or fraudulently claiming benefits.

Where should Ireland draw the line between protecting people who genuinely need assistance and continuing to support those who may simply have no intention of working? Would you report somebody you knew was claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance while secretly working for cash?

Niall speaks to Fatima Gunning, journalist with Gript Media, and Noel O’Flynn about calls for Gardaí to receive greater legal protection when pursuing suspected criminals.

Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan says he wants legislation progressed to protect Gardaí involved in pursuits of cars, scramblers, e-bikes and e-scooters. Pointing to the UK, where police officers have “specific statutory protections” when pursuing suspects during the course of their work, O’Callaghan said: “I would like to see something like that within the Irish legal system.”

The debate comes as Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly revealed that ten Garda members are currently before the courts over alleged careless or dangerous driving incidents arising during the course of their duties.

Niall, Fatima and Noel ask whether criminals are exploiting Garda reluctance to give chase, knowing that officers could face prosecution, lose their driving licences or even destroy their careers if a pursuit goes wrong.

However, greater legal protection cannot mean complete immunity. If a Garda drives recklessly and an innocent pedestrian or motorist is seriously injured or killed, who should be held responsible? Should the law judge a Garda’s driving against the actions of an appropriately trained police officer facing the same circumstances, as happens in Britain?

Should Gardaí acting in good faith be protected from prosecution, or could the proposed legislation place innocent members of the public at greater risk? Details of Jim O’Callaghan’s remarks