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A.O.H. Ancient Order of Hibernians
Wear your pins on sashes, hats, jackets, lapels, dresses, and coats. Representing the best of St. Patrick Day. What is the Ancient Order of Hibernians In America?
2010 New York City Saint Patrick's Day Parade
Tuesday, March 17th 2010 11:00 am
Tribute to the "Fighting 69th" 69th Infantry, New York Army National Guard,
A Tribute to our New York City Fire Department (NYFD)
Saint Patrick's Day and the AOH
Saint Patrick's Day Parade Photo's
AOH Breakfast Before the parade in front of City Hall interviews 2002 Newark Parade Ceremonies Newark Parade Photos Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 A.O.H Ancient Order of Hibernians
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AOH Divisions of New Jersey
Somerset: www.aohsomerset.com >For the St. Patrick Div 1, Somerset County
Mercer#1
- James McSorley, Jr. President, 81 Miry Brook Rd. Hamilton NJ 08690 [609-587-4427]Ocean #2 - Jack Nosti, President, 838 Forepeak Drive Forked River,NJ 08731 [609-971-3933]
Sussex#1
- Larry Erwin President, (PO Box 834) 38 Halsted St. Newton NJ 07860 [973-383-8685]Union #3 - Paul Bulger President 5 Raleigh Avenue Cranford NJ 07016 [908-276-0533]
Essex #3 - Thomas Corcoran President, 76 Sandford Place Newark NJ 07106 [973-375-1662]
Middlesex #3 - Jack Ligouri,Jr. President, 61 Sheppard Pl. Fords,NJ 08863 [732-225-0927]
Camden #4 - Dennis McCormack President, 5 Tanager Ct. Adubon Park NJ 08106-1830 [856-546-7459]
Salem #1 - Donald Scanlan President, 250 Birch Street Carneys Point NJ 08069 [856-299-2586]
Union #2 - Joseph Sullivan (PSP) President, 222 Franklin St. Elizabeth,NJ 07206 [908-352-6250]
Cape May #1 - Michael Fay President, 225 East 5th Avenue Wildwood NJ 08250 [609-729-1502] [609-441-3080]
Somerset #1 - Vincent Reh President, 17 E. Brown St Somerville NJ 08876-1601 [908 722-6595]
Middlesex #1 - Thomas Tighe, 25 Harrison St. Sayreville,NJ 08872 [732 611-0148]
Ocean #1 - John Cronen President,225 Cornelius St. Bayville,NJ 08721-3507 [732-259-0274]
Monmouth#2
- John Sullivan President, 3 Comanche Drive Middletown NJ 07748-3701 [732 833-1855w/732 291-5708h]Essex #9 - Michael McGlynn President 11 Midvale Avenue Fairfield NJ 07004 [973 227-6078]
Gloucester#1
- Declan Gallagher President, 114 So. King St. Gloucester,NJ 08030 [856-456-4894]Camden #3 - Daniel Sullivan President, 22 Hiawatha Road Somerdale NJ 08003 [856 783-2539]
Morris#1
- Sean Kane President, 46 Mountain Ave Warren NJ 07060 [908 647-1116]Hudson #7 - Ken Evans President 545 Davis Ave Kearny NJ 07032-3603 [201 997-0941]
Monmouth#32
- Kevin Weldon President 1108 Raymere Ave Wanamassa NJ 07711 [732 531-2580] [fax 732 222-5100] e-mail: KMW1118@ aol.comHudson #8 - John O'Donnell President 174 W. 31st St Bayone NJ 07002-1806 [201 339-0573]
Monmouth County Board- Tom Mahon President 315 Linda St. Belford,NJ 07718-1106 [732-787-5377]
ST. Patrick's Day and
the AOH
By: Gerry Curran Deputy National Historian
As we again prepare for the Feast of our Order's patron this March 17th we should be aware that the general American celebration of the holiday leaves many American Irish and the Irish in Ireland bewildered or, at best, indifferent. In Ireland, most regard the day as a holyday and see the American counterpart as somewhat ridiculous if not sacrilegious. In America, St. Patrick's Day has, unfortunately, become a collection of extravagant parades, shamrocks and leprechauns on napkins and party hats, chartreuse apparel, maudlin Irish-American songs, and green beer in which the nexus between the Irish and alcoholic drink is reaffirmed. Even serious efforts to properly venerate the saint's memory, in the form of well meaning but often speculative and somewhat farfetched biographies of St. Patrick, do little to educate their readers about the evolution of the day as a cultural celebration. Few special interest or news accounts in the contemporary media tell the fascinating story of how St. Patrick's Day has become an American national institution. In those that have made the attempt, fewer have properly accredited the Ancient Order of Hibernians with the crucial role it has played in this development.
Although St. Patrick's Day parades can be
traced to Boston in 1737 and New York in 1762, these events were relatively
simple processions that were common in Ireland and other areas of Europe on
saints' feast days. These processions were always religious in nature and were
largely unnoticed by the larger Anglo-Saxon Protestant population in the United
States. As the Catholic Irish population in America slowly grew, stereotypes of
the Irish and cultural prejudice against them grew as well. Situated as the English
colonies were between French and Spanish settlements (both Catholic),
anti-Catholicism was rife in America from the beginning. As early as 1799, frightened
Irish Catholics on New York's Lower East Side defended their national dignity
against native-born Americans who paraded through their neighborhoods on St.
Patrick's Day bearing insulting effigies (dubbed "Paddies") of the
glorious saint.
The custom of "Paddy making" became widespread in the early 1800's and continued unabated until the middle of the nineteenth century. These provocative caricatures incensed those affronted by them. The social historian George Potter described the "Paddy" as: "an effigy dressed in rags, its mouth smeared with molasses, sometimes wearing a string of potatoes around its neck or a codfish to mock the Friday fasting and with a whiskey bottle stuck out of one pocket...set up in a public place on the eve of St. Patrick's Day."
In the 1820's Protestant Ulster immigrants
brought the Orange order to New York. By 1824 the order was strong enough to
again insult Irish Catholic sensibilities by parading all day on July 11th (the
anniversary of the infamous "victory" of the Protestant William III
over the Catholic James II and his Irish allies at the Boyne River in 1690) with
orange and purple flags through the Catholic community in Greenwich Village
singing "Croppies Lie Down", "Protestant Boys", and
"Boyne Water". As Irish Orangeism and American nativism combined to
promote discrimination against Catholics, most immigrants retreated into the
safety of the Catholic Irish communities and the institutions that emerged to
protect them - the Catholic Church, the Democratic party and the organizations
of the Irish nationalist movement - the largest and most prominent of which
was the Ancient Order of Hibernians.
Organized in New York and Pennsylvania in
1836 the A.O.H. grew rapidly, appealing to a broad segment of the Irish Catholic
community by asserting issues of self-defense and social and economic justice,
as well as Irish nationalism. It also spread to other cities and states by
appealing to the similar grievances of canal and railroad laborers, and their
nationalistic sentiments (this growth of the Order also helped increase the
number, size, and significance of St. Patrick's Day celebrations in cities
throughout the nation).
In 1853, the Order was chartered by the state
of New York and also appeared in its first St. Patrick's Day parade under the
name Ancient Order of Hibernians. From this date on, the A.O.H. played a
dominant role in the development of the parade and was ultimately destined to
assume total responsibility for the parade tradition. Writing in 1823,
former National Historian John O'Dea stated: "The feature of the Order
which impressed the public in the early days of our American annals was the
great procession on St. Patrick's Day. The romantic attachment for their native
land and the precepts of Ribbonism had made a reverence for the immortal apostle
a part of the creed of every Irishman. For almost fifty years these St.
Patrick's Day processions were the chief public functions of the Order, not only
in New York City, but in every city where the Order had found a foothold."
During the July 4, 1853 Independence Day parade in New York, members of the A.O.H. were attacked at Abingdon Square when a wagon and team of horses were driven into the marchers and bloody fighting broke out between the Hibernians and elements of the "Know Nothing" organizations led by the shameful bigot Bill Poole. With "Know Nothing" attack a genuine threat, an unusually large number of Irish units of the state militia, including the 69th, the 9th, and the 72nd regiments, as well as many volunteer units, acted as escort to the parade on the following March 17th. Protection of their community in general, and of the marchers in particular, motivated these men (many of whom were A.O.H. members). Their demeanor stood in striking contrast to the proverbial Irish faults of violence, indolence, and intemperance with which the popular media of the time portrayed them. The inclusion of these military units helped transform the St. Patrick's Day procession into the parade we recognize today.
Moreover, in 1856, Peter R. Gaynor, A.O.H.
National Delegate (the title then used for National President) led the Father
Mathew Total Abstinence and Benevolent Society in the parade. This famous Irish
temperance organization helped bring a new dimension of order to the line of
march and deflated the myth that the Irish were, as suggested by Henry Cabot
Lodge: "...a hard-drinking, idle, quarrelsome, and disorderly class, always
at odds with the government."
By the beginning of the Civil War and in
large part due to the efforts of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, the New York
St. Patrick's Day parade was no longer a small and simple procession. As a
result of its unqualified success (and our Order's rapid growth) St. Patrick's
Day parades became a feature of every substantial American city. The celebration
of St. Patrick's Day has become a symbol not only of devotion to our patron
saint and ancestral home but also of our constitutional right to freely assemble
in our streets as respected American citizens.
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| What
is the Ancient Order of Hibernians In America? The Ancient Order of Hibernians is a Catholic, Irish American Fraternal Organization founded in New York City 4 May,1836. The Order can trace its roots back to a parent organization, of the same name, which has existed in Ireland for over 300 years. However, while the organizations share a common thread, the North American A.O.H. is a separate and much larger organization. The Order evolved from a need in the early sixteen hundreds to protect the lives of priests who risked immediate death to keep the Catholic Faith alive in occupied Ireland after the reign of England's King Henry VIII. When England Implemented its dreaded Penal Laws in Ireland, various secret social societies were formed across the country. These groups worked to aid and comfort the people by whatever means available. Similarly, the Ancient Order of Hibernians in America was founded May 4th, 1836 at New York's St. James Church, to protect the clergy, and church Property from the "Know Nothings" and their followers. At the same time the vast influx of Irish Immigrants fleeing famine issues in Ireland in the late 1840's, prompted a growth of various social societies in the USA - the largest of which was, and continues to be, the Ancient Order of Hibernians. Active across the United States, The Order seeks to aid the newly arrived Irish, both socially, politically. The many Divisions and club facilities located throughout the U.S. traditionally have been among the first to welcome new Irish Americans. Here, the Irish culture -- art, dance, music, and sports are fostered and preserved. The newcomers can meet some of "their own" and are introduced to the social atmosphere of the Irish-American community. the AOH has been at the political forefront for issues concerning the Irish, such as; Immigration Reform; economic Incentives both here and in Ireland; the human rights issues addressed in the MacBride Legislation; Right-To-Life; and a peaceful and just solution to the issues that divide Ireland. The Order has also provided a continuing bridge with Ireland for those who are generations removed from our country. The AOH sponsors many of the programs associated with promoting our Irish Heritage such as the IRISH WAY PROGRAM. You may further seek admittance to the FINEST Irish Catholic Organization in the World -- all we would ask is for you to live our motto of:"Friendship, Unity, and Christian Charity". Dia 's Muire dhuit! |
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| Membership in the
Ancient Order of Hibernians, Inc. is confined to men 16 years and older
who are practical Roman Catholics of Irish birth or descent and who are
citizens of United States of America or who have declared their
intentions to become citizens of the United States of America.
To Request information about joining the Ancient Order of Hibernians please follow the following Instructions: 1. Check to see if there is an AOH Division in your state. 2. If there is an AOH Division in your state please contact them directly. 3. If there is not an AOH Division in your state then please send us an E-mail with the following information:
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| I hereby apply for admission into the
Ancient Order of Hibernians in America, Inc., and agree that my
reception and continuance in said Order shall depend on the truthfulness
of my answers to the questions which are hereto attached, which answers
are made by me for the purpose of gaining admitted to the order. -----------------------------------------------Please type or print clearly---------------------------------------------- My Name is ________________________________________ Occupation _______________________________ Age ________ Born on ___________________ Are you Irish by birth or descent? _______________________ What was your mother's maiden name? ____________________________________ Are you a Roman Catholic? ______________ Have you complied with your religious duties? ____________ Name of your Parish or Church ___________________________________________________________ Do you belong to any society to which the Catholic Church is opposed? _________________ Your Residence: _________________________________________________________ City: ________________________________________ State: ______________ Zip Code _____________ Business Address: _______________________________________________________ Home Phone # ___________________________________ Business Phone # ______________________ Were you ever previously a member of the AOH? Yes __________ No
___________ I do solemnly pledge my sacred word and honor that the answers I have given to the above questions are true. Signed:_____________________________________ and dated this ______ day of _____________ in the year ________.
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