Join Atheist Ireland

For Secular Schools and Ethical Laws

To renew membership click on the registration tab on the top right and select your preferred option.

  • Do you use reason and evidence to understand the world?
  • Do you live by your natural morality, not religious rules?
  • Do you want equality before the law regardless of belief?

Please join Atheist Ireland and help to achieve these aims. We are a voluntary advocacy group with no State funding. We rely on our members to keep up our advocacy work.

Since being founded in 2008, we have:

  • Normalised the words atheism and secularism
  • Achieved special consultative status at the United Nations
  • Removed the blasphemy crime from our Constitution
  • Supported marriage equality and Repeal the 8th
  • Ended some discrimination in our schools and laws
  • Helped people persecuted for their beliefs globally
  • Worked with religious groups to promote secularism

In the coming years we aim to:

  • Empower reason, evidence, and natural morality
  • Remove all religious discrimination in our schools
  • End religious oaths for President, judges and Taoiseach
  • Secularise our equality, jobs, health, and marriage laws
  • Continue to lobby at the UN and Council of Europe
  • Work with others to build a more ethical secular world

When you join Atheist Ireland you can:

  • Help to achieve the above aims
  • Help to decide our policy and elect our officers
  • Attend members meetings and social events
  • Pay just €25 a year if you have a wage or €10 if not
  • Examine our accounts at each AGM
  • Become active as a volunteer if you choose to

How do I join Atheist Ireland?

To renew membership click on the registration tab on the top right and select your preferred option.

46 Comments

  1. Avatar
    paddy duff March 27, 2014

    I wish to join but your website does not allow me to finalise my application.
    can you help me?
    Regards
    PD

    Reply
    • Avatar
      Helen O Shea March 27, 2014

      Have you tried using a different browser. if your still having problems you can fill in the postal membership and send it to the address on the form.

      Reply
    • Avatar
      Helen O Shea March 27, 2014

      It seems the online system is down at the moment. You can send membership fees directly to finance@atheist.ie if you use paypal and add a note indicating that it is for membership. Make sure to give your email address.

      Reply
  2. Avatar
    David Martin April 27, 2014

    Hi, Before I join can you tell me when and where your meetings are and how many there are per year? Thanks In Advance.

    Reply
    • Avatar
      Helen O Shea April 27, 2014

      Hi, We have an annual general meeting once a year in September/October. We use a regional (non-Dublin) location every second year. Last year our AGM was in Galway.

      Reply
  3. Avatar
    Jack Mullen June 27, 2014

    I would like to join but I’m not willing to pay for it. Consider me a member in spirit.

    Reply
  4. Avatar
    eoin o neill July 26, 2014

    Hi , I just joined and paid through paypal but it wont let me register with ye as a member? Whats the story? Eoin.

    Reply
  5. Avatar
    Seamus Ryan September 25, 2014

    Could you let me know if there are any events or groups in the Galway area?

    Reply
  6. Avatar
    Jeanne Rathbone September 26, 2014

    As I have not lived in Ireland for 50 years I think that you should have a membership category suitable for emigrants like myself who do want to be kept up to date on what is happening in Ireland around the continuing power and influence of the Catholic church in social and political life there.
    I have been a member.

    Reply
    • Avatar
      Kevin Sheehan September 27, 2014

      Hi Jeanne

      What type of category did you have in mind. Currently we have 2 membership levels for those with a wage at 25 euros and 10 euros for those without a wage
      All monies that we receive go to the web site, printed material, overseas travel such as the recent UN human rights examination in Geneva and next week in Warsaw for the OSCE human rights programme. Roughly half of our 15000 euros yearly income goes for these things this year. Our task in life is to be political lobbyists on a human rights secular society platform

      Arguably membership provides the members with nothing other than that their money is used to bring about changes to the Irish constitution and laws to achieve our objectives. So where you live does not materially affect any of this, except of course that you would very much help us expand our activities.

      All the executive / national and regional committee members are volunteers who pay their own expenses whilst in Ireland. We would really love to have you as a member. Here is the link
      https://atheist.ie/wordpress/membership-registration/

      Regards

      Kevin Sheehan
      Membership Officer
      Atheist Ireland

      Reply
      • Avatar
        Jeanne Rathbone October 01, 2014

        Hi Kevin,

        I was not concerned about the membership fee but more that you acknowledged non-resident members as a separate category as we do not have a vote or political representation Ireland.

        As a woman who felt that I was forced to leave sixties Ireland because of the repressive influence of the Catholic Church and it’s inherent misogyny on social and political life I feel that I should be able to influence change through AI over and above paying a membership subscription.
        I have been active in the British Humanist Association for 18 years as a ceremony celebrant, as a humanist hospital chaplain, on faith and belief fora, as a speaker in schools getting humanism recognised as a topic under religion and belief and getting young atheists to positively identify as humanists and in campaigns against faith schools etc.

        I wondered how many emigrant members there are and if we could be more effective as a separate category of membership. I think AI has been very impressive in the impact that it has made in such a short time since it’s inception.

        Regards,

        Jeanne Rathbone
        http://www.humanism.org.uk/jeannerathbone/

        Reply
  7. Avatar
    Marc Flanagan February 10, 2015

    Hi, I wana join up and I see ur membership fee is 25 waged and 10 unwaged 10, now here it is,I work but have three dependants and I’m on low income would be greatful to reg for
    Lower rate? A some
    Kinda fundraising is no problem here either!

    Reply
  8. Avatar
    Garry O'Lochlainn March 12, 2015

    I wish to renew my membership

    Reply
    • Avatar
      Helen O Shea March 12, 2015

      Thank you. If you click on the top right under registration (in the green menu) you can select the option to renew to which ever option you wish (waged/unwaged recurring/non recurring).

      Reply
  9. Avatar
    Barry Hurley June 12, 2015

    Hi Helen/Kevin

    On joining do i receive a membership card?
    Regards

    Barry

    Reply
  10. Avatar
    Kevin Byrne June 24, 2015

    How dare you try to get rid of the angelus. You bloody minorities do not represent the majority in this country. How many paid up members have you got, maybe 700 or 800 hundred judged in your income and you want to tell the rest of us Catholics 3 million what to do.If you don’t like the angelus don’t listen. The vast majority still want the angelus and we are the ones paying for it not your small band of Sad followers. I suppose you will want to stop churches ringing bells at the angelus hour next or maybe stop the Muslim call to prayer. If you don’t like religion piss off and stop trying to impose your minority view on the majority.

    Reply
    • Avatar
      Derek Walsh June 29, 2015

      Hi Kevin,

      We have no desire to “get rid of the Angelus”. We respect absolutely your right to practise this ritual. What we object to is a state-funded broadcaster favouring one particular religion, as you would likely do were any religion other than your own being favoured.
      Subject to planning permission, I can see no reason to prohibit churches or mosques ringing bells. We recognise that people have different interests and beliefs, and to my mind at least, the bells of the Angelus from the local church are no more obtrusive than those of an ice-cream van.
      There is of course a difference between the state permitting such displays of devotion, and the state actively endorsing them. It is in that difference where you will find our argument.
      You seem annoyed at the idea that we are trying to impose our views on you. While you are mistaken about this, you are right that it would be wrong of us to try to impose our views on you. This is not, though, because we are members of a minority and you a member of a majority. It is because imposing such views on people is wrong, regardless of how many people hold the views.

      Reply
    • Avatar
      Robert Bennett January 16, 2017

      I recommend that we use technology to deal with such issues. Catholics have a right to be informed by their sect leaders of the ghosty impregnation of The Mother of God at Angelus time. NO NEED FOR BELLS! There is an App for the purpose and this is the Android version https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.angelus&hl=en

      This is the App for Muslim calls to prayer
      https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.muslimtoolbox.app.android.prayertimes&hl=en

      There is also a nifty app to show the direction of Mecca, although as I helpfully point out to my Islamic friends , since Mohammed believed that the world was flat, the prayers just go off into space on the horizon somewhere oner County Tipperary.. However, if you intend to travel to Waterford from Ennis the Mecca compass is a great help-the direction is spot on.
      I have not been able to find a dedicated app. for the one true Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, which of course is typical of the discrimination which we Pastafarians have to contend with. Down with it-I say!

      Reply
    • Avatar
      Jenny O'Malley June 09, 2024

      Be a far better World without all that rubbish, take yourself out of Disney-land and have a little look at the real World and just maybe things could improve and all this killing and needless suffering could stop. All religions are evil if you research them Objectively.

      Reply
  11. Avatar
    David Doyle July 12, 2015

    Hi AI, I have just renewed my membership. It said my level was 1 year recurring however the website would not let me choice this option. I then chose 1 year non recurring for EUR 25 and ended up being charged EUR 30. You can keep the extra EUR 5. I am just letting you know the above took place. Regards David Doyle.

    Reply
    • Avatar
      Helen O Shea July 13, 2015

      Hi David, there was an option to make a one off optional donation when you renew or join. This was defaulted to five euro and has now been changed to 0 euro to avoid confusion. I cannot replicate the difficulty you had in selecting 1 year recurring yet, was the option to renew in green or red? You can contact me on admin@atheist.ie if you wish to discuss this further.

      Reply
  12. Avatar
    Niall Martin July 27, 2015

    Hey guys, could you outline briefly how you support one another? Are you trying to create a viable faith free secular community? Why should nut job theism insinuate it’s virus into community and morality??

    Reply
  13. Avatar
    Bogere Ali November 08, 2015

    Hello

    I do introduce to you Helping Hands 4 Africa is a network of grassroots initiatives dedicated to better quality of marginalized livelihoods to live better lives in Uganda through mitigating the root causes of all sorts of their vulnerabilities through advocating and meeting their health, basic, educational, nutritional and other needs aimed at impacting a positive change among them and their communities.

    Helping Hands 4 Africa is one of the independent Atheist initiatives believing in secular humanism that demonstrates in a personal and honest way faith, trust and compassion. We are obligated to the value and participation of each community member through care, respect and changing the community.

    We are therefore extending this mission towards the orphans in the communities of Kampala and Wakiso districts especially those orphaned as a result of HIV and AIDS, street children, neglected children, children from poor households and generally other vulnerable children in the slums and semi slums as our priority.

    As a voluntary initiative without any reliable source of funding other than from our own pockets, friends and sympathizers, we can’t work in isolation of external support. It is therefore for the above reason that we are submitting the attached project seeking for your support to enable us promotes secular humanism and atheist philosophy in Uganda as a basis for human development.

    Looking forward for your positive consideration and response soon. And in case of any information don’t hesitate to get back to us and we shall avail you with the necessary information.

    Best regards,

    Bogere Ali

    Reply
  14. Avatar
    Gerard Considine November 23, 2015

    I am living in Killarney and would be happy to become involved in any activities/campaigns AI has planned in Kerry. Keep up the great work!

    Reply
    • Avatar
      Helen O Shea November 23, 2015

      Hi Gerard, You might like to contact Peter Hinchliffe at kerry@atheist.ie

      Reply
  15. Avatar
    GERARD HARKIN June 15, 2016

    I Live in Derry whom can i contact here about your organization
    Regards
    Gerard

    Reply
    • Avatar
      Helen O Shea June 15, 2016

      I’ve sent you an email with a contact email.

      Reply
  16. Avatar
    E July 12, 2016

    I would like to discuss with someone my legal rights as an atheist. I’m not currently a member as I’m not in a position to financially support the movement but would like to discuss alternative means. Thanks in advance

    Reply
  17. Avatar
    Ray Mulvaney July 14, 2016

    Hi I’m a bit confused with our mission statemented. You claim to be campaigning for ethical secularism. Can you explain what is secular ethics actually is and how its derived? It seems a bit of contradiction in terms to me. How can one have objective morals and ethics without the existence of God? Without God there is no objective basis for good or bad. If God does not exist then objective moral and ethical values cannot exist. Without an objective reference point we have no way of knowing if something is up or down, right or wrong etc!
    God’s word is the moral reference point, the standard by which all actions are judged to either good or bad. But if there is no God then there is no objective moral reference point. All we are left with is one person’s view point which is subjective and no more valid than anyone else’s view point!
    Subjective ethics and morality are just like a personal preference. The preference resides in the subject not the object. So it doesn’t apply to anyone else, likewise with morality. One person’s moral or ethical values are not binding or relevant to others no more than one’s preference for vanilla flavoured ice cream over a strawberry flavour is!

    Reply
    • Avatar
      Maggie March 10, 2017

      So you think a person who has never been exposed to teachings of God doesn’t know right from wrong? That’s a crazy idea.

      Reply
    • Avatar
      Tony Newlove April 01, 2017

      If you wouldn’t like people to do it to you, then it’s probably wrong for you to do it to someone else. If everyone kept to that idea we’d have a better society. No need for God or anything else.

      Reply
  18. Avatar
    Niamh Ennis May 24, 2018

    Hello,

    I am an Irish Atheist. I saw an article one notme.ie saying that a man was able to officially leave the Catholic Church (excommunication) after the 2011 policy as he was a member of Atheist Ireland. His Bishop allowed him to leave the church because of this. Is it true?

    If so, can I please sign up, I don’t care how much I have to pay, I would very much like to leave the Catholic Church and be free.

    Thanks,
    Niamh

    Reply
  19. Avatar
    Mark Bishop September 15, 2018

    Hi we are in Dumfries, would you know if there is an atheist group in this part of Scotland ?

    Reply
  20. Avatar
    Ronan October 10, 2018

    Hi.

    I’ve got a couple of questions about atheism.
    (First), do you subscribe to the scientific impossibility of abject nothing exploding to create everything?
    Or is that considered dogma to you?
    (Second), if it is considered dogma and therefore rejected by you as a belief system, are you just outright ignoring the question of our origin?
    (Third), If atheists do actually believe the absolute impossibility that all matter created itself from nothing, would it be because they read it in a book? Or witnessed a person proclaim it as truth and therefore bought into this belief system? (Fourth), is it the crimes of the worlds largest paedophile ring ie; the Vatican, that push people towards atheism?
    (Fifth), by rejecting the catholic church do atheists therefore throw out the entirety of Christianity among other ancient scriptures such as the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Book of Enoch for example, which detail creation?
    (Sixth), Do Atheists acknowledge Panspermia ie; the seeding of microscopic life on planets by extra terrestrials via meteorites? Because that too is a belief system.
    These are just a few questions I have. You see I’m thinking of becoming an atheist but it just doesn’t make any sense.
    It seems as if you don’t want to address the issue of origin at all and just ignore it while hoping it will go away.
    This to me seems like plain ignorance and denial.
    It seems to me that atheism is a belief system of denial ie; ‘if I close my eyes it doesn’t exist’ sort of mentality.

    Reply
    • Avatar
      seamus mc ardle May 20, 2019

      read the bronze age bullshit bible.should be be enough.

      Reply
  21. Avatar
    Soma November 29, 2018

    I would like to join but I’m not willing to pay for it. Consider me a member in spirit.

    Reply
  22. Avatar
    Nicholas Ffrench May 05, 2019

    I support your efforts in promoting atheism in Ireland and throughout the world. I enjoy listening to Richard Dawkins and friends and would love to hear a discussion regarding atheists in Ireland. I was in town the other day and stopped to chat to the chaps standing outside the G.P.O. May I wish them the best of luck with their efforts . I hope to get around in sending you a contribution for membership soon. Thanking you, Nicholas

    Reply
  23. Avatar
    Irek Murphy-Kehoe October 02, 2019

    Do I have to believe in certain things to become a member?

    Reply
  24. Avatar
    Anthony Roberts-Moore January 19, 2021

    how to contact you by mail?
    Only Internet you deal with ?

    Reply
  25. Avatar
    Shahbaz March 01, 2021

    I want to join pleaseeee

    Reply
  26. Avatar
    SS October 24, 2021

    Do you have an ex-Muslim community?
    Do you have real-life community gatherings? I live in Sligo.

    Reply

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