Podcast

This week, Niall dives into an intriguing story involving former US president Barack Obama and the question that never seems to go away — aliens. Speaking recently on a podcast with Brian Tyler Cohen, Obama said that while the universe is vast and statistically life could exist elsewhere, the chances Earth has actually been visited by extraterrestrials are “low.” He joked that aliens aren’t being hidden in Area 51 and said he saw no evidence of alien contact during his presidency.

This week, host Niall sits down with Senator Sharon Keoghan to unpack the controversy surrounding recent comments about diversity recruitment in the Irish Defence Forces.

In this episode, Niall sits down with Cathal Leevy from PAWs — the animal welfare party — to tackle a debate that’s stirring strong opinions: are zoos an outdated concept?

In this episode, Niall is joined by podcaster and social commentator Elaine Mullally for a lively and thought-provoking discussion on welfare, responsibility, and fairness in today’s society.

This Valentine’s Day episode dives into the romance, the history — and the debate — around one of the most loved (and sometimes eye-rolled) dates on the calendar. Niall explores the origins of Valentine’s Day, from the story of St Valentine — the Roman priest said to have secretly married couples —

In this episode, Niall opens the lines to discuss the growing controversy around possible industrial action by rank-and-file gardaí. Their representative body has voted to withdraw voluntary overtime during the St Patrick’s festival amid an ongoing dispute over pay, allowances and what they say are long-promised agreements that haven’t been honoured.

This week, host Niall is joined by social commentator AJ Walshe for a thoughtful — and at times uncomfortable — conversation sparked by a powerful listener email. The discussion centres on a recent anonymous love-story featured on RTÉ’s Brendan O’Connor Show, where a married man in his 50s reflected on a secret same-sex relationship from decades ago and the complicated emotions that still linger.

This week on the podcast, Niall is joined by financial analyst and commentator Karl Deeter to tackle the heated debate around anonymous social media accounts — should they be banned to curb online abuse, or protected as an important part of free expression?

Today, Niall opens the phones to discuss a debate sparked by a recent discrimination case involving a firefighter fitness test and the wider question of gender equality in demanding jobs. After an email from a listener raised concerns that telling girls they can do anything men can do might sometimes set unrealistic expectations, the conversation turns to whether standards should always be identical — or whether some roles naturally favour physical differences.