Niall Rafferty is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Barry Sloane. He first appeared during an episode broadcast on 3 December 2007. Former Brookside actor Sloane was cast as the "mysterious" hairdresser Niall and was introduced by the series' producer Bryan Kirkwood. During Sloane's portrayal of Niall on-screen, he was central to a storyline involving the already-established McQueen family and it was revealed Niall was the illegitimate son of Myra McQueen. The storyline featured Niall seek revenge on the McQueens, which concluded in highly advertised episodes featuring Niall kidnapping his siblings and causing the death of his half-sister Tina Reilly. Niall was portrayed by upcoming actor Devon Jackson, the older brother of Hollyoaks actor Kieron Richardson, in flashback scenes depicting Niall's childhood.

Barry Sloane is an English actor. He has appeared in numerous television shows, and in the BAFTA Award–winning television films Pleasureland and The Mark of Cain. In 2006, Sloane made his West End debut in Willy Russell's Blood Brothers. In December 2007, he began playing serial killer Niall Rafferty in Channel 4's Hollyoaks, which earned him three award nominations.