As President Biden arrives in Ireland to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, we recognize the tremendous progress that has been made in Northern Ireland since its signing. The agreement has brought about an unprecedented era of peace and stability, and its positive impact on the people of Northern Ireland cannot be overstated.

However, we cannot let the significant achievements made over the past 25 years distract us from the significant challenges and threats the Good Friday Agreement and a lasting peace still faces. The ongoing political deadlock in Northern Ireland as the Democratic Unionist Party, the only party not to sign the Good Friday Agreement, fails to participate in government over its disagreement with how Westminster has implemented the Brexit the DUP campaigned for. Moves by the British government to enact an extraordinary amnesty for murders committed by its agents during the conflict in Northern Ireland seek to deny the justice that the Good Friday Agreement promises. There are continuing threats of violence from dissident groups. All this serves as reminders of the work that still needs to be done to fully implement the agreement.

Given these challenges, it is more important than ever for the United States to remain engaged in Northern Ireland. The U.S. played a vital role in brokering the Good Friday Agreement. Its continued support will be crucial in ensuring that the agreement remains a cornerstone of peace and stability in the region.

As we reflect on the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, we must renew our commitment to the principles of peace, reconciliation, and respect for human rights that underpin the agreement. By doing so, we can build a brighter future for the people of Northern Ireland and ensure that the progress made over the past 25 years is not lost.

The recent HBO Mini-Series The Pacific has brought a long overdue recognition to the sacrifices and hardships endured by the U.S. Marines in the Second World War. These battles were fought on isolated islands that one would struggle to locate on a map: Guadalcanal, Roi-Namur, Saipan-Tinian, Peleliu, Okinawa. Combat was often at point blank range; not only did the men involved battle the enemy, but poisonous snakes, insects, disease and the climate. Nowhere was the fighting harder than the Battle of Iwo Jima, a battle where Admiral Nimitz later observed “Uncommon Valor was a Common Virtue.” No one typified that valor more than Joseph Jeremiah McCarthy.

Joseph Jeremiah McCarthy was born in Chicago Illinois on April 10, 1911. An excellent athlete, he was an all-state guard in football and hit the game winning home run to capture the city’s baseball championship for his high school. McCarthy joined the Chicago Fire Department and was assigned to the city’s Truck Company 11 before enlisting in the Marines on February 20, 1937. McCarthy served for four years and had been discharged, but was recalled to service as a Gunnery Sergeant just prior to the attack at Pearl Harbor. McCarthy was soon noted for his leadership ability and experience, and was selected for an Officer’s commission.

As a member of the 4th Marine Division, McCarthy was deployed overseas in January 1944. At Saipan while leading a rifle company, he earned the Silver Star and Purple Heart for carrying two wounded Marines to safety while under enemy fire. In his book Iwo Jima: Legacy of Valor, Historian Bill D. Ross Described McCarthy as “… Irish and he looked it: husky, red complexioned, pug nose. Superior officers sometimes found his manner abrasive… (while) his men called him “the best damned officer in the Marine Corps.”

It was at the battle of Iwo Jima that McCarthy’s courage and leadership really came to the fore. If there is an entrance to Hell from Earth, then it would be Iwo Jima. The volcanic island constantly emitting brimstone fumes, the surface lifeless, waterless and covered in black choking ash. Even such basic protections as a foxhole were denied, for under the ash was impenetrable obsidian. What nature had created the Japanese General Kuribayashi and his command perfected: they had created a labyrinth of interlocking defense including concealed pillboxes which could be accessed by a maze of tunnels blasted into the Island and all but impervious to bombing and bombardment. Finally, there was the resolve of the Japanese themselves. They knew that it was impossible to defeat the Americans. Their goal was to sacrifice themselves to inflict as many American casualties as possible in hopes of gaining an advantage in peace negotiations. General Kuribayashi forbade the suicidal Banzai charges that had marked early Japanese defensive tactics; he gave orders that each man was to hold his position and kill at least 10 US Marines before dying himself. When the invasion began, he had his men hold their fire until the beach was crowded with US Marines who mistakenly believed that the pre-landing naval bombardment had silenced all opposition. Then General Kuribayashi unleashed hell.

It was in this maelstrom that now Captain McCarthy and his men found themselves. On the third day of the battle, 21 February 1945, McCarthy and his company were pinned by uninterrupted Japanese rifle, machine gun, and artillery fire. McCarthy quickly organizing an assault team which he then proceeded to lead across 75 yards of open ground under constant enemy fire. McCarthy personally charged a heavily fortified bunker, hurling hand grenades into the emplacement completely destroying the enemy position. McCarthy then led his team in an assault on a second pillbox which was similarly destroyed. Entering the ruins, McCarthy found a Japanese soldier taking aim at one of his men whom McCarthy disarmed and shot him with his own weapon. McCarthy then rallied his men and proceeded to capture the entire ridge. Of the assault, McCarthy in his characteristic no nonsense style stated “I was scared all the time”… “Any man tells you he wasn’t scared was an imbecile. But you dealt with it.” McCarthy and his men would continue to fight on Iwo Jima for another 33 days. Of 347 who served in McCarthy’s company during the battle, only 35 were able to walk off the Island when the battle was over.

For his heroic actions at Iwo Jima, Joseph J. McCarthy was awarded the Medal of Honor in addition to a second purple heart.. When presenting the Medal, President Truman told McCarthy, “I’d rather have one of these than be President.” McCarthy viewed the award unromantically, saying in later years “I would hope and pray there never be another Medal of Honor issued, I hope and pray there’s never any more wars. But we’ve got to remain strong.” McCarthy was discharged with the rank of Lt. Colonel. After the war McCarthy visited many of the families of his Marines who had been killed in action on Iwo Jima. Each one of them, he told the families, had been just as brave as he was, just not as lucky.

Joseph McCarty returned to the Chicago Fire Department where he became the Superintendent of Ambulances in the Chicago Fire Department, a position he held till his retirement in 1973. In 1959 McCarthy was honored by the Chicago Irish community by being named the Grand Marshal of their Saint Patrick’s Day Parade. Joseph McCarthy passed away on June 15, 1996. As one of his fellow Marines stated, “(McCarthy) was not a one-shot hero, he was a hero at every campaign and everything he did.”

The Operation Greenwich findings of Royal Ulster Constabulary collusive behavior made by Police Ombudsman Marie Anderson, were the latest legal proceedings, upholding charges of British state culpability or complicity in murders. The 336 page report investigated RUC conduct in relation to 19 murders done by the UDA/UFF between 1989 and 1993.

The AOH webinar, took place the day before the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday and was supported by other Irish American organizations including the IAUC, LAOH, Brehons and Irish Northern Aid.

Congressional Initiative

Congressman Fitzpatrick opened the broadcast by announcing House Resolution 888, introduced by Massachusetts Congressman William Keating. The measure dealing with justice for Bloody Sunday, also ‘Opposes any attempt by the British government to implement amnesty or statute of limitation laws that would end or inhibit investigations and prosecutions of crimes committed during the Troubles, including on Bloody Sunday’.

Congressman Fitzpatrick called ‘the findings of collusion between the RUC with loyalists beyond deeply disturbing’ and said ‘Britain is wrongly denying victims the truth they are entitled to and the justice they deserve.’

He had co-sponsored Congressional letters to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Secretary of State House Antony Blinken against Britain’s amnesty plan, and was now urging the AOH, and members of other Irish American organizations to call Congressmen to support this initiative.

British Insult Victims

Fiona O’Hagan said her husband Bernard O’Hagan, a lecturer at Magherafelt Technical College, ‘became a target’ after he won election for Sinn Fein to the local council and had agreed to run for Westminster. He was followed, stopped and subjected to body searches by RUC and Ulster Defense Regiment patrols on his way to work or Council meetings. His file was among 254 found at the home of a loyalist, who served with the UDR, and RUC files containing his personal details were displayed at a public dump.

However the RUC never warned him he was at risk.

Bernard O’Hagan, the father of three young children, was murdered when he arrived at the college on September 16, 1991.As Fiona drove to the scene, ‘there were no checkpoints. UDR

members were parked at the side of the road laughing and joking. There was no serious effort to stop anybody’.

Despite promises of progress reports about the hunt to catch the killers, she was never even contacted by the RUC or PSNI. She felt ‘this report validates what we said from the day of the murder, that there was collusion between state forces and the killers.’

She said of Britain’s amnesty plan ‘There is no justice if you do what Boris said- draw a line under it and move on. That is an insult to every victim of the Troubles.’

Her husband had carried a memorial card for another murdered councilor, John Davey, which contained the words ’For my sake and in my name live on and do all things the same’. She urged those listening to keep up the fight for justice in that same spirit.

RUC Threats

Una Casey was in bed alongside her husband, Gerard Casey, on April 4, 1989 when he was murdered. Loyalists broke down their door with a sledgehammer, proceeded directly to the bedroom and shot him in front of her and their infant child. Six months earlier, RUC members had taken Gerard Casey into Castlereagh Barracks and told him ‘he would be shot and it would be blamed on loyalists.’

The RUC had confiscated his legally held shotgun, which he might have been able to use to protect himself, and drew a detailed map of the house. One member of the UDR had attended intelligence briefings by the RUC and British Army which could have helped plan the murder.

For months prior to the murder, there had been vehicle checkpoints saturating the area, but these checkpoints were withdrawn days before the murder.

She said ‘we knew from the day of the murder, by the way we were treated and how the RUC and UDAR reacted there was collusion.

The RUC and UDR continued to threaten and intimidate her and her children until they moved to Donegal.’ Una Casey was insulted by a senior RUC member who called Gerard Casey a criminal, because he had been an IRA Volunteer. Una Casey said ‘Gerard was not a criminal but a patriot’.

Nineteen Families

Mark Thompson, of Relatives for Justice gave an overview on the implications of all 19 cases, as the British plan new British to halt Ombudsman proceedings in legacy cases.

He began by praising the dignity and courage of all of the victims’ families who kept on seeking truth despite British efforts to block them. He said that loyalist killer gangs were ‘armed, directed and controlled by the British’ part of a strategy to rearm and re-deploy loyalists, overseen at the highest levels of British intelligence. They recruited agents at command levels of loyalist groupings; allowed weapons to be imported to loyalists from South Africa; gave them intelligence files on targets; shepherded killers to murder sites; and insured there would be no investigations or records kept.

Irish Government

Representing the Irish government, New York Consul General Helena Nolan also praised the courage of Fiona O’Hagan, Una Casey and other victims, and called the issue of legacy justice a ‘great priority and strong focus of the Irish government and particularly of Foreign Minister Simon Coveney’.

She said the British amnesty proposal ‘is not one which the Irish government could support.’ The Irish government opposes any unilateral changes in the Stormont House Agreement legacy mechanisms that were agreed after intense negotiations. She also noted the determination of the Bloody Sunday families, and that both Taoiseach Micheal Martin and Foreign Minister Coveney would be in Derry to mark the 50th anniversary.

All-Party Support

Senator Emer Currie of Fine Gael spoke about an all-party motion in the Irish Seanad unanimously rejecting Britain’s Command Paper legacy proposals. She said Britain’s amnesty proposals were ‘not just a lockdown on law but also a suppression of truth and justice. Without criminal investigations, how do you get to truth?’

Peadar Toibin TD, of Aontu, said that ‘what the British are trying to do is get away with murder … but when a state murders its citizens, it is especially chilling, especially wrong.’

‘Republicans were pursued and jailed but British forces were never even investigated’.

Sinn Fein representative to America, Ciaran Quinn said that these nineteen collusion killings ‘were not something that began in the late 1980s, but were part of an orchestrated British policy to intimidate Republicans and nationalists.’

‘This policy of intimidation was behind Internment 1971-5, the Ballymurphy Massacre, Bloody Sunday, shoot-to-kill and the collusion killings in the late 80s and early 90s. It had never succeeded.

Other speakers included AOH National President, Danny O’Connell, Vice President Sean Pender, and Freedom for all Ireland Chairs Dolores Desch and Martin Galvin.

Last Wednesday British Secretary Brandon Lewis pledged that he was “absolutely committed” to legislate an amnesty for all Troubles killings. Danny O’Connell, National President of the Ancient Order of Hibernians traveled to Belfast to meet the Springhill Massacre families, New Lodge Six families and Sean Graham’s Bookmakers Massacre Families in meetings arranged by Relatives for Justice. He pledged that the powerful Irish American organization is “absolutely committed” to support these and other legacy victims’ families in their battle for truth.

AOH National President Danny O’Connell said:

Three years ago I toured Ballymurphy and met families who insisted that 10 of their relatives, including a Catholic priest and mother of 8 children were murdered. Ballymurphy just wanted their chance in an Inquest court to challenge British excuses for massacring their friends and loved ones. The verdict proved that what these Ballymurphy families had said for fifty years was the truth, and all the British excuses for these murders were lies.

Now the Springhill Massacre and New Lodge Six families want their day in an inquest court, while the Sean Graham’s Bookmakers families await an uncensored report by the Constabulary Ombudsman.

The Springhill Massacre families said that an inquest would prove that on July 9, 1972, 5 people including a priest, three teenagers a father of six children were deliberately gunned down by British snipers and then smeared to justify their murder.

The New Lodge Six families are confident that an inquest would exonerate their loved ones and prove that on February 3-4, 1973, British Army snipers or loyalists working in collusion with British troopers murdered six in the New Lodge.

Relatives and survivors of the Sean Graham’s Bookmakers Massacre expect that an uncensored overdue Ombudsman Report would prove 5 victims were murdered in a clear case of crown force collusion with loyalists. Checkpoints by both the Royal Ulster Constabulary and Ulster Defense Regiment were set up near the scene, then withdrawn to make way for the attack.

If the British did not know these families were right, why are they trying block the truth from coming out in an Inquest Court or a report by their own Constabulary Ombudsman? Why are they demanding censorship restrictions to bury the truth about joint action between British state forces and their loyalist criminal allies?

I was given a full briefing and see the locations of the killings with family members. I will report back to our membership across the United States, and we will bring this information to our elected representatives. The AOH will follow this briefing by series of initiatives for all of those fighting for legacy justice. We are announcing a 50 member American delegation will meet these families in January.

Victims’ relatives are entitled to get the truth about the killings of their loved ones. These families are never giving up. I am standing with them today to say the AOH and indeed Irish America will stand with them in their long battle to get that truth and justice.”

The British government negotiated the Stormont House Agreement with the Irish government in December 2014.They did not keep their word. They just refuse to keep it and then then solemnly say it is not working.

They made a 599 page Withdrawal Agreement with a protocol and just refuse to keep that agreement.

Why should anyone trust Britain to keep their word?”

More Videos: Past Sean MacBride Award Recipients Congratulate Geraldine Finucane

The gathering started with a meal and team building event at a great local restaurant the MVR whose bocce courts allowed for good fun and intense competition amongst the members.  Two full days of meetings commenced early Friday morning where every chair, director and board member presented their plans for the next three, six and nine months while highlighting successes.  There was much discussion and exchanging of ideas.  Local divisions, county and state boards are strongly recommended to reach out to the members of the board to help direct, support and educate their chairs on the goals of each chair  President O’Connell has assembled a very strong team that under his leadership is making a difference and is indeed the voice of Irish America Sincere thanks to Youngstown State University President Jim Tressel and his team for their welcome and providing access to state of the art meeting rooms.

As part of the Presidents Testimonial Dinner the speeches and gifts were given by the National Board and State Board members from across the country in recognition of President Daniel O’Connell’s longtime leadership and brotherhood.

Meeting at their biannual convention, Texas members of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, the largest Irish American organization in the United States, have in a resolution called for Ft. Hood to be renamed in honor of Audie Murphy, the most decorated combat soldier of WW II.  The 2021 National Defense Authorization Act mandates renaming any U.S. military assets that commemorate the Confederacy or those who served in the Confederacy. Ft. Hood is currently named for Confederate General John Bell Hood.

The Texas Hibernians noted that Audie Murphy, a native of Kingston, TX, was awarded an unprecedented 28 medals for valor, including America’s highest award, the Medal of Honor. The Hibernian resolution states “We concur with both Texas Congressmen Rep. Filemon Vela that Ft. Hood ‘should be renamed for someone whose conduct demonstrates the best of American bravery and selflessness,’ and Rep. Crenshaw who stated that in naming military installation we ‘find heroes who better reflect the culture of the modern military and have a connection to the bases or units from which they served.’In renaming Fort Hood to honor Audie Murphy, the Pentagon will be honoring a fitting example of courage, sacrifice, and devotion to inspire the current and future generations of soldiers.“

The Texas AOH resolution also noted the bravery of another Texas Soldier and Medal of Honor Recipient, Army Master Sgt. Roy Benavidez. Master Sgt. Benavidez was a member of America’s elite ‘Green Berets’ whose home base then and now is Ft. Bragg, NC. Ft. Bragg is also on the base renaming list as it is named for Confederate General Braxton Bragg. The Hibernian asked the commission to give serious consideration to renaming Ft. Bragg for Master Sgt. Benavidez.

The Ancient Order of Hibernians, the largest Irish American organization in the United States, calls upon you, Mr. President, to lift the travel ban that currently applies to Ireland and the rest of Europe and replace it with a sensible and scientific protocol that permits a resumption of travel.  

When first introduced in March 2020 as Covid-19 spread across the globe with no known vaccine and at a time when the United States was closing businesses and schools and barring social gatherings domestically, the travel ban was a prudent and sensible precaution. While much still needs to be done in the fight against COVID-19, the world is now in a different place a year and a half later with the introduction of effective vaccines and proven testing. Just as it made sense to ban travel when the U.S. was itself in self-imposed social isolation, it makes no sense to maintain a travel ban at a time when we are permitting thousands to gather in sporting venues. It is particularly irrational when you consider that 70% of the adult population of the E.U., including Ireland, are vaccinated compared to only 51% of Americans. From a purely rational and scientific standpoint, a vaccinated person traveling from the E.U. entering the U.S. and following a prudent testing protocol both before and after arrival poses less of a risk to Americans than the unrestricted travel of many of their fellow Americans from adjoining states

Mr. President, the current ban on travel from Ireland and the E.U. has outlasted its effectiveness. Rather than protecting, it is now hurting America and Americans by cutting us off from the rest of the world. For Irish Americans, the current travel ban has rolled back the clock to the days when, in the words of James Joyce, the Atlantic was a ‘bowl of bitter tears,’ separating families and loved ones. The current travel ban precludes the contact and cultural exchanges necessary to keep Irish America vibrant and maintain the extraordinary special relationship that Ireland and the United States have enjoyed dating back to before either was a sovereign nation.  

The Hibernians ask respectfully, Mr. President, that the United States implement a COVID travel policy that follows science rather than absolutes; science which at this time says that a travel ban on Ireland and Europe is not needed. Yes, there are places in the world where COVID numbers are high, and vaccination rates are low, and from where allowing travelers to enter the United States would be unwise. It is only prudent to restrict entry from those countries as the United States, in cooperation with the rest of the world, helps them to recover. Still, it is unreasonable to prohibit travel and punish those nations such as Ireland who have stepped up to the challenge of COVID by the continued application of a global “one size fits all” travel ban. 

We ask that the United States implement a sensible “red, amber, green” system, as have other nations, where travel restrictions are proportionate to the current threat posed by travel from that nation. Under such a system, the Hibernians respectfully request that travel from Ireland to the United States be restored immediately.

In his obituary, the New York Times describes Martin Sheridan as “one of the greatest athletes the United States has ever known.”  While his name may not be as readily recognized today, that assessment still holds true.  Sheridan was born in Bohola, County Mayo, Ireland in 1881, and would later emigrate to the United States.    A giant for his time standing at 6′ 3″, he was a member of a group known as the “Irish Whales,” a group of Irish American Athletes who were also members of the New York City Police Department who dominated the track and field competitions of the early twentieth century.  He competed in what was then recognized as three Olympic Games, St. Louis 1904, Athens 1906, and London 1908, earning five gold medals, three silver, and one bronze.

Sheridan is perhaps best remembered for an incident in the 1908 London Games.  The games were mired in controversy from the start. It was the first games to have an “Opening Ceremony” and the now traditional parade of nations marching into the stadiums. Before the opening ceremony, it was noticed by the American team that while the stadium was surrounded with the flags of various nations (including the flags of China and Japan who were not competing), the British hosts had omitted the flag of the United States, claiming “they couldn’t find one.”   Some Irish Athletes had already withdrawn when told they would be required to march behind the British flag. 

The British organizers had issued a “protocol document” that instructed each team to dip their Country’s flag in homage as they passed  King Edward VII in the royal box.  When the U.S. contingent marched past, Color Bearer Ralph Rose refused to dip the American flag.  When questioned by British organizers, Martin Sheridan, the team captain, reportedly responded, pointing to the American Flag, “That flag dips before no earthly king.” While revisionists have questioned if Sheridan uttered those exact words, it is recorded that British officials did confront Rose, and the team, lead by Sheridan, quickly made clear that they supported his actions.

While retiring from Olympic competition, Martin Sheridan would continue to serve with the NYPD until his death one day before his 37^th Birthday in 1918. In an event that resonates with us as we battle Covid-19,  first responder Martin Sheridan was an early casualty of the 1918 Flu epidemic.

Unfortunately. Martin Sheridan and other competitors of the 1906 Olympics, including Ireland’s Gold Medalist Peter O’Connor, have been cheated of their due recognition by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) when they decided to retroactively downgrade the 1906 Olympics and not recognize the medals awarded at that competition.   In the infancy of the Olympic movement, the process of holding an Olympics was still evolving.   After the 1900 and 1904 games had not successfully built upon the success of the initial 1896 Olympics in Athens; it was proposed to hold the Olympic games every two years, alternating between Athens, as the birthplace of the Olympics, and an international site.  The 1906 Games were promoted as an Olympics by the IOC, had better participation than the two previous Olympics, and gave rise to many of the Olympic Traditions that are still practiced today (formal opening and closing ceremonies, the idea of athletes being members of a national team, an Olympic village where the athletes from around the world stay and socialize, the raising of the flags during medal presentations). 

There may have initially been some cold, if unjust, logic in demoting the 1906 Olympic games and its medals given at the time its one-off nature, but since then the Olympics has engaged in many similar “one-offs”; most notably the current 2021 games, which are now five years from the last Olympics and only three years from the next.  There is simply no reason, other than arbitrary obstinancy, for the IOC not to recognize Martin Sheridan and the other competitors of the 1906 Olympic Games medals as Olympic medals.

Please consider signing the petition below to the U.S. Olympic Committee and the International Olympic Committee calling for the medals of the 1906 Olympics to be recognized as Olympic medals.

The importance of the role that Ms. Cronin has been put forward for cannot be overstated, specifically given the turmoil which the United Kingdom’s decision to pursue Brexit has and continues to cause. With its large English-speaking population, Ireland has now become the natural gateway for American business to the European Union, not to mention Ireland in its own right being at the forefront in the key technologies of the 21st century.   

More importantly, Ireland has the only land border between the European Union and the United Kingdom. This border was the scene of some of the worst violence during the conflict in Northern Ireland. The creation of an open/demilitarized border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland was one of the most significant and tangible successes of the United States brokered Good Friday Agreement. Today, over 30,000 people from both communities cross that border seamlessly to attend work, school or seek medical treatment in the other community. The post Good Friday Agreement open border in Ireland replaced military blockhouses, spiked roads and barbed wire with bridges of understanding spanning the chasms of distrust. We can not go backwards.    

Sadly, we have seen increasing resistance by the United Kingdom to honor the commitments they agreed to under the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement including the “Northern Irish Protocol” designed to protect Ireland’s open border. America needs to renew and make clear that the peace of the island of Ireland is a U.S. priority, and that it expects that all parties honor their commitments under both the Good Friday Agreement and the Brexit withdrawal agreement. A strong U.S. presence is key to that end; we are confident that as Ambassador, Ms. Cronin is up to the task.  

The Hibernians again congratulate Ms. Cronin and call for her swift confirmation.  

Having left family in Ireland and having not had a chance to establish themselves in America, their sacrifices are often overlooked.

May we never forget them.

The keynote speaker for the ceremony was Brother Martin Galvin, the chairman of FFAI for AOH. He gave a passionate talk on Sands and all the Hunger Strikers, and also the state of affairs in Ireland at the present time.

Brothers from Divisions in Bridgeport, Danbury, Hartford and Meriden attended the event as did many members of the State Board.

Irish Northern Aid national chairman Rich Lawlor and INA Connecticut chairman Tom McBride did an outstanding job organizing the ceremony.

The Division donated $1,000 to the Central Connecticut Celtic Cultural Committee for the 2022 Hartford Saint Patrick’s Day parade. Like most parades, the Hartford event has not taken place the past two years, but we will march again in 2022!

A $500 gift was presented to help rebuild the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, a center serving children and their families coping with cancer and other serious illnesses and conditions. The camp, located in Ashford, Conn, was founded by Paul Newman in 1988 and suffered a devastating fire in February.

An additional $1,000 will be used to support local charities in the Hartford area.

Michael McGovern was born in the townland of Castlefield, near Williamstown, County Galway to John Govern and Bridget Flynn in October 1847.  We don’t know a lot about his early life.  We know that he was educated at a Hedge School. As educating Irish children was often not permitted, secret schools were organized by itinerant teachers.  These schools were usually held outdoors among the hedges; hence they were known as Hedge Schools.

McGovern received an education in the basics, including Latin.  He also learned Irish history by the fireside listening to the older generation tell stories of old Ireland and its fight for freedom.  McGovern was apprenticed to a shoemaker for a time, but he soon found the trade was not to his liking. McGovern sailed for England in 1866, where he was able to find employment in Sheffield as a steel mill laborer. In Sheffield, he also met and married his wife, Anne Murphy, in 1872. 

McGovern joined the secret Irish Republican Brotherhood (I.R.B.) while there.  In 1880, McGovern had to flee England as his activity with the I.R.B. had been discovered.  He was smuggled into the U.S. to escape capture by British authorities.  He soon was able to send for his wife to join him.  His history in the U.S. picks up about 1882 when he obtained work as a “puddler” at the Catasauqua Steel and Iron Company near what is now Fullerton, in eastern Pennsylvania.    

What is a puddler?  Along with “breaker boy” and “gandy dancer,” it is one of those occupations that no longer exist.  Puddling was a method of turning pig iron into wrought iron. The puddler’s job was to stir the molten metal in a furnace with an iron bar and then gather it at the end of a rod while the molten metal thickened. As you might expect, the labor was strenuous and extremely dangerous. The intense heat and fumes caused puddlers to have a very short life expectancy.

McGovern left the mill in Pennsylvania about 1888-1890 and then moved his family to Youngstown, Ohio, where he worked as a puddler in the old “Siberia Mill” of the Cartwright-McCurdy plant. But, McGovern had other interests during his tenure making iron. 

During his downtime, McGovern would write poems about his work at the mill.  As a member of the Amalgamated Association of Iron, Steel, and Tin Workers, McGovern was a staunch defender of labor. He wrote about labor’s struggle against management and the importance of labor unions.  He wrote about Ireland and Irish history, as well. McGovern referred to himself as “The Puddler Poet.”

Of course, he did not leave behind his love of Ireland.  He continued his involvement with the Irish Republican Brotherhood in the U.S.  It is believed that he was a member of Clann na Gael.  Many of his poems were published in the Gaelic American, John Devoy’s newspaper.  His poems were also published in the Youngstown Vindicator and The Telegram.

McGovern’s poems fall into three categories: rolling mill rhymes, labor and miscellaneous poems, and amorous verses “to show that a rolling mill man has a heart as susceptible to the purest motives of love as those who have millions wherewith to purchase a title.”

McGovern was also a very active member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians in Youngstown.  According to James Fahy, “From an A.O.H. point of view McGovern was deeply involved in the work of the Ancient Order and was – in a sense – Ohio’s – A.O.H. Poet Laureate.”

He wrote a poem, Welcome A.O.H. Men, which may have been a greeting to those attending an A.O.H. function in Youngstown.  In it he wrote:

For Ireland’s triumphs and her woes:

For virtues that enhance her glory;
For wrongs inflicted by her foes
That go to make the blackest story.

For love of Freedom, – always her’s;
Which love, may yet its crown accord her

Céad Mile fáilte –Visitors –
True members of her Ancient Order.

In 1899 the Vindicator Press published a book of his poems titled Labor Lyrics.  In the introduction, McGovern wrote, “Puddlers are a boastful class of workmen. I therefore, in keeping with their dignified practice, make the boast that I consider myself the only puddler that ever stood ‘top of the earth’ who had the daring to issue a volume of poems.”

During a strike at the Youngstown mill, McGovern decided to leave the iron industry, and he took a job with the State of Ohio as an oil inspector. He eventually retired.

Thanks to the publication of his poems, McGovern became known nationally as a poet of the labor movement.  But, that was not his only talent; he apparently was also an artist.  He never had any artistic training but managed to produce many paintings.

In 1904 he returned to Ireland for the first time since his departure.  He reportedly came back a little disappointed. “All they did was have parties for me,” he said, “I didn’t get a chance to see the country.”

McGovern continued to write poems right up until his death of a heart attack at age 86 on April 2, 1933, leaving  behind a large number of unpublished poems.  McGovern was survived by his wife Anne, and four children.  He had 21 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren.  His wife passed away just a few years later in 1935.

We invite you to join us online for Mass this Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. You can use the links below to watch Mass celebrated by our National AOH Chaplains or stream the mass live from the Knock Shrine in Ireland.

Christmas Masses from St. Paul Catholic Parish, North Canton Ohio National Chaplain Father John Keehner.

• Christmas Eve:4PM and 6PM Eastern Time
• Christmas Day:8AM Eastern time

St. Paul Church Parish Live, Click Here

Christmas Masses from St. Vincent De Paul Church, San Francisco, CANational Chaplain Father Mike Healy

• Christmas Eve:8PM Pacific Time
• Christmas Day10AM Pacific Time

St. Vincent De Paul Church Live, Click Here

Christmas Masses From Knock Shrine, Ireland

All Times are Ireland Time, + 5 HRS Eastern Time

• Christmas Eve: 3pm, 5pm, 7.30pm, 10pm and Midnight Ireland
• Christmas Day: Masses at 8am, 10am and 12 noon Ireland

Knock Shrine Live, Click Here!

While recognizing and grateful for the sacrifices that Americans of every race, ethnicity, and religion have made in defense of our country, Irish America can take pride and have a very Celtic obligation of remembrance to those of our family, no matter how extended, who served.

It is incredible the prominent place that the Irish occupy on our nation’s rolls of honor, especially given that Irish immigrants and their descendants have frequently been accused of “divided loyalties” and not being “true Americans.”

It is regretful that the stories are shown in the video, and the thousands more, are not better known. We hope after watching the video you will consider sharing it with your family and friend; these are stories that need to be remembered.

We can offer our gratitude and pride in them and all Veterans.

Per our National Constitution, September 13^th is designated “Commodore Barry Day,” a national holiday of the Order.  If you are not aware of who Commodore Barry is, you are not alone, for sadly, you are in the company of the majority of Americans.  This speaks to the importance of the day and a significance of which extends far beyond the man himself.

When one looks at the 1801 portrait of Barry by Gilbert Stuart, one may get a false impression of Barry; the painting shows an old man in declining health (Barry would die two years later)  after a lifetime spent battling the sea and his adopted Nation’s enemies.   At the start of the American Revolution, a quarter of a century later, one would have an entirely different impression.  From surviving uniforms, we know that the then 30-year-old Barry was barrel-chested and at 6′ 4″ a giant in an age when the average man stood only 5′ 5″.   Born in Ireland, the son of a poor Catholic tenant farmer who had been dispossessed of his holdings during the penal laws, Barry had gone to sea at an early age as a cabin boy and was now the most sought-after Ship’s Captain in Philadelphia.  On one of his voyages, Barry set the 18^th-century record for the fastest single day of sail.

Yet, when the American colonies decided to strike for independence, Barry immediately offered his services to his adopted home, giving up “the finest ship and the first employ in America.”   To list just a few of the highlights of Barry’s service:

• Barry was the first to capture a British warship on the high seas
• Barry captured the most ships (prizes) of any captain during the Revolution.
• During the darkest days of the Revolution, despite American defeat seeming imminent, Barry refused a bribe of £10,000 (equivalent to over a million and a half dollars today) and a commission in the Royal Navy
•  When deprived of a ship when the capture of Philadelphia seemed imminent, Barry formed a regiment of sailors and marines and fought at the battles of Trenton and Princeton
• In a single engagement, Barry simultaneously fought and captured two British warships after himself being severely wounded
• Barry fought the last naval action and fired the last shot of the American Revolution.
• When the American Revolution ended, Barry and his ship, the “Alliance” was the only ship in the Continental Navy.

For this alone, Commodore John Barry should be better remembered, yet this was not the end of his service.  While his fellow Captain John Paul Jones left America to pursue better pay and glory with the Russian Navy of Catherine the Great, Barry stayed to help build a new nation and navy.  Washington selected Barry to receive commission #1 in the new United States Navy, the commission from which every U.S. Naval Officer is derived to this day.  It was Barry who personally selected the wood and oversaw the construction of the first six great frigates of the U.S. Navy, including the USS Constitution, “Old Ironsides.”  At a time when young naval officers learned their trade at sea, Barry’s midshipmen went on to become some of the great heroes of the U.S. Navy in future conflicts, including Richard Sommers and Stephen Decatur.   It can be said that Barry is not only the “Father of the American Navy” but also of the United States Naval Academy.

So why are the achievements of Commodore Barry so obscure?  Therein lies the importance and significance of this day for Hibernians and Irish Americans.  While Barry was celebrated and revered by his contemporaries, when the history of the American Revolution was formally written a century later at the time of America’s centennial, it was written by primarily New England historians and reflected their biases and prejudices.  Irish Catholics such as Barry, along with the accomplishments of African, Hispanic, and Native  Americans, along with women, were omitted from America’s story.  Commodore Barry became to Hibernians and Irish Americans an example of this injustice and a call to action to recognize the Irish contribution to America.

Sadly, today while rightful progress has been made in recognizing the accomplishments of women and many other ethnicities to our Nation’s story, in far too many cases, the “No Irish Need Apply” sign is still hung on our school textbooks and curricula.  Indeed, outrageously, revisionist historians persist in claims that “No Irish Need Apply” is a “myth of victimization” even in the face of overwhelming evidence.

Commodore Barry Day is a call to action to ensure the accomplishments of Commodore Barry and other Irish American men and women are not “left on the cutting room floor.” Selective diversity is an oxymoron.   A history so edited can not help but be distorted with the principle casualty being that we as Americans have so much more that unites, rather than divides us.

(Malachy McAllister) has resided in the United States for over 20 years as a valued member of his community. It is regrettable that the Department of Homeland Security has chosen to ignore the life Mr. McAllister has built for himself and his family in the United States, along with his tireless advocacy for the Irish Peace Process. Instead, they only focus on an association he gave up long ago.

The Texas State Board of the AOH presents a Virtual Happy Hour with the Blaggards! Proceeds to benefit the Hibernian Hunger project of the Hibernian Charities. Join us on Facebook Live at 7 pm Eastern, 6 pm Central THIS Saturday, June 13 for all of the Stout Irish Rock you can handle! Do us a favor and spread the word. You can help by:

1. Visiting www.Facebook.com/TXAOH, scrolling down to the event, and click the “going” or “interested” button. 
2. Sharing the event with a post to your personal page and your division’s page, encouraging others to join us and share.
3. Giving the Texas State Board of the AOH a “like” (extra credit!)

COVID-19 has proved tough and continues to keep Hibernians sheltered in place – especially on the East Coast. Here’s our chance to make up for lost time and come together as an order for a little craic. We look forward to seeing a roll call of AOH’ers in the chat, at the online event, representing divisions from all across the county as we support our Hibernian Charities. Donations will be taken via Venmo, @Texas-AOH.

In our Motto
Mike
—
M.P. Joyce
Texas State President
Ancient Order of Hibernians