You’ve seen the green sashes. If you’ve ever stood on a curb in New York, Savannah, or Chicago during a St. Patrick’s Day parade, you’ve definitely seen the banners. They look like a relic from a different century, something straight out of a grainy black-and-white photograph of a coal mining town. That’s the Ancient Order of Hibernians, or the AOH. Most people think they’re just a social club for Irish-American guys to grab a pint and talk about the "Old Country," but honestly, that’s a pretty lazy take. They were born in blood, secrecy, and a desperate need for survival.
The AOH is the oldest Irish Catholic fraternal organization in the United States. It’s been around since 1836.
But the roots go back way further than a meeting hall in New York City. To understand why these guys exist, you have to look at 16th-century Ireland. The British were clamping down hard with the Penal Laws. If you were Catholic, you couldn't own land. You couldn't teach. You couldn't even own a horse worth more than five pounds. It was a systematic attempt to crush a culture into the dirt. In response, secret societies like the Defenders and the Ribbonmen started popping up. They were the underground resistance, protecting priests who said Mass in secret "Mass Rocks" out in the woods. When the Great Famine hit and millions of Irish fled to America, they didn't leave that protective instinct behind. They brought it with them because, frankly, 19th-century America wasn't exactly welcoming them with open arms.
The Brutal Reality of Being Irish in 1830s America
Imagine stepping off a coffin ship in New York harbor. You're starving, you're likely sick, and the first thing you see are signs saying "No Irish Need Apply." The "Know-Nothings"—a political party that basically hated anyone who wasn't a white Anglo-Saxon Protestant—were burning down Catholic churches. It was chaos.
The Ancient Order of Hibernians officially formed in May 1836 at St. James Church in New York City. They had one main job: guard the churches. Literally. They stood on the steps with clubs and whatever else they had to keep mobs from torching the buildings. It was a matter of physical survival. You couldn't rely on the police back then; often, the police were the ones leading the mobs.
More than just a bodyguard service
As the Irish started to integrate—or at least stop getting attacked in the streets every day—the AOH shifted. It became a massive mutual aid society. Back then, there was no social security. No unemployment insurance. If a coal miner in Pennsylvania died in a collapse, his widow and kids were basically doomed to the poorhouse. The AOH stepped in. They created a safety net. Members paid dues, and those dues went to burying the dead and feeding the orphans. It was "friendship, unity, and Christian charity" in a very literal, financial sense.
It’s easy to forget how radical that was. In an era of "every man for himself," these guys were building a collective bank account for the marginalized.
💡 You might also like: Different Kinds of Dreads: What Your Stylist Probably Won't Tell You
The Molly Maguires and the Pennsylvania Coal Fields
You can't talk about the Ancient Order of Hibernians without mentioning the Molly Maguires. This is where things get messy and, honestly, kinda fascinating. In the 1870s, the coal regions of Pennsylvania were a nightmare. The working conditions were horrific, and the pay was worse. A group of Irish miners started using more... aggressive tactics to fight back against the mine owners. They were called the Molly Maguires.
The mine owners claimed the Mollies were just a secret inner circle of the AOH.
Whether that was true or just a convenient excuse to crush the union is still debated by historians today. Men like Jack Kehoe, a prominent AOH member, were eventually hanged. Decades later, Kehoe was granted a full posthumous pardon by the state of Pennsylvania because the trial was such a sham. The Pinkerton Detective Agency had infiltrated the group and basically manufactured a lot of the evidence. This period almost broke the AOH. It gave them a reputation for being a violent, subversive group. They had to work for decades to prove they were "loyal Americans," which is why you see so much emphasis on patriotism in their meetings today.
What do they actually do now?
If you walk into an AOH hall today, you’re probably not going to find guys planning a revolution. It’s more likely you’ll find a group of people organizing a charity golf tournament or a Gaelic language class.
But don't let the "fraternal" vibes fool you. They are still very politically active, especially regarding the North of Ireland. During the Troubles, the AOH was one of the loudest voices in America pushing for Irish civil rights. They were instrumental in getting the MacBride Principles passed, which were basically a set of non-discrimination codes for US companies doing business in Northern Ireland. They didn't just want peace; they wanted justice. They still fundraise heavily for Project St. Patrick, which provides grants to seminarians, and they put a massive amount of money into Irish history programs in schools.
- Political Lobbying: They still push for a united Ireland through peaceful, diplomatic means.
- Charity: They’ve raised millions for victims of Hurricane Katrina, Sandy, and more recently, COVID-19 relief in local parishes.
- Culture: They are one of the biggest sponsors of Irish dance competitions (Feiseanna) and music festivals in the US.
The "Ladies" side of the story
For a long time, it was a boys' club. But you can't talk about the movement without the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians (LAOH). They became a separate, legally recognized entity in 1894. For over a century, the women have been the backbone of the charitable side of the house. They operate independently but work toward the same goals. If the men were the guards at the door, the women were the ones making sure the community actually functioned.
📖 Related: Desi Bazar Desi Kitchen: Why Your Local Grocer is Actually the Best Place to Eat
Why the AOH still gets criticized (and why they don't care)
Every organization that’s been around for 180 years has some baggage. People often criticize the AOH for being too conservative or too tied to the Catholic Church. And yeah, they are a Catholic organization. It’s in the bylaws. If you aren't a practicing Catholic of Irish descent, you can't join. In a world that's becoming more secular and "inclusive" in a broad sense, that kind of exclusivity can feel weird to some people.
But the AOH argues that their specific identity is exactly why they’ve survived.
They aren't trying to be everything to everyone. They are a specific group for a specific community with a specific history. They see themselves as the "Keepers of the Flame." When you see a local chapter fighting to save an old Irish cemetery from being turned into a parking lot, you start to see the value. They remember things that everyone else has forgotten. They remember the names of the guys who died digging the canals and the women who scrubbed floors in mansions so their kids could go to college.
How to actually get involved or research your roots
If you think you have Irish blood and want to connect with this history, you don't have to just show up at a parade.
The AOH has a massive genealogical footprint. Because they were so meticulous with their records (especially death benefits), they are a goldmine for people trying to find where their ancestors came from in Ireland. Most local divisions have a historian. If you're looking for a great-great-grandfather who disappeared into the Pennsylvania coal mines, the AOH records might be your best bet when the official census data fails you.
Finding a local division
The AOH isn't a monolith. A division in South Boston is going to feel very different from a division in New Orleans or San Francisco.
👉 See also: Deg f to deg c: Why We’re Still Doing Mental Math in 2026
- Check the National AOH website for a "Division Finder."
- Look for "AOH" on local community boards—they often meet in VFW halls or church basements.
- Don't be intimidated by the "secret society" labels. It's mostly just a few rituals and a lot of community service these days.
The Future of Hibernianism
Is the Ancient Order of Hibernians dying out? It’s a fair question. Membership in almost all fraternal orders—the Elks, the Masons, the Moose—has been dropping for decades. Younger people don't "join" things the way their grandfathers did.
However, the AOH has seen a weird little spike in interest lately. As people become more obsessed with DNA kits and "finding their roots," they eventually realize that a PDF from a website isn't the same as a community. They want to hear the music. They want to understand the politics. They want to know why their ancestors left a beautiful island to come to a country that, for a long time, didn't want them.
The AOH provides that bridge. They aren't just a club; they're a living link to a history that was almost erased by famine and forced emigration.
Practical Steps for Connecting with Irish History
If you’re interested in what the AOH represents, you don't need to sign a membership form today. Start by looking into the specific history of your local Irish community. Every city has a different story. In New Orleans, the Irish built the New Basin Canal—and thousands died doing it. In Butte, Montana, they ran the copper mines.
Visit a local Irish cultural center. Read up on the MacBride Principles to see how Irish-Americans influenced international law. Or, if you have the lineage, look up your local AOH division and just ask to attend an open event. They usually have "Irish Nights" or fundraisers that are open to the public. You’ll probably walk away with a better understanding of why a group of guys in green sashes still takes to the streets every March. It’s not about the beer. It’s about the fact that they’re still here.
Actionable Insights for the Aspiring Hibernian:
- Genealogy: Start by searching the AOH National Archives if you have ancestors who lived in major Irish hubs like NYC, Philly, or Chicago between 1850 and 1920.
- Local Impact: Look up your city's "Great Famine Memorial." Often, these were funded and are currently maintained by local AOH divisions.
- Education: If you have kids in school, check if your state includes the "Great Hunger" (An Gorta Mór) in its history curriculum; the AOH is the primary group lobbying for this inclusion.
- Support: If you want to support Irish causes without joining, look into the Hibernian Charity, which handles the 501(c)(3) side of their operations, focusing on disaster relief and heritage preservation.