Secularism

26 August 2018

As Pope Francis visits Dublin, Jane Donnelly calls for secular schools at People Before Profit public meeting

While Pope Francis was speaking in Croke Park in Dublin, Jane Donnelly of Atheist Ireland was making the case for a secular education system free from Catholic Church influence. Jane was speaking at a public meeting convened by People Before Profit, about Separation of Church...

19 August 2018

Seven reasons to protest Pope Francis

Six years ago, Atheist Ireland joined LGBT Noise in a small protest outside the Catholic Church’s Eucharistic Congress in Dublin, against the ongoing efforts by the Vatican to oppose equal civil rights for LGBT people. A lot has changed since then. This week Atheist Ireland...

4 August 2018

Yet again, a Presidential election that excludes conscientious atheists

Yet again Ireland is to hold a Presidential election that excludes conscientious atheists as candidates, as in order to take office we would have to swear a religious oath that is in our Constitution. This would force us to dissemble about our beliefs, and breaches...

18 July 2018

Atheist Ireland to meet Department of Justice today to discuss new blasphemy repeal bill

Atheist Ireland welcomes the published wording of the proposed amendment of the Constitution on around 25 October to repeal the offence of blasphemy. Atheist Ireland will be meeting this afternoon with officials in the Department of Justice, to clarify any technical or logistical questions that...

27 May 2018

Abortion vote sees fall of Ireland’s Catholic Berlin Wall

This referendum sees the fall of the Catholic Berlin Wall that has kept a pluralist Irish people trapped within the laws of a Catholic Irish Constitution. Pregnant Irish women will now have the same right, to equality before the law, that gay couples have had...

19 March 2018

Advertisements for Catholic Mass removed after request for Full Moon Ceremony

Third level colleges across the country are continuing to deal with the outcome of a successful Atheist Ireland campaign with respect to their State-funded chaplaincies. That campaign resulted in a report being issued by the Higher Education Authority, which required all chaplaincies funded by public...

19 February 2018

New directive on religious instruction will change the culture of ETB schools

Atheist Ireland welcomes the Department of Education’s new directive on religious instruction in second-level ETB schools. It is the most significant recognition of the constitutional and human rights of atheist, minority faith, and secular families in Irish schools since Atheist Ireland was founded. These rights...

11 February 2018

Religious discrimination against women in Ireland – Jane Donnelly in La Raison magazine

Atheist Ireland works internationally, as members of Atheist Alliance International and the International Humanist and Ethical Union. We also work directly with atheist and secular groups in other countries, to share information and to help each other to achieve separation of church and state. The...

31 January 2018

Minister for Education to review ETB schools paying Catholic Church to train students to evangelise

The Minister for Education has told Solidarity TD Ruth Coppinger that he will review the practice of ETB schools paying the Roman Catholic Church to train students in faith leadership. Last month Atheist Ireland revealed details of these controversial courses, that train some students to...

15 January 2018

FOI documents reveal Atheist Ireland’s impact on review of religion in ETB schools

Based on new documents obtained under Freedom of Information Act, and on our meeting with the Department of Education last month, Atheist Ireland is optimistic that the Minister for Education will soon issue a Circular Letter about the timetabling of religion in ETB schools, that...