Atheist Ireland meets Barry Ward TD about judicial oaths bill
Last week Atheist Ireland met with Deputy Barry Ward regarding his Private Members Bill about the religious oath for judges in the Irish Constitution (The Thirty-ninth Amendment of the Constitution (Judicial Oath of Office) Bill 2025). We welcome this bill as a further indication of how a secular state would ...
State aid to schools affects prejudicially the right to not attend religious instruction
We are constantly being told that there is not enough state aid to ensure that our children can attend any school in receipt of this aid and not attend religious instruction (Article 44.2.4 - Irish Constitution) This can only mean that the legislation providing state aid to schools does ‘affect ...
Blasphemy and Freedom of Expression – United Nations Human Rights 75 Pledge by Atheist Ireland
Atheist Ireland has made a pledge to the United Nations Human Rights 75 initiative to oppose laws against blasphemy and promote freedom of expression. 1. Background to Atheist Ireland Atheist Ireland is a voluntary advocacy group based in Ireland. We have Special Consultative Status at the United Nations. We promote atheism, reason, ...
Where is Soheil Arabi? #FreeSoheil
Atheist Ireland has joined with the undersigned ex-Muslim, atheist, secularist and freethought organisations, to politically sponsor the well-known Iranian atheist and ex-Muslim Soheil Arabi, who was re-arrested from his home on 2 January 2023 by the Islamic Republic of Iran’s security forces. Sources have informed us that he was violently ...
Support the campaign for the State to own and manage the new National Maternity Hospital
Atheist Ireland joined a meeting this week of women’s rights groups and secular groups that want the State to own and manage the new National Maternity Hospital. The meeting was convened by Jo Tully, chairperson of the Campaign Against Church Ownership of Women's Healthcare. This growing campaign has two demands: ...
Free Iranian blogger Soheil Arabi
Over 200 secular activists and groups have called for today, Sunday 3 October, to be recognised as International #SoheilDay in solidarity with Soheil Arabi, an atheist political prisoner in Iran. The campaign is run by Maryam Namazie and Jimmy Bangash of the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain. Michael Nugent and ...
Irish Government says religious oaths are “necessary in a democratic society”
It is disgraceful that the Irish Government is arguing at the European Court of Human Rights that the religious oath for President and members of the Council of State are “necessary in a democratic society.” The Government is contesting a legal challenge to the religious oath by Roisin Shortall TD, John ...
Education minister repeats pledge to change law if necessary to ensure inclusive sex education
In the Dail yesterday Donnchadh O’Laoghaire from Sinn Fein asked the Minister for Education about sex education in schools. The Catholic Bishops have introduced a course called Flourish to primary schools. Flourish is Catholic sex education, and the programme is to be taught alongside curriculum Relationship and Sexuality education. Here ...
Objective versus Catholic Sex Education – the Background
Atheist Ireland has been working for several years on the issue of objective versus Catholic sex education in Irish schools. If you want to understand more about the issue, you can read our submissions and articles linked below. The Department of Education supports the integration of religion into sex education through ...
Religious oaths in the Irish Constitution
In Ireland atheists, humanists and the non-religious cannot take high office because of the requirement to take a religious oath in our Constitution. Atheist Ireland runs a ‘One Oath For All’ campaign, to enable conscientious atheists to hold the office of President, Judge, Taoiseach, or other members of the Council ...