Name Michael McCaughan | Role Author | |
Books The battle of Venezuela, The birth of the Titanic, True Crimes: Rodolfo, Steel ships & iron men, The small Titanic: a book abo | ||
Interview with michael mccaughan spunout ie academy of activism
Michael McCaughan is an Irish author and journalist best known for his work in Latin America. He has written extensively for the Irish Times, the Guardian, Hot Press, Village Magazine, the San Francisco Chronicle and the Sunday Telegraph. McCaughan is the author of ‘True Crimes’, (LAB, 2002), a biography of Rodolfo Walsh, an Argentinian revolutionary of Irish descent. A Spanish language edition, updated and revised has been published in Chile (LOM, 2015), under the title ‘Rodolfo Walsh, Periodista, escritor y revolucionario. 1927-1977.
McCaughan wrote the ‘The Battle of Venezuela’(Seven Stories Press 2005), detailing the rise of Hugo Chavez, the former Venezuelan President who died in 2013.
McCaughan’s third book 'The Price of our Souls; Shell, Gas Mayo’ (Afri 2008), outlined the issues behind the Corrib Gas controversy in County Mayo, Ireland. He also co-wrote the booklet 'The Great Gas Giveaway’ (Afri 2009).
In Mexico McCaughan wrote extensively about the Zapatista uprising in Chiapas, Mexico and his story ‘King of the Jungle’ was selected for The Zapatista Reader (Nation Books, 2002).
In Colombia McCaughan investigated the operations of Smurfit Carton de Colombia, a company owned by Michael Smurfit, one of Ireland’s wealthiest individuals. The results were published in Latin America Press and the Irish Times, resulting in a public campaign to improve worker conditions and safeguard the lands of indigenous people affected by the company’s operations. (Busting Banana Unions In Belize - Multinational Monitorwww.multinationalmonitor.org/hyper/mm0996.08.html)
In Belize McCaughan uncovered abuses by Irish banana company Fyffes Ltd, (‘Fyffe Times Better?’ Latin America Press, 1995).
His next book, ‘The United States Vs Mumia Abu Jamal’ is an account of the life and times of former death row Mumia Abu Jamal, currently serving life without parole in Pennsylvania, USA.
McCaughan has provided analysis and consultancy services for clients that include Amnesty International. In 2008 he researched and wrote a report which was published as ‘Extraordinary Rendition, Breaking the Chain: Ending Ireland’s Role in Renditions.’
In 2015, McCaughan began advocating for An Ghaeilge, the Irish language and was interviewed on RTE Radio 1 and RTE Raidio na Gaeltachta, discussing his experience of learning the language.