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County Officers

Chaplain

Fr. Nick Vaskov

President
Bob Kelly

Vice President
Tim Regan

Recording Secretary
John Tarpey

Financial Secretary
Bill O'Neill

Treasurer
Mike Moog

Chairman of Standing Committe
John Truel

Marshall
Denny Brennan

Sentinel
Jack Taylor

Solicitor
Dan Devinney

Historian
Ollie Jedlick

County Organizer
Denny Donnelly

Past President
Denny Maher

céad míle fáilte
 
One hundred thousand welcomes!!!
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Welcome to the Allegheny County Board of the AOH.  In America, the Division is the basic unit of the Order. Divisions are combined into County Boards, which are in turn governed by State Boards, and an overall National Board which is elected every two years.

 

The Ancient Order of Hibernians is America’s oldest Irish Catholic Fraternal Organization founded concurrently in the coal-mining region of Pennsylvania and New York City in May,1836.  The Order can trace its roots back to a series of similar societies that existed in Ireland for more than 300 years.  Today the AOH exists in America, Canada, Ireland, England, Wales and Scotland, however, while the organizations share a common thread, the American AOH is a separate and much larger organization. 

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The early Irish societies were born of a need in the mid-fifteen hundreds to protect the welfare of fellow Irish Catholics, and especially the clergy who risked immediate death to keep the Catholic Faith alive in occupied Ireland after the Penal Laws of 1691.  These various secret societies were formed across the country to aid and comfort their people by whatever means was available. Similarly, the AOH in America was founded at New York’s St. James Church on May 4,1836 by men emulating these Irish societies, to protect the clergy and churches from the violent American Nativists who attacked Irish Catholic immigrants and Church property.  At the same time the vast influx of Irish Immigrants fleeing Ireland’s Great Hunger in the late 1840’s, prompted a growth in many Irish societies in the USA – the largest of which was, and continues to be, the AOH.

 

Active across the United States, The Order seeks to aid the newly arrived Irish, both socially and economically.  The many Divisions and club facilities located throughout the U.S. have traditionally been among the first to welcome new Irish immigrants. 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 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.

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The Order has also provided a continuing bridge with Ireland for those who are generations removed from our ancestral homeland.  The AOH sponsors many programs associated with promoting our Irish Heritage such as the IRISH WAY PROGRAM, SCHOLARSHIPS and NATIONAL HISTORY DAY sponsorship.

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Here is Allegheny County, each of our local divisions works to continue the mission our our founders dating back to 1836. We strive to keep alive Irish music, lore, and history, and we work to to help make our communities a better place for everyone.

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We invite all Catholics of Irish birth or descent to 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! (God and Mary be with you)

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Committees &
Chairs


Veterans Affairs
Rich O'Malley

State Director

Bob Kelly

Charities/ Missions

John Truel

Right to Life
Denny Donnelly

Catholic Action/ Retreat
Larry Squires

Political/ United Ireland
Bill O'Neill

Immigration/ Anti-Defamation
Bob Kelly




Degre
e Team
Denny Maher

Communications/ 
Web & Social Media

Jim Green/ Paul Towhey

Scholarship
Tim Regan

Samuel Beckett Bridge, Dublin
Our Mission/ Motto

 

Friendship, Unity & True Christian Charity

 

As members of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, we try to live each day by our motto. Through friendship, unity, and Christian Charity to make our neighborhoods, communities, cities, states, and country a better place.

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These are more than just words on a piece of paper. Each year, the divisions of the Allegheny County AOH donate tens of thousands of dollars to local charities in support of hunger programs, education, veterans support, and senior programs. We volunteer thousand upon thousand of hours in local soup kitchens, food banks, community clean ups, parish festivals, community days, and much more so that those in need can get what they need and so that our families and communities and enjoy the best that life may offer.

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