Tommy Tiernan viewers were praising the bravery of a reformed neo-Nazi for speaking about his troubled past.
Mathew Collins joined a neo-Nazi gang as a teenager in London in the 1970s. He suggested the reason for the hatred he harboured may have been down to his father leaving his mother for the babysitter, who happened to be black.
Mathew even said he "hated" the black kids he went to school with in south London. The former neo-Nazi told the RTE host he had to turn his life around after a took part in a violent attack on innocent women holding a public meeting on racism.
Read more: Huge spike in anti-social behaviour on Luas in last three years
He then started giving information to the police about the neo-Nazis he associated and eventually played a part in stopping the murder of an English MP.
Drawing on his experience, Mathew explained what fascism is and where it comes from. He said: "Fascism is basically a panic - people in panic worrying about their part in society or their country's importance.
"They collect a lot of warped untruths and ideas about other people. The world is run by lizards and paedophiles. You must know about this lizard people kid of thing.
"It is really quite nasty, nasty things. You've got people here in Ireland saying the same things - standing outside hotels.
"I think the issues in Ireland are pretty similar - housing shortages and stuff like that. It is like good and intelligent conversation has died.
"I wish we could cut the internet off for a week and everyone could just got o the pub and have a chat instead of listening to the nonsense on the internet."
Viewers were taken aback by Mathew's story and his bravery in turning his life around. One viewer said: "Fair play to Matthew Collins for seeing the error of his ways. Wish there could be more like him."
Another added: "This is an incredibly important conversation. Yes he's done appalling stuff when he was a misguided racist/fascist, but it's important the work he now does to destroy fascism."
A third said: Agree with this guest around talking to Tommy about having some degree of compassion for people getting dragged down a conspiracy black hole. Well intentioned, intelligent people can be easily sucked in, and there can be all manner of underlying drivers."
READ NEXT:
Social welfare Ireland: Everything to expect from new cost of living package
New €20million state-of-the art BusConnects plaza opens at Liffey Valley Shopping Centre
Dublin TD Paul Murphy 'delighted' as he and partner welcome first child after IVF struggle
Brave Dublin teen thanks Late Late Show viewers for raising €325,000 for Debra Ireland
Sign up to the Dublin Live Newsletter to get all the latest Dublin news straight to your inbox.
