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

In this episode, Niall is joined by journalist John McGuirk to discuss the violent riots sweeping across France, where widespread protests have descended into scenes of looting, destruction and clashes with police. Has President Emmanuel Macron lost control, and what is fuelling the growing anger on the streets of France?
The conversation then turns to a controversial Irish court case that raises serious questions about the limits of free speech.
Graham Carey, a 42-year-old Dublin man, has been jailed for two years for incitement to hatred after posting a video in which he linked refugees to rapists and threatened to throw their corpses into the sea.
But regardless of what you think of Carey's comments, should people be sent to prison for what they say? Does this conviction set a worrying precedent for freedom of expression in Ireland, or was this a clear case of crossing the line from expressing an opinion into inciting hatred?
Niall asks John McGuirk whether he agrees with the sentence and explores the difficult question of where free speech ends and criminal incitement begins.
Should even the most offensive and hateful opinions be protected by free speech, or are there circumstances where words alone should land someone behind bars?

Swipe Right for Love or Just a Bit of Fun? Is Online Dating a Waste of Time?
Whatever happened to meeting someone in the pub, chatting them up at a party or catching someone's eye across a crowded room? Back in the day, finding love involved a bit of courage, a few awkward conversations and maybe a few pints to build up the confidence!
These days, romance is just a swipe away. But is that necessarily a good thing?
In this episode, Niall talks to callers about the world of online dating, where a flattering profile picture, a clever bio and a bit of creative photography can be the difference between finding your soulmate and being left on the virtual shelf!
Are dating apps genuinely helping people find lasting love, or have they become glorified hookup services where everyone is constantly looking for someone younger, better looking or more exciting?
And what about the dreaded first date, when the six-foot fitness fanatic you've been chatting to turns out to be five-foot-six with a beer belly and a photograph from 2009?
Can you really build a meaningful connection with someone you've never met, or have dating apps turned romance into online shopping, where there's always another option just one swipe away?
Niall hears from listeners who found true love online, others who've experienced absolute dating disasters and those who reckon nothing beats the old-fashioned approach of meeting someone face to face.
Is online dating the future of romance, or has swiping left and right killed the magic of falling in love?

I Married a Man, Then He Left Me to Become a Woman: The Story of a Trans Widow**
In this powerful and emotional episode, Niall Boylan speaks to Tracey Shannon, a woman who describes herself as a "trans widow" after the devastating breakdown of her marriage.
Tracey was happily married to the man she loved, and together they were raising their young children. She believed they had a happy marriage and a future together. But everything changed when her husband began dressing as a woman. What initially seemed like occasional cross-dressing eventually developed into his desire to live permanently as a woman.
Ultimately, he left Tracey and their marriage behind to begin a new life as a woman, leaving her to pick up the pieces, raise their children and come to terms with losing the husband she thought she knew.
Tracey speaks openly about the heartbreak, confusion, betrayal and emotional turmoil she experienced, and what she believes is often overlooked in conversations about gender transition: the wives, partners and children whose lives are turned upside down.
While society increasingly celebrates people embracing their gender identity, Tracey asks a difficult question: What about the families left behind, and who is listening to their stories?
An emotional, honest and thought-provoking conversation about marriage, identity, personal freedom and the sometimes devastating consequences for those closest to us.

25 Years Married and She Catches Him Sex Chatting With Other Women! Is It Cheating?**
In this episode, Niall speaks to callers about a marriage in crisis after a listener makes a devastating discovery about her husband of 25 years.
At 1am, she finds him fast asleep at his laptop with sexually explicit conversations with other women still open on the screen. She's horrified, heartbroken and feels completely betrayed.
But her husband insists he hasn't cheated. He claims he's been lonely, misses intimacy and has been using online sex chats to satisfy needs that haven't been met in their marriage for some time. He argues that because he's never physically touched another woman, he hasn't actually been unfaithful.
His wife admits her sex drive has been low for years and their marriage has lacked physical intimacy. She even wonders whether she's partly to blame for pushing him towards other women online.
Her sister, however, has absolutely no sympathy for him. She says he's a cheat, has betrayed his wife's trust and should be shown the door.
But is it really that simple?
Is sexually explicit chatting with strangers online just harmless fantasy, or is it every bit as much cheating as having a physical affair?
Should this woman throw away 25 years of marriage over conversations on a computer screen? Does a lack of intimacy explain his behaviour, or is he simply making excuses for betraying his wife?
And here's another question. If your partner stopped wanting sex, would you consider online sexual conversations with other people an acceptable alternative?
Niall hears some very different opinions from callers as they debate fidelity, loneliness, sexual frustration, trust and whether a marriage can survive this kind of betrayal.
**Would YOU forgive your husband or wife, or would catching them sex chatting with strangers be the end of your marriage?

Yesterday’s national public sector strike brought widespread disruption, with thousands of workers walking off the job in one of the biggest industrial actions in decades. But while some praised the workers for standing up for better pay and conditions, others accused them of greed and holding the public to ransom.
In this episode, Niall speaks to protest fuel organiser and agricultural representative John Dallon, as well as election candidate Eddie Punch, about the strike, the growing frustration over the cost of living and whether ordinary workers have finally had enough.
With household bills soaring, wages struggling to keep pace and many families feeling financially squeezed, is it time for something much bigger?
Would you support a full national strike involving both public and private sector workers, effectively shutting down the entire country for 24 hours?
Could such drastic action finally force the Government to listen and deliver meaningful change? Or would it simply punish ordinary people, cost businesses millions, disrupt essential services and put vulnerable people at risk?
Niall, John and Eddie examine the arguments for and against nationwide industrial action, the pressures facing workers, farmers and businesses, and whether a national shutdown could achieve meaningful change or ultimately do more harm than good.
Is a national shutdown exactly what Ireland needs, or has the right to strike gone too far?