Blasphemy law campaign | Promoting atheism, reason and an ethical, secular state

In October 2018, the Irish people voted by referendum to remove the offence of blasphemy from our constitution. Atheist Ireland led the Yes campaign in the referendum. We had campaigned for such a referendum since we were founded in 2008. Our campaign intensified when the Irish government introduced a new blasphemy law in 2009. Here are some video highlights of our nine-year campaign, followed by links to key articles about the campaign on this website.

Videos

In 2010, RTE’s Prime Time reported on Ireland’s new blasphemy law:

In 2010, Paul Gill of Atheist Ireland walked the length of Ireland to highlight the need for a referendum to remove the offence of blasphemy from the Irish constitution:

In 2010, Michael Nugent of Atheist Ireland spoke about our campaign against the Irish blasphemy law at the Gods and Politics conference in Copenhagen:

In 2012, Michael Nugent of Atheist Ireland argued at the human rights implementation meeting of the OSCE in Warsaw that you have rights, your beliefs do not:

In 2013, Atheist Ireland and other groups addressed the Irish Constitutional Convention in Dublin about the Irish blasphemy law. Michael Nugent, Jane Donnelly, and David Nash spoke:

In 2015, Prime Time on RTE 1 broadcast this short history of the Irish blasphemy law after the Charlie Hebdo shootings.

In 2016, Jane Donnelly of Atheist Ireland talked about the case against the Irish blasphemy law at the International Network on Hate Studies conference in Limerick:

In 2016, Professor David Nash of Oxford Brookes University talked about the historical context of the Irish blasphemy law at the International Network on Hate Studies conference in Limerick:

In 2016, Atheist Ireland addressed the United Nations Human Rights Council about religious discrimination in Ireland including the blasphemy law:

In 2017, John Hamill of Atheist Ireland and Professor David Nash discussed the blasphemy charge against Stephen Fry on Sky News:

In 2017, Michael Nugent of Atheist Ireland spoke against blasphemy laws in Ireland and Pakistan at the Trinity College Law Review Speakers Panel:

In 2018, Atheist Ireland met the Department of justice and welcomed the decision to hold a referendum to repeal the blasphemy law:

In 2018, Atheist Ireland formally launched our referendum campaign to remove the offence of blasphemy from the Irish constitution. Michael Nugent, Jane Donnelly, David Nash, and Ashling O’Brien explained the arguments for doing so: