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

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?

Welcome to the brand new podcast where broadcaster Niall Boylan and his wife, Karen, discuss everything and anything. From the biggest stories in the news to the arguments taking place in bedrooms, kitchens and family WhatsApp groups, absolutely nothing is off the table.
This week, Niall and Karen discuss whether married couples should keep their money separate and when adult children should finally be told to leave home.
The listeners have also been in touch with some extraordinary marital dilemmas. One woman discovered that her husband had been secretly wearing her underwear and using her make-up. Another husband feels as though he is married to an entire committee because his wife shares every argument with her friends. Meanwhile, one woman wants her husband to cut contact with a former girlfriend, but he insists they are now simply friends.
Expect disagreements, uncomfortable confessions, plenty of laughter and an honest husband versus wife perspective on relationships, marriage and modern life.
Welcome to Don’t Call Me Darling, where Niall and Karen may not always agree, but neither of them will be keeping quiet.