Ancient Order of Hibernians

From Free net encyclopedia

Template:Cleanup-date Image:AOH shield.gif

The Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH) is an Irish-Catholic fraternal organization. Its largest membership is now in the United States, where it was founded in New York in 1836. Its original purpose in the United States was to assist Irish Catholic immigrants, especially those who faced discrimination or harsh coal mining working conditions. Many members had a Molly Maguire background. Its mixture of religion and politics (similar to that of the Orange Order) has been criticized by some as anti-Protestant. Members predictably contend that this blend is necessary to defend against others considered to be anti-Catholic.

The use of the name in Ireland goes back as far as 1565 [1], when it was founded by an Irish chieftain, Rory O'Moore, to protect Irish Catholics against persecution by English Protestants. It had an historical concept of itself as a continuation of the 1641 rebellion, a Catholic uprising which attempted to wipe out the Protestant Plantations and to extirpate "heresy" (by which was meant Protestantism) in Ireland. 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 expanded hugely under its Grandmaster Joseph Devlin (later M.P.) of Belfast. The AOH was closely associated with the Irish Parliamentary Party, its members mainly members of the party. The AOH was against all secular idologies, such as those of the IRB, who in turn regarded the AOH as an old rival 'right-wing' nationalist society. As a vehicle for Irish nationalism, the AOH greatly influenced the ultra-sectarian course of Irish politics in the early twentieth century and by 1914 had saturated the entire island. It had been always vehemently opposed by William O'Brien M.P., as well as by his party, the All-for-Ireland League.

After the 1916 Easter Rising the AOH melted away outside Ulster, its members absorbed into Sinn Féin and the Irish Republican Army. 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 and Rory O'Connor, had been "Hibs" before the formation of the Irish Volunteers in 1913.

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 AOH also has a large number of branches in Ireland itself, especially in Ulster. An annual parade in Ballymena often provokes violence from Protestants.

The Ladies Auxiliary of the AOH was formed in 1894 in Omaha, Nebraska.

The Molly Maguires used the AOH as a front to conduct a campaign of intimidation against anthracite coal mine and railroad managers in Northeastern Pennsylvania- Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania USA, known as hard Coal Region or Anthracite Coal Region in the 19th century. Their objective was to improve the harsh working conditions that existed at the time.

The Ancient Order of Hibernians coordinates the St. Patrick's Day Parade in New York. Gay pride groups are prohibited from joining, and organise their own parade. There is no ban on these groups joining parades in Ireland, where parades are organised by municipal authorities, and a large contingent forms part of the parade annually in Dublin.

[edit]