Monsignor Lawrence E. Giblin Division One
Broome County, NY - December 2024

​ CORPORATION NEWS

Luck of the Irish Raffle drawing was held in November 14. The winners are posted at the hall. Thank you to everyone who supported this effort. The election results from the Corporation Meeting on November 25 are posted at the hall. Thanks to the members who participated. Corporation President Tom Kelly.

​ AOH FINANCIAL NEWS

I’d like to thank all the members who have paid their 2024 dues. The arrears letters have gone out and those who don’t pay their $50. dues by Oct 30, 2024, will be deleted from our membership listing and no longer receive the Chieftain or the National Hibernian Digest. Please drop-off your payment at the hall or mail to AOH; 148 Main St.; Binghamton, NY 13905 – Attn: Mark Kadlecik

 IRISH HISTORY

Irish History:  THE GREAT FAMINE 1845-1851      WHEN ONE MILLION IRISH DIED

     What was it like?   It was a time of horror and suffering. Writer Tom Galagher reported, “The staring eyes of the children told the story, the unbelievable, incomprehensible story of an entire population, under the protection and domination of Great Britain, whose shoreline was little more than a day’s sail away, starving to death while their own country’s, (Ireland’s), produce, cattle, wheat, oats, and barley were being shipped to British ports. The condition of those still living deteriorated to a level that even eyewitnesses found frightful almost beyond belief. Once-hardy adult peasants suffered a steady decline in size, weight, and energy. Flesh and muscle wasted away until the bone of their frames became barely covered, insecurely jointed, brittle and easily broken.”

    What caused it? A mold known as P. infestans spread rapidly through Ireland in 1845. At the time neither scientists nor farmers knew the cause of the potato’s disease. Farmers only knew that when they dug into the ground to check their potatoes they came up with a blackened mess – slimy potatoes that would break into mush with the slightest pressure. Entire fields had the putrid smell of rot. To add to this failure of nature the social and political structure of 1840s Ireland greatly compounded the situation. Previously Irish Catholics in Ireland were not allowed to own or lease land, vote, or hold an elected office under what were called the Penal Laws. The Penal laws were repealed in 1829 but their impact lingered.  In 1845 few Irish Catholics owned land and were living a subsistence life with little money to buy food which was widely available for purchase throughout the famine years. Their survival depended on the potatoes they grew for themselves. Yet, despite the potato failure they were still required to pay rent in either cash or produce. The response of the British Government was unsatisfactory and definitely contributed to increasing the death toll. In 1997 English Prime Minister Tony Blair offered a formal apology to Ireland for the British government’s handling of the situation at the time.

    Results: ONE MILLION Irish people died and close to 2 million people emigrated. Ireland’s population of about 8 million in 1840 dropped to about 4 million in 1899, (today it is about 5.2 million). More Irish leaned toward independence from England and Irish nationalists charged the British government with a deliberate plot of extermination. However, according to Irish History Online writer John Dorney, “Today most historians stress that there was no intention for mass killing on the part of the British government and that the Great Famine was rather a case of catastrophic neglect and ideological blindness than deliberate malice.”

     Why does it matter today? As we recover from our Thanksgiving Feast and move into the Christmas Season of comfort and joy (and excess), we should remember what our ancestors went through. The Great Famine (in the Irish language An Gorta Mor) should never have reach its level of pain and horror. It may have started with an obstacle initiated by nature, but it was exacerbated by government failure, an example of the oppressor over the oppressed. An example of why moral and good government is important. - by Bill Burke. Sources: Paddy’s Lament by Thomas Gallagher 1987. Irish History Online-The Great Irish Famine by J. Dorney. Irish Potato Famine, History. Com 8.9.22. 

 Parade Committee.

Parade Day 2025 is March 1, 2025

Parade News- Parade Day-2025 is March 1. The Grand Marshal/Maid of Erin/ Starter will be announced on Sunday, December 8. Best Wishes for a Happy and Healthy Holiday Season.l- Tom Kelly 607-760-8351-Maid of Erin Meryl Deemie 607-797-4050.Tom Kelly co-chair.  

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION PROCESS

  Membership in the Ancient Order of Hibernians, Inc. is confined to men 16 years and older who are practicing 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.

Associate memberships are also available to those who do not meet the aforementioned qualification.

It is a standing rule that Applications for Membership that languish without action for longer than 6 months are discarded.

Notifications for induction dates and times, through the Shamrock Degree, are sent to all applicants.
Those who have applied prior to this 6 month period, and are serious about joining the A.O.H., need to reapply for admission and make arrangements to attend a Shamrock Degree ceremony within the next six month.

Those interested in membership must stop into the Hall to submit an application as they must have an active member sponsor them and sign the form.

Please check the Bartender Schedule page here for days and times the hall is open.

2024 Event Pictures, click here.