- Ancient Order of Hibernians
The Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH) is an
Irish-Catholic fraternal organization . Members must be Catholic and either Irish born or of Irish descent. Its largest membership is now in theUnited States , where it was founded in New York in 1836. Its name was adopted by groups of Irish immigrants in the United States David W. Miller "Church, State and Nation in Ireland 1898-1921" pp.209-15, Gill & Macmillan (1973) ISBN 0 7171 0645 4] , its purpose to act as guards to protect Catholic Churches from anti-Catholic forces in the mid 19th century, and to assist IrishCatholic immigrants, especially those who faced discrimination or harsh coal mining working conditions. Many members had a Molly Maguire background. It became an important focus ofIrish-American political activityBackground in Ireland
The use of the name in
Ireland goes back as far as 1565, when it was founded by an Irish chieftain, Rory O'Moore, to protect Roman Catholics against the religious persecution by theLord Lieutenant of Ireland , Thomas Radclyffe, founded "The Defenders". [ [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07320a.htm Catholic Encyclopedia website.] ] His part ofIreland was called Laois, and had been settled by the Catholic Queen Mary in the 1550s. This formative history was reported in the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia but is not supported by any modern academic historians of the period. These goals prevailed in its ranks into the 20th century, by which time it had developed into a militant lay-Catholic mass movement of Ribbon tradition.At the end of the 19th century the AOH was reorganised in
Ulster under its GrandmasterJoseph Devlin (laterMember of Parliament ) ofBelfast . The AOH was closely associated with theIrish Parliamentary Party , its members mainly members off the party [Tom Garvin: "The Evolution of Irish Nationalist Politics" (2005) pp. 107-110: "The Rise of the Hibernians" ISBN 0-7171-3967-0] . The AOH was strongly opposed to secular idologies such as those of theIrish Republican Brotherhood who were most unhappy at the re-emergence of this old rival 'right-wing' nationalist society. [Tom Garvin: "The Evolution of Irish Nationalist Politics" (2005) pp. 106 lines 25-26, pp. 107 lines 2-4: "The Rise of the Hibernians" ] .As a vehicle for
Irish nationalism , the AOH greatly influenced the sectarian aspect of Irish politics in the early twentieth century. By 1914 had saturated the entire island, fuelled not so much by sectarianism as by its utility as a patronage, brokerage and recreational association [Tom Garvin: "The Evolution of Irish Nationalist Politics" (2005) pp. 108, lines 12-14: "The Rise of the Hibernians" ] . In Ulster and elsewhere it acted as an unruly but vigorous militant support organisation for Devlin, Dillon and Redmond against radicals and againstWilliam O'Brien : O'Brien regarded himself as having been driven from the party by Hibernian hooligans [Tom Garvin: "The Evolution of Irish Nationalist Politics" (2005) pp. 108, lines 28-32: "The Rise of the Hibernians"] .After the 1916
Easter Rising the AOH melted away outside Ulster, its members absorbed intoSinn Féin and theIrish Republican Army . [Tom Garvin: "The Evolution of Irish Nationalist Politics" (2005) pp. 109, lines 24-25: "The Rise of the Hibernians" ] In many areas the organisation provided by the AOH was the nearest thing to aparamilitary force. Many republican leaders in the 1916-1923 period, among themSean MacDermott ,J.J Walsh and Rory O'Connor, had been "Hibs" before the formation of theIrish Volunteers in 1913 [Tom Garvin: "The Evolution of Irish Nationalist Politics" (2005) pp. 109, lines 33-35: "The Rise of the Hibernians"] .The AOH is also significant as a link between the new nationalist organisations and the century-old tradition of popular militant societies. More directly, it lingered on as a pro-Treaty support organisation. Some Hibernians fought in the Francoist side of the
Spanish Civil War . The quasi-Fascist Blueshirts movement of the 1930s may, in fact, have owed as much to the Ribbon tradition which it so much resembled as it did to continental analogies [Tom Garvin: "The Evolution of Irish Nationalist Politics" (2005) pp. 110, lines 12-22: "The Rise of the Hibernians"] .Within Northern Ireland, the AOH remains a visible but somewhat marginal part of the Catholic community. It is often considered to be the face of Irish nationalism, and parades at
Easter ,Lady Day and a few other times a year.United States
When it was first founded in the United States, its existence and activities were concealed for some years. Its motto is, "Friendship, Unity, and
Christian Charity."* The Ladies Auxiliary of the AOH was formed in 1894 in
Omaha, Nebraska .* The
Molly Maguires are described as a front organization for the AOH who campaigned for better working conditions in the anthracite coal mines and railroads in NortheasternPennsylvania -Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania USA, known as hardCoal Region orAnthracite Coal Region in the 19th century.* The Ancient Order of Hibernians coordinates the
St. Patrick's Day Parade in New York City.Reading
* Tom Garvin: "The Evolution of Irish Nationalist Politics" Gill & Macmillan (2005) ISBN 0-7171-3967-0 : Pages 105-110: "The Rise of the Hibernians".
* Prof. R.V. Comerford: "Ireland Inventing the Nation" (Hodder 2003).See also
*
Fraternal and service organizations
*Irish-Americans
*Irish Catholic
*Banners in Northern Ireland
*Molly Maguires References
External links
* [http://www.aoh.com Ancient Order of Hibernians (in America) webpage]
* [http://paaoh.org/ Pennsylvania State Board, Ancient Order of Hibernians]
* [http://www.bobbysandsaoh.com/ Dauphin County, Division #1 "Bobby Sands" (Harrisburg, PA)]
* [http://www.aoh32.com Ancient Order of Hibernians (York, PA)]
* [http://www.nyaoh.com/ New York State Board, Ancient Order of Hibernians]
* [http://www.allentownaoh.com/ Lehigh County, PA AOH]
* [http://www.irishroots.org/aoh/aoh.htm AOH information]
* [http://www.geocities.com/lenaweeaoh/ Lenewee County Michigan AOH]
* [http://www.michiganaoh.com Michigan AOH]
* [http://mill-valley.freemasonry.biz/marin_hibernians_orangemen_royal_black_knights.htm Hibernians of Marin County, California]
* [http://www.lehigh.edu/~ineng/paw/paw-history.htm The Molly Maguires]* [http://www.aohca.com/ AOH California State Board]
* [http://www.aohvirginia.org/ Virginia State Board of the Ancient Order of Hibernians]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.