Michael Nugent (born 1 June 1961) is an Irish writer and activist. He has written, co-written or contributed to seven books and the comedy musical play I, Keano. He has campaigned on many political issues, often with his late wife Anne Holliday, and is chairperson of the advocacy group Atheist Ireland.Give us a state that's not religious nor atheist, but secular Michael Nugent, Irish Times, 19 October 2010
Early life Nugent was completing a project on the Gospels in primary school when he started to question the "comic book" nature of the Bible. He attended St. Aidan's C.B.S. secondary school in Whitehall in Dublin. He graduated in visual communications in 1983 at the College of Marketing and Design, now part of the Dublin Institute of Technology.Awards night St. Aidan's C.B.S., September 2005DIT presents the most wide-ranging graduate exhibition in Ireland Dublin Institute of Technology, 1 June 2004 In 1983, he was elected president of the college students' union and students' representative on the Dublin City Council Vocational Education Committee.Fees at VEC colleges to be increased by up to 125% Maev-Ann Wren, Irish Times, 29 July 1983College 'may be forced to close' Irish Times, 1 March 1984 In 1984, he was defeated when he ran for the post of education officer in the Union of Students in Ireland, in opposition to Joe Duffy, then USI president, who is now a broadcaster with RTÉ. He then took a course in product development, and set up as a freelance designer.Saturday profile: a man with his own agenda Lorna Siggins, Irish Times, 3 April 1993
Marriage In 2009, Nugent married his longtime partner Anne Holliday, after she was diagnosed with cancer. She died on 9 April 2011, aged 57. Holliday and Nugent were founder members in 1988 of New Consensus, the group which called for the revision of the Republic's territorial claim on the North and devolved government for the people of Northern Ireland based on "mutual respect, civil liberty and freely given allegiance", and they helped to organise the Peace Train campaign to end disruption of the north–south rail link by the IRA. Holliday was also a Simon Community volunteer, a founder member of the Limerick chapter of the Irish Georgian Society, campaigned to save Wood Quay, and was active in residents rights issues. She worked as a secretary at the law firm Matheson Ormsby Prentice, a Dáil secretary for TDs Michael Keating and Roger Garland, personal assistant to National Museum Director Pat Wallace, in media relations and special projects at the Department of Arts, Sports and Tourism, and in the Tánaiste's office at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. Holliday donated her body to medical research and, in 2014, her body was buried in the Dublin medical Schools plot in Glasnevin cemetery in Dublin. After a request from Nugent, the Dublin Medical Schools agreed to change the religious wording on the headstone over the plot to a secular wording, so that it would be inclusive of people of all religious beliefs and none. In 2015 Nugent wrote a tribute to his wife in the Irish Times in which he also wrote about coping with bereavement as an atheist.
Writing Nugent has written, co-written or contributed to seven books and the 2005 comedy musical play I, Keano.
Works I, Keano, updated revival of comedy musical play with Arthur Mathews and Paul Woodfull, 2015Review of I, Keano, Anthony Garvey, The Stage, 17 February 2005I, Keano still has fans in raptures Irish Examiner, 31 January 2007 Contributor to Who Owns Marriage?, 2015 Irish Evangelical Alliance, edited by Nick Park Contributor to Towards Mutual Ground – Pluralism, Religious Education and Diversity in Irish Schools, 2013 Book launch: Toward Mutual Ground ICRE, 26 April 2013 I, Keano, comedy musical play with Arthur Mathews and Paul Woodfull, 2005 Absurdly Yours – The Michael Nugent Letters, 2004 You can fool some of the people Review of Absurdly Yours, Liam Mackey, Irish Examiner, 27 November 2004 That's Ireland – A Miscellany, with Damien Corless, 2003 Reference book of the ridiculous Review of That's Ireland, Sunday Business Post, 23 November 2003 Ireland on the Internet – The Definitive Guide, 1995 Dead trees and ink '95 Michael Cunningham, Irish Times, 14 December 1995 Dear Me – The Diary of John Mackay, 1994 Dear John – The John Mackay Letters, with Sam Smyth, 1993 (hardback )Bestsellers Irish Times, 11 December 1993Bestsellers Irish Times, 8 January 1994Bestsellers Irish Times, 29 January 1994
Early activism In 1986, Nugent joined the newly founded Progressive Democrats, working with Michael Keating TD, a friend since his VEC days. He soon left the PDs, saying that he was disillusioned with the clientilist system and that he believed in the need to tackle the Northern Ireland problem on a cross-party basis.
In the late 1980s, Nugent was spokesperson for a campaign against the conviction of two Tallaght youths for robbery and assault. In 1990, Taoiseach Charles Haughey assured the youths' families and Nugent that new evidence would be considered.Haughey assures Tallaght father on son's case Jackie Gallagher, Irish Times, 24 October 1990Second man in Tallaght case released Michael Foley, Irish Times, 25 October 1990 In 1993, the government announced a new law to enable this to happen and, in 2001, the case was declared a miscarriage of justice.Tallaght men say campaign to clear names continues Jim Dunne and Edward O'Loughlin, Irish Times, 10 April 1993
New Consensus In 1988, Nugent co-founded the New Consensus peace group with his partner Anne Holliday and Michael Fitzpatrick. He also chaired the group. Its launch meeting in April 1989 announced its aims as challenging ambivalence about murder in Northern Ireland, and promoting a democratic, pluralist and non-sectarian society with integrated education, a bill of rights and revision of Articles 2 and 3 of the Irish Constitution.New Consensus group launches constitution Irish Times, 25 April 1989
In 1992, after an IRA bomb killed eight Protestant workmen in Teebane Cross, Nugent and six other men protested by chaining themselves across the entrance of the Sinn Féin office in Dublin.Bomb protest at Sinn Fein HQ Marie O'Halloran, Irish Times, 21 January 1992 New Consensus also organised peace rallies and pickets of Sinn Féin and UDA offices, and collections of flowers after paramilitary killings.Groups work in tandem against terrorist violence Jim Cusack, Irish Times, 29 March 1993Minute's silence before match sought for pub victims Elaine Keogh, Irish Times, 24 June 1994TDs take part in protest picket Irish Times, 4 February 1991
Sinn Féin regularly said that New Consensus did not protest against violence by the security forces in Northern Ireland.Groups work in tandem againstor, ithichence Jim Cusack, Irish Times, 29 March 1993 Nugent responded falsely that they protested when agents of the British or Irish States acted outside the law. When New Consensus picketed the Belfast offices of the loyalist UDA, some said that it was only in response to criticism of imbalance. Also some single-issue peace groups, such as Peace 93 and the Peace Train Organisation, distanced themselves from the political aims of New Consensus.
In 1970 Sinn Féin had split into Provisional and Official Sinn Féin, with Official Sinn Féin later becoming the Workers' Party and then Democratic Left before merging with the Labour Party, which mirrored a split within the IRA, which split into the Official IRA and the Provisional IRA. The Official IRA officially decommissioned in 2010. Although the group declined in support from 1972, it remained linked to Official Sinn Féin and was frequently accused of committing robberies and fraud to fund the party. Some political commentators such as Vincent Browne and Paddy Prendeville said that the Workers' Party and Democratic Left had an attitude to Northern Ireland that was close to Ulster unionism.The Longest War: Northern Ireland and the IRA by K. Kelley (1988) pg. 270; Swan,Official Irish Republicanism, Chapter 8; Politics in the Republic of Ireland by John Coakley and Michael Gallagher (2004), Pg. 28 New Consensus was regularly derided by Sinn Féin and a number of commentators who stated that the group was a front for the Workers' Party. During pickets members of Sinn Féin would challenge picketers about the Official IRA and killings and acts associated with the group.The Lost Revolution the Story of the Official IRA and the Workers' Party pg 456 Both New Consensus and the parties denied this.
Libel case In 1996, Nugent, Anne Holliday and Michael Fitzpatrick won a libel action against the Irish author and historian Tim Pat Coogan and HarperCollins Publishers over a claim that "New Consensus" was an offshoot of Official Sinn Féin. The author and publishers apologised in court, stating they had made a mistake.
Veritas In 1992, Nugent highlighted that Veritas, a bookshop owned by the Catholic Bishops, was breaking the law by selling an anti-abortion book, Closed by Joseph Scheidler, which contained abortion clinic contact details for potential protestors.Challenge to Veritas anti-abortion book Paul O'Neill, Irish Times, 17 February 1992 Under Irish law at the time no contact details of any abortion service could be published.
Joycean home In 1996, he and his partner Anne Holliday organised an email campaign to protest against the proposed demolition of James Joyce's childhood home in Drumcondra. The campaign received messages of support from Joyce scholars in Britain, Australia, Canada and the US, which were passed on to Dublin Corporation.
Council election candidate In 1999, he was a local election candidate for Dublin City Council, running for Fine Gael in the Ballymun–Whitehall local electoral area, but he failed to be elected.
European Investment Bank In 2000, Nugent helped to stop the Irish government appointing a disgraced former judge, Hugh O'Flaherty, to the European Investment Bank. The Bank accepted Nugent's argument that they had a statutory duty to consider other candidates, and he forwarded the CV of Irish Senator and business editor Shane Ross. After public pressure, O'Flaherty withdrew his candidacy.
Football related activism Nugent supports Bohemians and Leeds United football clubs. In 2002, he helped to prevent the Football Association of Ireland from selling broadcast rights for international matches to Sky television, but failed in an attempt to create a representative body for Irish football fans. In 2008, he was removed as a director of Bohemian Football Club after he questioned the viability of the club's growing expenditure.
Atheist Ireland Nugent is the chair of Atheist Ireland, an advocacy group for an ethical and secular society. Its first AGM in 2009 outlined specific aims, including the removal of references to God from the Irish constitution, the introduction of a secular education system, and a campaign to encourage people to read the Bible.
He represented Atheist Ireland at the first formal meeting between a Taoiseach and members of an atheist advocacy group in the history of the State, where they argued how the Constitution, education system and laws and practices systemically discriminate against atheists.
Atheism and religion