Play Ball! Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH) & Irish American Baseball Society (IABS) team up & Hibernians webinar on Irish Citizenship at the Irish Consulate New York
Every year the Opening Day for Pitchers and Catchers heralds the new season of Baseball, America’s Pastime. It is fitting that two venerable Irish American institutions, the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the American Irish Baseball Society, have chosen this moment of optimism, sportsmanship, and love of the game to announce an exciting partnership between their two organizations.
AOH National President Sean Pender and IABS President John Fitzgerald have introduced a new partnership to promote community engagement, cultural education, and a deeper appreciation for the historical connections between the Irish American community and baseball.
“The Irish have played a major role in baseball since the game’s earliest days, and baseball has been a major part of the Irish American experience,” explained Ancient Order of Hibernians President Sean Pender. “The AOH is excited to contribute to this remarkable cultural journey, which is deeply rooted in the Irish American experience.”
As part of the partnership, The Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH) logo will appear on the jerseys of the Irish Wolfhounds Baseball Club players. The logo will also be available as an optional add-on for Irish Baseball caps and jerseys in the Irish American Baseball Society (IABS) online store.
“We’re honored to partner with the largest Irish cultural organization in the world,” said IABS Founder John Fitzgerald. “We look forward to working with the AOH and its members to advance the cause of Irish Baseball.”
The partnership will involve cross-promotion of various events and initiatives from both organizations. Additionally, members of the AOH will receive complimentary Green Level membership in the Irish American Baseball Society (IABS).
This exciting collaboration also kicked off a series of webinars from the AOH National Immigration Chair. The first webinar, focusing on how to attain Irish Citizenship, was held at the impressive new Ireland House, the Consulate General of Ireland in New York at 200 Park Ave.
National Immigration Chair Dan Dennehy interviewed Ireland’s Deputy Consul General of New York, Andrew Byrne, discussing the benefits, qualifications, required documents, and process of obtaining Irish citizenship.
Dennehy took the opportunity at the end of the webinar to recognize Deputy Consul General Byrne for his contributions to the Irish American community during his multi-year term in New York and to wish him well in his new role at the Department of Foreign Affairs Headquarters in Dublin.