Ancient Order of Hibernians
 |
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| Abbreviation | AOH |
|---|---|
| Motto | Friendship, Unity and Christian Charity |
| Formation | 4 May 1836 |
| Type |
Irish Catholic American fraternal order |
| Headquarters | PO Box 539, West Caldwell, NJ 07007, United States |
|
President
|
Judge James F. McKay III |
| Website | www.aoh.com www.paaoh.com |
The Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH) is an Irish Catholic fraternal organisation. 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 City in 1836. Its name was adopted by groups of Irish immigrants in the United States, 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 in the coal mining area of Pennsylvania had a background with the Molly Maguires. It became an important focus of Irish American political activity.
The organisation had its roots in the Defenders and the Ribbonmen, Catholic agrarian movements of the 18th and 19th centuries. It emerged in Ulster at the end of the 19th century in opposition to the Orange Order. It was organised by Joseph Devlin of Belfast, who was Grand Master by 1905. The AOH was closely associated with the Irish Parliamentary Party, its members mainly members of the party. It was strongly opposed to secular ideologies such as those of the Irish Republican Brotherhood (the IRB), who were most unhappy at the re-emergence of this old rival "right-wing" nationalist society. Membership in the group was initially banned by the Catholic Church, although this was lifted in 1904.
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