The AOH History Essay Contest was relaunched this year after a long hiatus. The contest was open to eleventh and twelfth grade students and asked contestants to write an essay on the contributions of men and women of Irish heritage to the founding of the United States of America.
Of the many quality essays submitted for the competition, two have been selected for awards.
Aine Mahony is the winner of First Place, and the McCormack Prize for her essay: Irish Heroes: Founding American Independence and Identity. [READ ESSAY]
The Michael McCormack Prize
The “McCormack Prize” is named for Michael McCormack, whose two terms as National Historian of the AOH (1988–1990 and 1994–2020) redefined the position in the modern era. Brother McCormack is the author of the authoritative Updated History of the Ancient Order of Hibernians and a vast collection of other scholarly works that will continue to inform students of Irish history for generations to come.
Keira Driscoll is the winner of Second Place and the O’Brien Prize for her essay: Bound by Virtue: How Irish Men and Women Forged American Liberty. [READ ESSAY]
The Jack O’Brien Prize
The “O’Brien Prize” is named for the late John “Jack” O’Brien, a leading member of the AOH for more than 50 years whose vision, leadership, and perseverance were essential to the creation of the Irish Brigade Monument at Antietam, the Barry Gate at the United States Naval Academy, and many other permanent reminders of the role of men and women of Irish descent in the history of the United States.