This documentary deals with themes of an adult nature including descriptions of violence and may not be suitable for younger listeners or victims of sexual violence.

Incels – or involuntary celibates - are men who believe that they are incapable of finding anyone to have a sexual relationship with.

They usually inhabit the darker corners of the Internet, in large part communicating anonymously with each other. The incel world is full of misogyny, anger and hatred. There are violent videos posted on the online forums – with women at the centre of them.

Incel voices are rarely heard in the media. In this documentary, we delve into the world of inceldom to try to find out who these young men and boys are, and what is going on for them that is leading them into a world that can have devastating consequences for themselves and others around them.

We meet an Irish man we're calling 'Paul’. Paul considers himself involuntary celibate. He is in his 30s now and, though he tried to date when he was younger, he never managed to progress any dates to a romantic relationship. He tells us that the extent of his sexual experience is a few half-drunken kisses at a house parties.

When he came into contact with incel forums online ten years ago, he found what he believed to be an answer to the situation that he was in. Spurred on by the posts online, he concluded that he was not good looking enough to be attractive to women. Paul lives in a quiet despair – with nobody in his life knowing the truth about his situation.

Incels are deeply concerned with looks. There is a belief that is perpetuated on the forums that those who are not extremely good-looking are doomed to a life of solitude. There is an air of desolation to the forums – with the view that for those who have not won ‘the genetic lottery’, there is no hope.

We discover that among this global community of men and boys, there are Irish incels engaging with this troubling content. It can be confined to the echo chamber of the online forums, but it often turns outwards and can manifest through trolling or through real world assaults and murders.

In the midst of the rage and misogyny, we find a world that is filled with loneliness, anxiety and sadness, and young men and boys who feel lost in the world today.

Invisible Men - Ireland's Incels was narrated by Alan Bradley and produced by Alan and Nicoline Greer.

If you have been affected by any of the issues or themes raised in this documentary, please click here visit RTÉ's list of helplines where you will find resources that may help.

Click here to access Incel Exit as mentioned in the documentary

First broadcast on RTÉ Radio 1, 2PM, Saturday 26th October 2024

An Irish radio documentary from RTÉ Radio 1, Ireland - RTÉ Documentary on One - the home of Irish radio documentaries