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The Ancient Order of Hibernians

The Oldest and Largest Irish-Catholic Organization in the United States. Established 1836

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Heritage and Culture

September 13th is Commodore John Barry Day, a National Holiday of the Order

September 13, 2018 By Mike McCormack

Did you know that the first flag officer and founder of the United States Navy was an Irishman?  His name was John Barry and Dr. Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, said in his eulogy at Barry's graveside, "He was born in Ireland, but America was the object of his devotion and the theater of his usefulness."  Barry was born in Co. Wexford, Ireland in 1745 and grew up with a great love for the sea.  As a young man, he emigrated to the Crown colonies in America and by 1760, he was employed in a shipbuilding firm in Philadelphia.  In 1766, at the age of … [Read more...] about September 13th is Commodore John Barry Day, a National Holiday of the Order

VA. Hibernian’s Seek Answers on Removal of Irish Immigrants Name From Fitzgerald Square

July 30, 2018 By Neil Cosgrove

Alexandria’s Hibernians have noticed that something is missing from Alexandria's newly renovated Fitzgerald Square: the name of Col.  John Fitzgerald.  Ironically on St. Patrick's day of this year, the City Council of Alexandria announced without explanation that the new upscale park would now be designated "King Street Park at the Waterfront," stripping the name of this prominent Irish American from the public space. Irish immigrant Col. John Fitzgerald is a significant figure in both the history of Alexandria and the United States.  Fitzgerald was prominent in … [Read more...] about VA. Hibernian’s Seek Answers on Removal of Irish Immigrants Name From Fitzgerald Square

Recent Recipient Visits AOH Monument at the Medal of Honor Grove

April 14, 2018 By Neil Cosgrove

Medal of Honor Recipient  Jim McCloughan and his wife Cherie recently visited the AOH Monument at the Medal of Honor Grove in Valley Forge Pennsylvania.  Jim was recently awarded the Medal of Honor for distinguished actions as a combat medic assigned to Company C, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 196th Infantry Brigade, Americal Division, during the Vietnam War near Don Que, Vietnam, from May 13-15, 1969.  The Medal of Honor Grove commemorates those who have earned our Nation's highest award for valor.  A section of the 52-acre grove is designated for each of the … [Read more...] about Recent Recipient Visits AOH Monument at the Medal of Honor Grove

An Irish American Angel in America’s West

March 28, 2018 By Mike McCormack

There were many Irish women among the settlers of the American West, and one of the best known in her time was a lady from County Cork named Ellen Cashman. Ellen came to America, like so many others, fleeing the effects of the Great Hunger.  She arrived in Boston in 1850 with her mother, Fanny, at the tender age of five where she grew up caring for a younger sister.  An ambitious young lady, she worked as a bellhop in a well-known Boston hotel when she decided to follow the call of the American West with the idea of making her fortune.  She moved to San Francisco and soon found … [Read more...] about An Irish American Angel in America’s West

James Duane, The Irish American Who Rebuilt New York

March 26, 2018 By Mike McCormack

Did you know that the island of Manhattan in New York was once totally destroyed and was rebuilt by the son of an immigrant from Co. Galway, Ireland?  He was one of the first Irish-Americans to wear that title and his name was James Duane.  He was born in New York to Irish immigrant parents in 1733; a time when the Central  Park was considered ‘upstate’ and a wilderness.  He grew up with an interest in finance, real estate, and the law and was called to the Bar in 1754.  He earned a reputation for being a bit of a maverick, taking on law cases that no one else would … [Read more...] about James Duane, The Irish American Who Rebuilt New York

Irish American Heritage Month: The Angel of Andersonville

March 23, 2018 By Mike McCormack

Did you know that an Irish Catholic Priest Rev. Thomas O’Reilly threatened General Sherman with a mutiny by the Irish Catholics in his army if he torched the church district of Atlanta at the start of his infamous march to the sea and that General Sherman backed down and the entire church district was saved, including the City Hall which stood therein? However, Rev. Peter Whelan was just as courageous in another way. Rev. Whelan distinguished himself as a chaplain for the Montgomery Guards, an Irish company established in Savannah for the First Georgia Volunteer Regiment named for America’s … [Read more...] about Irish American Heritage Month: The Angel of Andersonville

Timothy Murphy, the Irish American Who Turned the Tide at Saratoga

March 21, 2018 By Mike McCormack

Did you know that an Irish America soldier was responsible for turning the tide of the most important battle of the American Revolution? His name was Timothy Murphy and he had served with distinction on the frontier, was part of General William Thompson’s Pennsylvania Rifle Battalion which became the First Continental Regiment and he served with famed General Daniel Morgan as a sharpshooter. He was considered the most famous marksman of his day. Timothy Murphy was born in 1751 near the Delaware Water Gap to Thomas and Mary (Lundy) Murphy, recent immigrants from Co. Donegal, Ireland. When … [Read more...] about Timothy Murphy, the Irish American Who Turned the Tide at Saratoga

Irish American Heritage Month: The Sullivan Brothers, “We stick together”

March 19, 2018 By Mike McCormack

DID YOU KNOW that in the annals of America's heroes, there is scarcely a brighter entry than that of the fighting Sullivan brothers?  Born in Waterloo, Iowa to Railroad conductor Tom Sullivan and his wife Alleta, George, Francis, Albert, Joseph, and Madison grew up the best of friends in the closeness of an Irish family and matured into patriotic Americans. It was no surprise therefore, that when Pearl Harbor was attacked, the Sullivan brothers headed straight for the nearest U.S. Navy recruiting office. Navy policy discouraged family members from serving together, but the Sullivans … [Read more...] about Irish American Heritage Month: The Sullivan Brothers, “We stick together”

Irish American Heritage Month: Colonel Eileen Collins, A Child of Immigrants Who Attained the Stars

March 16, 2018 By Neil Cosgrove

On July 30th, 1999, 30 years and two days after the first successful moonwalk, Irish American Colonel Eileen Marie Collins became the first woman to command a U.S. spacecraft. Eileen Collins was one of four children born to immigrant parents from County Cork who had settled in Elmira New York. At an early age Eileen expressed an interest in flying, the skies around her home a frequent home to sailplanes and Elmira was home to the National Soaring Museum. Her parents would often take her to the local airport to watch aircraft take off and land. However, there was little money in a struggling … [Read more...] about Irish American Heritage Month: Colonel Eileen Collins, A Child of Immigrants Who Attained the Stars

Who is St. Patrick?

March 16, 2018 By Mike McCormack

Each year around March 17, the name of St. Patrick appears in every major publication in the civilized world - sometimes with honor and sometimes with scorn - often due to the conduct of those who celebrate his memory at affairs which bear his name.  Of the many things written about this holy man, some are true, some misleading, and some false.  St. Patrick was Italian; St. Patrick drove the snakes from Ireland; St. Patrick was the first to bring Christianity to Ireland - all of these statements are false! Let’s take them one at a time.  Some claim St. Patrick to be Italian … [Read more...] about Who is St. Patrick?

Irish American Heritage Month: The Irish Whales

March 12, 2018 By Mike McCormack

Did you know that the first Gold Medal winner in modern Olympic history was the son of Irish immigrant parents and that Irish athletes dominated Olympic track and field events for the U.S. for the first two decades of the 20th century? The first to win was James Connolly and he was born on October 28, 1868 in the impoverished section of south Boston. He grew up with a love of sports and when an International Olympic Committee resurrected the ancient Olympic Games to be held in Athens in April, 1896, Connolly requested a leave of absence from Harvard to participate and left for Greece. After … [Read more...] about Irish American Heritage Month: The Irish Whales

Irish American Heritage Month: John Philip Holland, Inventor of the Modern Submarine

March 9, 2018 By Mike McCormack

Did you know that an Irishman invented the first modern submarine? His name was John Philip Holland and he was born in Liscannor, Co. Clare, Ireland, on February 24, 1841. He experienced the Irish potato failure suffering poor eyesight as a result. His father was a member of the Coast Guards and young John inherited a love of the sea. Although his poor eyesight prevented him from following in his father’s footsteps, he developed an interest in ship design. John attended the Christian Brothers School where he came under the influence of Brother Dominic Burke, a science teacher, who encouraged … [Read more...] about Irish American Heritage Month: John Philip Holland, Inventor of the Modern Submarine

Irish American Heritage Month: The Irish Brigade at Antietam

March 7, 2018 By Neil Cosgrove

Did you know that the Irish had a major part in the victory on the bloodiest day in American history? It was at Antietam on September 17, 1862, and it was the victory that emboldened President Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation. Foremost among Union forces was the Irish Brigade led by Irish-born Gen. Thomas F Meagher. Their story is an extraordinary chronicle of military valor in America’s cause; once when President Lincoln visited General McClellan’s Union camp, he lifted a corner of the Irish Brigade Flag, kissed it and said Thank God for the Irish! In early August, the … [Read more...] about Irish American Heritage Month: The Irish Brigade at Antietam

Irish American Heritage Month: The Most Dangerous Woman in America

March 5, 2018 By Mike McCormack

Did You Know that a 72-year-old Irish woman, beloved by millions, was once called the most dangerous woman in America? Her name was Mary Harris Jones and this feisty little Irish lady was also called the Mother of All Agitators. Born in Cork City, Ireland on 1 May 1837, her family fled the Great Hunger to Canada where she trained as a teacher and dressmaker. In 1861, she married George Jones, an iron molder and union organizer in Memphis, Tennessee. They had four children, but she lost all four and her husband in the 1867 yellow fever epidemic. Determined to survive, Mrs. Jones moved to … [Read more...] about Irish American Heritage Month: The Most Dangerous Woman in America

Irish American Heritage Month: Commodore John Barry

March 2, 2018 By Mike McCormack

Did you know that the first flag officer and founder of the United States Navy was an Irishman?  His name was John Barry and Dr. Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, said in his eulogy at Barry's graveside, "He was born in Ireland, but America was the object of his devotion and the theater of his usefulness."  Barry was born in Co. Wexford, Ireland in 1745 and grew up with a great love for the sea.  As a young man, he emigrated to the Crown colonies in America and by 1760, he was employed in a shipbuilding firm in Philadelphia.  In 1766, at the age of … [Read more...] about Irish American Heritage Month: Commodore John Barry

Division 3 Pearl River, NY Keep the Season and Tradition Alive with Wren Night Festivities

December 28, 2017 By Neil Cosgrove

Members of AOH Division 3 in Pearl River, NY get the continued the joy of Christmas and Irish Tradition alive with their annual Wren Night celebration. The Fest of St. Stephen on December 26th was traditionally a day of festivities where young boys would collect money to bury a Wren. The wren had a chequered history in Irish folklore as a devious bird. According to legend in a competition to determine who was the king of the birds by who could fly the highest, it hid on the back of an eagle; when the eagle tired it jumped off to continue higher and earn the crown. In other legends, it betrayed … [Read more...] about Division 3 Pearl River, NY Keep the Season and Tradition Alive with Wren Night Festivities

Study Abroad Scholarship Program Recipient Mary O’Neill

September 6, 2017 By Neil Cosgrove

  The Irish Way Study Abroad Scholarship Program encourages the children and grandchildren of AOH members to seriously consider pursuing courses of study in Ireland, whether it be for a semester or a full year of study at colleges in Ireland.  Those selected for this scholarship must attend an accredited college or university in the United States, and be accepted at an accredited college/university in Ireland, that is recognized by the institution that he/she attends.  This year’s recipient of the $1,000 scholarship is Mary O’Neill, of Glendale, Missouri. Currently a … [Read more...] about Study Abroad Scholarship Program Recipient Mary O’Neill

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