Author Archives: Michael Nugent

Today the 129-year-old ghost of Cardinal John Henry Newman will be upgraded to a saint, by way of a magic trick conducted by the Christian God and presided over by Pope Francis in the Vatican.

On the Day of the Girl, 11th October, the Orchid Project highlighted the injustice of Female Genital Cutting, and how some communities are abandoning it around the world. This abuse affects over 200 million women and girls, with nearly 4 million girls at risk every year.

Atheist Ireland supports the five Irish citizens who are taking a European Court challenge to the religious oaths that must be sworn by the Irish President, judges and members of the Council of State, which includes the Taoiseach, Tanaiste, Chairs of the Oireachtas, and others.

This is the sixth post in my debate with David Quinn of the Iona Institute about the nature and source of morality. In this I am responding to David’s thoughts on why he believes that the Christian God exists, why God’s nature is good, and why does God cause or permit suffering.

The Taoiseach attending the blessing of a new runway at Knock Airport reminded me of my favourite Irish blessing. In the 1950s Irish Mods queued up before a Catholic priest for the Annual Blessing of the Scooters. It’s my favourite example of quirky Catholic Church influence on the early decades of the Irish State. Here […]

At Knock Airport the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar watched a Catholic priest splash holy water on a runway, in order to make it safer than other airport runways that did not have holy water splashed on them. Everybody present stood solemnly, blessing themselves. Father Richard Gibbon then gave the Taoiseach some holy water to bring to […]

30 days ago Angela Merkel gave Boris Johnson 30 days to come up with a workable alternative to the Irish backstop in the Brexit deal. Johnson said that he was more than happy with that timetable. Here’s what has happened since.

Ten years ago, my late wife Anne Holliday was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. She made preparations to be able to take her own life at the end, if she needed to do so to avoid unnecessary suffering. Like most people who make such plans, Anne died naturally at the end. But the peace of […]

Watch my debate with Niall Boylan, on Virgin Media TV’s Ireland AM, about opting out of religion in Irish schools.

Listen above to my debate yesterday on Today FM, with David Quinn of the Iona Institute, about religious schools and human rights in Ireland. Matt Cooper is the host.