The Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH) takes more than a casual interest in Irish history.
“Our shared history is what brings us together,” Dan Taylor, Jr., AOH National Historian. “Some of our members join the AOH because of what they know about Irish history, while others join because they want to know more.” Whatever brings them to the Order, members of the AOH generally share the belief that understanding and remembering the history of the Irish people is a sacred trust.
“When we consider the cost at which the Irish people maintained their national identity in the face of innumerable hardships and a centuries-long campaign of cultural extirpation, we dare not forget,” says Taylor. “The very least that we owe those who came before us is to ensure that the rich cultural heritage of which we are the inheritors is passed on to generations to come.”
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The AOH seeks to perpetuate the history of the “Irish people,” which includes the Irish diaspora here in the United States and around the world. To meet this broad mandate, each AOH Division has a brother designated as the Division Historian, whose duties include providing a brief lesson in some aspect of Irish history at each meeting. On the national level, the AOH engages in a broad array of initiatives examining the history of the Irish people.
Kindred Spirits: Choctaw Native American Monument.
The Hibernian Fund at the University of Notre Dame, first established in 1978, supports the Hibernian Research Award, given in support of scholarship in the area of Irish and Irish American history and also funds the Hibernian Lecture, given annually in conjunction with the Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism by a distinguished visiting scholar.
In March of 2020, when the pandemic limited traditional St. Patrick’s Day gatherings, the AOH initiated an ongoing series of online Irish History webinars, featuring distinguished scholars and authors. Past episodes of the series can be viewed here.
A statue of Annie Moore in Cobh, County Cork.
This spring, the AOH sponsored a history tour of Ireland. AOH members and their families stopped at historic sites, including Bodenstown Churchyard, Vinegar Hill, Derrynane House, and the GPO, and learned about the events and people associated with each location. While AOH delegations have been traveling to Ireland for generations, this was the first trip in recent memory devoted specifically to Irish history.
This year, as the United States approaches its sesquicentennial in 2026, AOH Historians will be focusing on highlighting the significant contributions of the Irish in America. “The Irish have been here since the beginning,” says AOH National President Sean Pender, “and the history of the Irish in America is a remarkable chapter in the larger history of the Irish people.” The AOH itself has a storied history in the United States, having been founded here in 1836, with historical antecedents in Ireland. The official history of the Order can be found on the AOH website here.
Kilmainham Gaol, Dublin.
While the study of history is by definition concerned with events of the past, Taylor notes that the interest of the AOH in Irish history is not merely academic or nostalgic. “The past truly is prologue,” Taylor states, “and our understanding of Irish history informs the involvement of the AOH, as a leading voice of Irish America, in the events of today.”
Interested in being part of America’s oldest Irish Catholic organization? Click here to learn more about how you can join your local Ancient Order of Hibernians. You can also keep up to date with them on Facebook.
