Broadcaster Niall Boylan to run for European election

Broadcaster Niall Boylan has announced his candidacy in the European Parliament elections running for the Independent Ireland party. He will contest the four seat Dublin constituency.

Boylan, who hosts a late night talk show on Classic Hits FM, has been added to the list of candidates on the website of the Dublin City Returning Officer, after Cork TD and leader of Independent Ireland Michael Collins announced that a high profile candidate would run for the party. A formal announcement is expected on Wednesday.

A vocal opponent to the coalition immigration policy and hate speech legislation, Boylan is set to be running against MEP Clare Daly, as well as Philip Dwyer, a prominent anti-immigration activist, who is contesting the election for Ireland First. Labour TD Aodhán Ó Ríordáin and People Before Profit TD Bríd Smith are also registered, among others.

On todays show about the EU Migration Pact, one caller said “The wool is being pulled over our eyes once again, they did this with the referendum, they did this with the hate speech bill and now this is being rushed through once again”. Listen to the whole show here:… pic.twitter.com/Hg8Qw5NDmC

— Niall Boylan (@Niall_Boylan) April 18, 2024

Independent Ireland was set up last November by Michael Collins and Limerick TD Richard O’Donoghue. As Jason O'Toole notes in the current issue of Hot Press, the recently formed party is "described variously by critics as right-wing and far right."

In this interview, Collins spoke about Independent Ireland’s political alignment: "I’m trying to make sure we don’t get any far-righters or far-lefters candidates involved,” he explained, “that they’re genuinely focused on their community and other issues that arise."

Candidates who wish to run for European elections still have until the end of the month to submit their nomination papers to returning officers.