Niall Breslin

Born in Dublin to father Enda and mother Mandy, Breslin is the second youngest of five children,[3] including siblings Ronan, Laura, Julie and Andrea.[4] At the age of two, he and his family moved to Mullingar, and attended Coláiste Mhuire in the town. As a result of Enda's military deployment when Breslin was 13, the family relocated to Israel for five months.[5] Breslin attended University College Dublin on a sports scholarship, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Sociology (2003) and a Masters Degree in Mindfulness Based Interventions (2019).[6] In 2022, Breslin was awarded UCD Alumnus of the Year in Social Sciences.

Breslin represented Westmeath, in Gaelic football at Minor, and U-21 Championship levels.[7] He won a Leinster Under-21 Football Championship medal with Westmeath in 2000. He was also a professional rugby player with Leinster Rugby.[8][9] He had a scholarship in UCD for rugby and also represented Ireland at Under-21 level in the World Cup.[9]

In 2015, Breslin published his first book Me and My Mate Jeffrey, a combination memoir/self-help book. "Jeffrey" is a personification of Breslin's anxiety disorder.[10] The book won the 2015 Irish Book Award for popular non fiction.[11]

In July 2019, Breslin launched a podcast called Where Is My Mind? which focuses on mental health and wellbeing.[12]

In April 2020, Breslin followed up his previous podcast with another series focusing on mental wellbeing and meditation, this time exclusively for Spotify, called Wake Up / Wind Down (UK & IE).[13]

With childhood friends, Breslin formed The Blizzards in 2004. They released two albums that achieved commercial success, A Public Display of Affection in 2006 and Domino Effect in 2008. The band split up in 2009.[14] Following the band's split, Breslin joined Simon Fuller's XIX Entertainment as a songwriter and producer in 2010.[14]

In 2011, Breslin released a solo album, Colourblind Stereo. Four singles were released from the album. During a performance at the Festival of Fires in Westmeath on 5 May 2012, he urged thousands of fans to vote against the government coalition of Fine Gael/Labour, saying before leaving the stage “I don’t normally do politics, but this Government is an awful bollocks. I want to make an appeal to all you people out there. Don't make the same mistakes we did by voting them in again.”[15]

In 2012, he was a coach on the inaugural season of The Voice of Ireland,[16] mentoring the winner, Pat Byrne.[17][18][19][20]

Through the end of 2012, Breslin began work on his second solo album "Rage and Romance".[21] A music video was filmed for Show Me Love, featuring Moone Boy actors David Rawle and Ian O'Reilly. In 2014 Breslin appeared on the second series of Moone Boy as a PE Teacher.

In January 2014, Breslin announced putting his solo career as a recording artist on hold, with the intention to focus on his work as a judge on The Voice of Ireland and writing and producing music.[22]