The Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH) today commended Walmart for their swift response in removing from their web site products that defamed the heritage of Irish Americans and glorified the dangerous practice of binge drinking. These items, which appeared to be exclusively the products of third party vendors selling through the Walmart site, included such phrases as “Can't Regret What You Don't Remember St. Patrick’s Day”, “Irish, Drunk, Whatever”, “The Four Fathers of St. Patrick’s Day: Jack, Jim, Johnny, Jameson” and others. In response to a message from the … [Read more...] about Hibernians Commend Walmart for Swift Action in Response to Offensive Irish Stereotype Merchandise
Hibernians Commend Walmart for Swift Action in Response to Offensive Irish Stereotype Merchandise
WWII vet awarded AOH pin
On Saturday, January 20, at the AOH Allegheny County (PA) Board meeting, brother Nick Murphy of Division 17 Monroeville, a WWII veteran, received his AOH Hibernian Veterans commemorative pin. Brothers from across the county were present for the annual swearing in of Division Officers and for the presentation of the pin to Nick. … [Read more...] about WWII vet awarded AOH pin
New AOH Division, Named After 9/11 Hero, Forms in Breezy Point
On February 22, 2018, New York State’s newest AOH division, The Lieutenant Kevin C. Dowdell, AOH Division 4, Breezy Point held its formation meeting at the Catholic Club in Breezy Point, Queens. The division’s namesake is Lieutenant Kevin C. Dowdell, of FDNY Rescue 4, a hero who lost his life in the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. Lieutenant Dowdell’s two sons, Patrick and James are charter members of the division and were elected Vice President and Financial Secretary. The brothers (pictured below) were introduced by Tim McSweeney, National Organizer and were invited to … [Read more...] about New AOH Division, Named After 9/11 Hero, Forms in Breezy Point
Hibernians Thank the Friends of Ireland Caucus For Calling for the Appointment of a Special Envoy to Northern Ireland
In response to a 2/14/18 letter from the Ancient Order of Hibernians, the bipartisan Friends of Ireland Caucus today issued a statement calling on the President to fulfill his commitment to appoint a Special Envoy to Northern Ireland. The Hibernians wish to thank Chairman Neal and all members of the caucus for once again being responsive to the concerns of Irish America and championing the cause of peace and justice in North of Ireland. Given the collapse of recent talks to restore the power-sharing government in Northern Ireland, the role of a fair and impartial intermediary so … [Read more...] about Hibernians Thank the Friends of Ireland Caucus For Calling for the Appointment of a Special Envoy to Northern Ireland
NY AOH Hosts Mark Thompson of Relatives for Justice’s
Mark Thompson ended a weeklong emergency American tour that generated a new Congressional initiative, five public events and formal proclamations of support by the New York State Senate, Assembly and local governments. Sponsored by the New York State Board, Ancient Order of Hibernians, the tour brought together other Irish American organizations, and commitments to help Relatives for Justice and the victims they represent break the deadlock on legacy truth. The emergency tour was an AOH response to crown moves to give British troopers and constabulary an amnesty, while denying Inquest … [Read more...] about NY AOH Hosts Mark Thompson of Relatives for Justice’s
Albany AOH helps the needy
Members of Albany AOH Div. 5 served meals to needy families at the Albany Rescue Mission. Led by Div. 5 President Tim Carey (fourth from left), AOH members volunteer monthly to work in the kitchen and dining room. Twenty Hibernians, including Kevin McNabb (pictured above, 10-years-old), worked at the shelter during Christmas week to help others in the name of Hibernian Hunger. … [Read more...] about Albany AOH helps the needy
Kansas Hibernians Award Hibernian Cup
The Fr. Donnelly Division, Johnson County No. 1, participated in the second annual Hibernian Bowl between two Johnson County Catholic high schools on October 6th. St. Thomas Aquinas High and St. James Academy battled for bragging rights and the beautiful Hibernian Cup at St. Thomas Aquinas’ home field in the Kansas suburbs of Kansas City. Friday Night Lights began with the Fr. Donnelly honor guard bringing the colors to the center of the field for the national anthem and the benediction. After a heated battle through the first half, the St. James Thunder yielded to the St. Thomas Aquinas … [Read more...] about Kansas Hibernians Award Hibernian Cup
With Collapse of Talks in Northern Ireland, Ancient Order of Hibernians Calls on President Trump to Fulfill Pledge to Appoint Special Envoy.
With the collapse today of talks seeking to restore the devolved Northern Ireland Government, the Ancient Order of Hibernians expressed their concern over the future of U.S. brokered Good Friday Agreement and renewed their calls for appointment of a U.S. Special Envoy to Northern Ireland In a letter to President Trump, Secretary of State Tillerson and members of Congress, AOH Political Education Chairman Neil Cosgrove writes: “The statement made today by DUP leader Arlene Foster that there is no prospect that continued negotiations will lead to a restoration of Northern Ireland’s … [Read more...] about With Collapse of Talks in Northern Ireland, Ancient Order of Hibernians Calls on President Trump to Fulfill Pledge to Appoint Special Envoy.
WHEN MORALITY WAS DEADLY
Seventy-five years ago, 35 orphans perished in a blaze in St. Joseph’s Orphanage in County Cavan. The orphanage was founded by the Poor Clares, a cloistered order of nuns, on Main Street in 1868. At the time, young delinquents could be educated and learn a trade in a reformatory, but orphaned and abandoned children were not accorded the same opportunity. The good sisters sought to address this by establishing an industrial school for girls. In the early morning of February 24, 1943, a small fire started in the laundry of the old building. Within 45 minutes it gutted the entire school, … [Read more...] about WHEN MORALITY WAS DEADLY
THE STRUGGLE BEGINS ANEW
The traditional role of women in Celtic culture was one of equality in the Brehon Law. The coming of British law changed that and the subordination of women to the nursery and the kitchen began. But, there were always strong Irish women beneath it all. Those who knew the true value of Irish women never doubted their ability and the Ban naTigh (woman of the house) was a valued influence even though shuttered out of official society. The group of Irish scholars who emerged in the mid-1800s from the Gaelic Revival, translated literature from ancient Irish history and inspired a revival of … [Read more...] about THE STRUGGLE BEGINS ANEW
Division 3 Pearl River, NY Keep the Season and Tradition Alive with Wren Night Festivities
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
From the Desk of President McKay 12/17
Brothers, Merry Christmas to you, your family and all your local Hibernians. In the midst of this giving season we are all receiving our AOH labels. What better time than the present to make a donation to the label program that supports our Hibernian Charities’. Once all the donations are collected, 100% of the proceeds will be donated in order to support specific Hibernian programs including: Hibernian disaster relief fund; Project St. Patrick vocation scholarships; National History Day; the Irish Way program and many more. Your donation, no matter how large or how small will go a long … [Read more...] about From the Desk of President McKay 12/17
Ancient Order of Hibernians Mourns the Passing of General James Cullen
The National President of the Ancient Order of Hibernians Judge James F. McKay has issued the following statement in response to the news of the passing of Brigadier General James Cullen: It is with deep sadness that the Ancient Order of Hibernians learned of the passing of Brigadier General James P. Cullen, Esq. after a courageous battle with illness. His passing is a loss to both America and Ireland. The story of General Cullen is in miniature the story of Irish America. He severed his country honorably in the United States Army. Starting from the rank of private soldier, by his … [Read more...] about Ancient Order of Hibernians Mourns the Passing of General James Cullen
BORN ON CHRISTMAS – REMEMBERED ON NEW YEARS
During the 1904 St. Louis World Fair, John Philip Sousa and his band dominated the entertainment, which included a young John McCormack singing at the Irish Pavilion. It was an era when America’s musical superstars were not individuals with a hit recording, but band leaders – people with the ability to not just play, but compose, arrange, and direct a musical organization. In early America, the superstars were those who led marching Brass Bands, and though Sousa was certainly one of them, he was not the first. That honor goes to a man whom Sousa himself called his mentor and whom he … [Read more...] about BORN ON CHRISTMAS – REMEMBERED ON NEW YEARS
President’s Veterans’ Day Message
Brothers, I would like to thank and congratulate all of the Veterans who belong to the AOH. We owe each of you a debt of gratitude. It is because of your work we enjoy the many freedoms we have in the United States of America. In honor of the Hibernian Veterans, I share a poem that National Veterans Affairs Chairman Jim Green sent along. I invite all Hibernians to watch this recording of the poem in honor of our Veterans: I Am a Veteran Also Thanks to Brother Green and Brother Cole, you will notice a change on our membership cards this year indicating Veteran Status for all … [Read more...] about President’s Veterans’ Day Message
A SPY REVEALED
Thanks to brother Liam Murphy for sharing additional information on a man we had mentioned as one of Washington’s Irish back in July of 2009 on the New York State Website NYAOH.COM and allowing us to share it with you. The 25th of November, 1783, was the last day of America’s War of Independence. After more than seven years of occupation, the British finally evacuated New York City and General Washington, leading members of the Continental Army, entered the city in triumph. To celebrate the event, Brigadier-General George Clinton, New York’s first and longest-serving Governor and a man of … [Read more...] about A SPY REVEALED
Hibernians Give Newsweek’s Defaming Article an “F”
In his Newsweek article “Why Are All the Conservative Loudmouths Irish-American?”, Professor Van Gosse of Franklin & Marshall College gives us a textbook example of “Confirmation Bias”. Confirmation Bias is defined as “the tendency to interpret new evidence as confirmation of one's existing beliefs”. In the trappings of academic scholarship, Professor Gosse instead gives us a window into his own and, by its publication, Newsweek’s offensive preconceptions towards Irish Americans. As a professor of history, one has to wonder how Professor Gosse would grade a paper from one of his students … [Read more...] about Hibernians Give Newsweek’s Defaming Article an “F”
New AOH Division form in Westchester, Thomas Addis Emmet Division 17
The formation of the Thomas Addis Emmet Division 17 of Pelham & New Rochelle, Westchester County of the Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH) took place on Monday, October 16, 2017. The new division is comprised of the next generation of the Irish American community; 25 Iona College students ranging in age from 18 to 24. The division was organized by its charter president, James McGlashin who canvassed the campus and surrounding community for prospective members. In addition to the college members, there were additional members recruited from the surrounding communities of Pelham and New … [Read more...] about New AOH Division form in Westchester, Thomas Addis Emmet Division 17
Nothing “Wonderful” About Catholic Bigotry
The Ancient Order of Hibernians was established in 1836 to protect and defend Our Holy Mother, the Roman Catholic Church, from the violence and bigotry of anti-Catholic nativist mobs. While violent physical attacks on our churches have become largely a thing of the past, bigotry and disdain for the Catholic Church has not vanished; it hides in the shadows where it nurses on the darkness until its next opportunity to spread the poison of prejudice. On Friday evening, October 21, President Trump through twitter promoted the work of Dr. Robert Jeffress, a megachurch pastor of First Baptist … [Read more...] about Nothing “Wonderful” About Catholic Bigotry
The Hypocrisy of MSNBC in Their Defaming Profiling of Irish American Catholics
In reading Congresswoman Frederica Wilson’s claims that White House Chief of Staff General John Kelly is a racist because he compared her to an “empty barrel making the most noise”, an outrageous accusation to which MSNBC hosts Joy Reid and Lawrence O’Donnell attempted to give further credence by offering as “evidence” that General Kelly is an Irish American from Boston, I am reminded of the story of the astronomer Percival Lowell. In the 1890’s, Lowell grabbed headlines by announcing the discovery of “canals” on the planet Mars. Lowell asserted that the “canals” could only … [Read more...] about The Hypocrisy of MSNBC in Their Defaming Profiling of Irish American Catholics