Niall Breslin

Keynote Speaker

Niall Breslin's Biography

As one of Ireland’s most prominent mental health advocates and sought-after thought leaders, Niall Breslin has helped to pioneer a transformation in the public perception and narrative around mental health and emotional wellness.

Drawing from an almost unimaginable breadth of experience as a touring musician, former professional rugby, Gaelic football player and as an academic, Niall is known for his unique ability to communicate with inspiring candour, expert knowledge and bona-fide authenticity.

As such, it is no surprise that Niall has found incredible success as a podcaster, charting high with two separate podcasts in the mental health and wellbeing space. Revealed as the voice of Spotify’s brand-new mindfulness podcast series, 'Wake Up/Wind Down' - which offers listeners a unique way of opening and closing their day. Niall has also recently released the second season of his popular podcast series, 'Where Is My Mind?', exclusively on Spotify, won creative podcast of the year at the British Podcast Awards. He joins a select group of talent to have been tapped for exclusive podcast series as part of the streaming giant's accelerating growth in the audio space.

Part of the Spotify-curated playlist, ‘Your Daily Wellness’, 'Wake Up/Wind Down' has proven to be incredibly popular in these unprecedented stressful times, becoming the #1 podcast on the Spotify Charts in the UK and Ireland, and a Top 10 in the United States, all while helping listeners start and end their days with guided mindfulness meditations and techniques.

His standing as a key figure in the evolving conversation around mental health has been further bolstered by his #1 bestselling and multi award winning book, ‘Me and My Mate Jeffrey’, as well as his children's mindfulness picture books, ‘The Magic Moment’ and ‘Take Five’.

On the philanthropic front, Niall is the founder and Creative Director of mental health charity A Lust for Life, a project that has led him to receive the prestigious Social Entrepreneur Ireland Impact award, The Social Innovation Fund award, and the Google Impact award.

Niall has also produced and written several documentaries about mental health and performance psychology and has consulted with the Irish government and the EU parliament to further influence the discussion and development of future policy around mental health, including chairing the reference groups for the youth mental health task force.

He holds degrees in Economics and Sociology both from University College Dublin, a Higher Certificate in Performance Psychology from IADT, and a master’s degree in Mindfulness Based Interventions from the School of Psychology in UCD. He is also an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons and IADT, where his work has been highly recognized by peers and colleagues.

These credentials have allowed him to become a regular consultant for multinational corporations and organizations from different sectors, including Apple, Google, LinkedIn, Facebook, EY, international NGOs, and The European Parliament.