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 the United 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 Irish Catholic immigrants, especially those who faced discrimination or harsh coal mining working conditions. Many members had a Molly Maguire background. It became an important focus of Irish-American political activity

Background 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 the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Thomas Radclyffe, founded "The Defenders". [ [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07320a.htm Catholic Encyclopedia website.] ] His part of Ireland 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 Grandmaster Joseph Devlin (later Member of Parliament) of Belfast. The AOH was closely associated with the Irish 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 the Irish 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 against William 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 into Sinn Féin and the Irish 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 a paramilitary force. Many republican leaders in the 1916-1923 period, among them Sean MacDermott, J.J Walsh and Rory O'Connor, had been "Hibs" before the formation of the Irish 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 Northeastern Pennsylvania- Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania USA, known as hard Coal Region or Anthracite 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]