Historical Happenings

August 15 is a special day for Catholics around the world because it is the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin. It is also special for our AOH cousins in Ireland who march that day to show pride in their heritage on ‘Lady’s Day’ as it’s called. However, on that day in 1995 an historic event also took place in Derry as the American AOH and LAOH joined with the AOH Board of Erin (BOE) to march in that parade. Our National Presidents, Ed Wallace and Kathy Linton led the line of march behind the American and Irish flags alongside Hibernian leaders from Ireland, England, Scotland and … [Read more...] about A DAY TO REMEMBER

On the 15th of August, 2009, members of the AOH gathered on Grosse Ile in the St. Lawrence River just off Quebec to commemorate a centennial. The American AOHs of U.S. and Canada had erected a 50-foot Celtic Cross in sensitive recognition of the thousands of Irish who sleep there in mass graves after fleeing the Great Hunger in Ireland. It was dedicated on the Feast of the Assumption, August 15, 1909 and here we were again, 100 years later, with the late Marianna Gallagher – grand-daughter of the AOH committee chairman who erected the cross – to commemorate the Centennial Anniversary of that … [Read more...] about GROSSE ILE REMEMBERED

In the mid 1800s, American Party (Know Nothings) were violently against Catholic immigrants and rioting took place in many Irish neighborhoods across the country. One of the most violent took place in Louisville, KY on 6 August 1855. It was election day and nativists were against allowing Catholics to vote. Irish and German immigrants, most of them Catholic, made up nearly a quarter of Louisville’s population of 43,000 at the time, but most native-born residents were Protestant and many were members of the American Party. George Prentice, editor of the Louisville Daily Journal newspaper, a … [Read more...] about Louisville’s Bloody Monday

The 17th century dawned in Ireland during the 9 years war of the northern Chieftains against the Crown. By 1602 that conflict was over; Red Hugh O'Donnell had been poisoned, the Irish had capitulated, and Queen Elizabeth was dead. Against the treachery that threatened their heirs and families, the noblest Chieftains of the north   The O'Neill, the O'Donnell, and the Maguire   left Ireland forever in what became known as the Flight of the Earls. The Irish were leaderless, the Clan system had been broken, the great Gaelic Houses destroyed, and a foreign power had been established … [Read more...] about THE BATTLE OF BENBURB

Dubh (Doov) in the Irish language means dark or black and is used to describe someone by the color of their hair as in Roisin Dubh (Dark Rosaleen) or Hugh Dubh O'Neill (Black Hugh O’Neill), an Irish patriot of the 17th century best remembered for his defense of Clonmel in 1650. He was also nephew of Owen Ruadh O’Neill (Owen the Red O’Neill) whose red hair was a distinguishing characteristic. Some believe that survivors of the Spanish Armada who landed in Ireland were the ancestors of Ireland’s black-haired population, but that’s not true; black hair and brown eyes were attributes of the … [Read more...] about THE BLACK IRISH