In these challenging times, our thoughts turn to Pope Francis. As a community united in faith and compassion, we invite all members and friends of the Ancient Order of Hibernians to join together in a prayer for his healing. Prayer for Healing O God, shepherd and ruler of all the faithful,look favorably on your servant Francis,whom you have set at the head of your Church as her shepherd;Grant, we pray, that by word and examplehe may be of service to those over whom he presidesso that, together with the flock entrusted to his care,he may come to everlasting life.Through our Lord … [Read more...] about Prayer for Pope Francis: A Call for Healing
Top Spot
Swinging for the Fences: Ancient Order of Hibernians Teams Up with Irish American Baseball Society and Spotlights Irish Citizenship at Ireland House NY
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 … [Read more...] about Swinging for the Fences: Ancient Order of Hibernians Teams Up with Irish American Baseball Society and Spotlights Irish Citizenship at Ireland House NY
Sean Brown and the Fight for Legacy Justice
The widow of murdered GAA official Sean Brown, Bridie Brown holds a picture of her late husband with their daughters and son, from left, Clare Loughran, Siobhan Brown and Sean Brown, outside the Royal Courts of Justicein Belfast. Sean Brown The heartbreaking battle for justice by Sean Brown’s widow and children is a telling example of why Hibernians must continue to make legacy justice a priority. Sean Brown was not involved in politics. He was devoted to the Bellaghy Wolfe Tone’s Gaelic Athletic Association Club. That was enough to make him a target for a Loyalist murder squad on May … [Read more...] about Sean Brown and the Fight for Legacy Justice
HIBERNIANS BACK FINUCANE FAMILYDEMAND
BRITISH ENQUIRY MUST BE CREDIBLE AND CAPABLE https://www.youtube.com/live/YyO5Cl4y_XQ?si=e02kLafTk-SrjcCO National President Sean Pender has issued the following statement on behalf of the Ancient Order of Hibernians: finucane hearing -press releaseDownload Widow, children of Patrick Finucane share expectations for long-overdue public inquiry into British collusion in brutal murder of Northern Ireland human rights lawyer WASHINGTON—At a congressional hearing (click to watch) chaired by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) today, the widow and three adult children … [Read more...] about HIBERNIANS BACK FINUCANE FAMILYDEMAND
2025 AOH History Tour of Ireland
The Ancient Order of Hibernians will be hosting a 2025 AOH History Tour of Ireland led by AOH National Historian Dan Taylor. With space limited to one bus and 40 travelers President Sean Pender wanted to extend this offer to the general membership. If interested, please complete and return the application, contact President Pender with any questions. Spaces will be held only with paid deposit. Open to AOH members and their guests. This will no doubt be a very memorable trip. We will be recording presentations by our AOH historian at each historical site. Those recordings will be shared on our … [Read more...] about 2025 AOH History Tour of Ireland
2024 FFAI Christmas Appeal
A chairde, After 14 years of Tory misrule, Keir Starmer now heads the British government. Sadly, Labour ha already shown it makes little difference which English party administers the six counties. The Good Friday Agreement says that it is for the people of Ireland alone to exercise their right of national self- determination “without external impediment. British officials say a vote on Irish reunification “is not even on the horizon.” When it comes to giving justice to the Irish, a British horizon means generations away. Unionist leaders will not discuss a united Ireland, so long as … [Read more...] about 2024 FFAI Christmas Appeal
Camino de Santiago for Seminarians
Father John Keehner, AOH National Chaplain 2020-24, is walking the Camino right now to support our Seminarians in Ireland and the United States. His Pilgrimage includes difficult paths and even a waterfall to climb. Father Keehner will continue to beautiful Pamplano Cathedral en route to a lean-to for a nights rest. You can join Father's Pilgrimage by supporting seminarians with your tax deductible donation today. 100% of your donation will support seminarians. … [Read more...] about Camino de Santiago for Seminarians
U.S. Representatives Urge PM Starmer to Repeal Legacy Act
On July 15, 2024, Congressman Brendan F. Boyle led a bipartisan group of U.S. Representatives in sending a letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, congratulating him on his election and urging the repeal of the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023. The Representatives emphasized the need for justice for the victims of the Troubles and the importance of upholding the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement. The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 has been criticized for undermining the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement and denying justice to victims of … [Read more...] about U.S. Representatives Urge PM Starmer to Repeal Legacy Act
Empty Promises and More Perfidy: UK Fails to Prosecute Bloody Sunday Perjury
The recent decision by the Northern Ireland Prosecution Service not to prosecute fifteen former British soldiers and one civilian for perjury concerning their testimony during the Bloody Sunday Inquiry is yet another attack on the universally accepted standards of justice and a continuing denial of the fundamental human rights of the victims and their families. The lies told by these men were not harmless fibs; they slandered the names of innocent victims and their families, they covered up killings which former British Prime Minister David Cameron admitted forty years later were … [Read more...] about Empty Promises and More Perfidy: UK Fails to Prosecute Bloody Sunday Perjury
Forgotten Patriot: The Courageous Story and Legacy of Commodore John Barry
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 Forgotten Patriot: The Courageous Story and Legacy of Commodore John Barry
Andrew Higgins: The Man Who Built the Boats That Won World War II
“The Jaws of Death.” A photo by CPHOM Robert F. Sargent, USCG. A Coast Guard-manned LCVP from the USS Samuel Chase disembarks troops of Company E, 16th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division on the morning of June 6, 1944, at Omaha Beach It is an iconic image of WW II, a photo taken on June 6, 1944 showing American soldiers exiting a landing craft coming ashore at Omaha beach. A few months later on October 20th, another photo captured the moment General Douglas MacArthur “returned” to the Philippines, wading ashore from a landing craft. Neither of these historic moments would have been possible … [Read more...] about Andrew Higgins: The Man Who Built the Boats That Won World War II
Space, Service, and Heritage: Michael Collins
Then Colonel Michael Collins Major General Michael Collins, who as a Colonel was the Command Pilot of Apollo 11, the mission that put a man on the moon, is sadly often overlooked, but it should not be forgotten that the successful return of his crewmates Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin was dependent entirely on his piloting skill in flying the command module and performing a successful docking with the Lunar module. Michael Collins was a second-generation Irish American born into a military family. Collin's father was a career soldier, attaining the rank of Major General, earning two … [Read more...] about Space, Service, and Heritage: Michael Collins
From Priest to Martyr, From Klan Robes to Justice’s Robes
The 1920s were one of the darkest and least discussed chapters in American history. During this period, the Ku Klux Klan experienced a resurgence, propelled by various factors, including D. W. Griffith's controversial portrayal of the Klan in "Birth of a Nation" (originally titled "The Klansman"), a complex mix of patriotism and isolationism following World War I, and the adoption of modern marketing techniques. As a result, the Klan transcended its Southern roots, evolving into a nationwide movement with a staggering membership of six million. To sustain this growth, the Klan expanded its … [Read more...] about From Priest to Martyr, From Klan Robes to Justice’s Robes
The Childhood Friends Who Earned the Medal of Honor
In the historically Irish neighborhood of Woodside, Queens, stands a monument to those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country in the Vietnam War. On the monument are inscribed the names of 27 young men from the local Zip Code of 11377, more than any other postal code in the nation to die in that conflict. However, the Irish community of Woodside has another unique distinction touching on the Vietnam War, the story of two childhood friends from that community who would both enlist in the Marines and earn our nation’s highest award for valor, with sadly … [Read more...] about The Childhood Friends Who Earned the Medal of Honor
Annie Moore: The Brave Irish Girl Who Took the First Step Though the Golden Door
The statue of Annie Moore and her brothers at Cobh, Ireland During its period of operation from 1892 till 1954, over 12 million immigrants entered through the immigration station at Ellis Island, a name that was to become synonymous with the “Golden Door” and the “American Dream”. It is estimated that today over forty percent of the United States population can trace their ancestry to an immigrant that entered Ellis Island. On New Year’s Day Morning 1892 on the deck of the steamship Nevada stood three adolescents, Annie Moore and her brothers Phillip and Anthony. They were perhaps … [Read more...] about Annie Moore: The Brave Irish Girl Who Took the First Step Though the Golden Door
Chief Francis O’Neill, a Real Hero and a Reel Hero
When someone wants to quickly set an atmosphere of "Irishness," whether it is a major motion picture or a local Irish restaurant, they invariably use the same element: music. Music is an essential element of Celtic life; the harper, piper, and the fiddler hold a place of honor and esteem. Wherever the Irish have traveled, they have taken their music with them as one of their prize possessions, and the sound of Irish music can be heard in Dublin, Denver, and Durban. Irish music is a highly personal art form; it is an aural tradition passed on from generation to generation … [Read more...] about Chief Francis O’Neill, a Real Hero and a Reel Hero
Irish American Heritage Month: The Irish Contribution to America’s Independence
The Irish, both Protestant, and Catholic, were a major part of Washington’s volunteers from foot soldiers to high ranking officers. When increased Crown exploitation drove the colonists to protest, among the loudest were the Irish who had no great love for the Crown, to begin with. And there were many Irish in America’s colonies. Among them were those who fought the English theft of their Irish lands and ended up hunted men; they were followed by those Catholics and Presbyterians who fled persecution by the Church of England. Some were businessmen who had to escape the economic oppression … [Read more...] about Irish American Heritage Month: The Irish Contribution to America’s Independence
The Grand Old Man of Baseball: The Enduring Legacy of Connie Mack
Baseball is a sport built for superlatives and appellations; with every passing season, another member of the sport seems to be bestowed the title of "the Greatest" or a nickname. Yet, there is only one "Grand Old Man of Baseball," and there will never be another like Irish American Connie Mack nor anyone as deserving of the title. Connie Mack was born Cornelius McGillicuddy in Brookfield, Massachusetts, on December 22, 1862. His parents were both Irish immigrants, Michael McGillicuddy from Killarney, while Mary (nee McKillop) McGillicuddy was from the Catholic section of … [Read more...] about The Grand Old Man of Baseball: The Enduring Legacy of Connie Mack
Bravery Beyond Measure: The Heroic Story of Colonel Patrick O’Rorke
Patrick Henry O'Rorke was born in County Cavan, Ireland on March 25, 1837. His family emigrated from Ireland when Patrick was but a year old, eventually settling in the “Little Dublin” neighborhood of Rochester, N.Y. An excellent student, he earned one of two scholarships to the newly formed University of Rochester. However, his father’s sudden death required young Patrick to take a job as a marble cutter to support his family. Patrick’s talents were too considerable to go unrecognized for long. He came to the attention of Congressman John Williams, who recommended him for … [Read more...] about Bravery Beyond Measure: The Heroic Story of Colonel Patrick O’Rorke
Dr. Kathyrn Dwyer Sullivan, from the Depths of the Ocean to the Heights of Space
Dr. Kathyrn Dwyer Sullivan preparing for a Space Walk When we think of explorers, it is common to think of phrases such as "plumbing new depths" or "scaling new heights," but how many individuals can both expressions be used to literally and accurately describe their achievements? Such an individual is Irish American Dr. Kathyrn Dwyer Sullivan. Kathyrn Sullivan was born in Paterson, New Jersey, to Donald Paul Sullivan and his wife Barbara (née Kelly). Sullivan's grandfather had immigrated from Lauragh on the Beara Peninsula in County Kerry. She chose her middle … [Read more...] about Dr. Kathyrn Dwyer Sullivan, from the Depths of the Ocean to the Heights of Space