On May 18th the following words regarding the relationship between England and Ireland were spoken by the Queen of England at the historic state dinner held in her honor at Dublin Castle: “…the relationship has not always been straightforward; nor has the record over the centuries been entirely benign. It is a sad and [...]
Best wishes to all members of the AOH and LAOH as you prepare for your upcoming state conventions. 2011 represents two very special anniversaries for Irish history the 95th anniversary of the 1916 Easter rebellion and the 30th anniversary of the 1981 hunger strikers. These two watershed events helped shape the political and social landscape [...]
Blizzards, power outages, airplane mechanical issues, missing luggage, unplanned stops in foreign airports and cancelled hotel reservations couldn’t keep the large contingent of AOH and LAOH members from making the trip to Derry this year to attend the final Bloody Sunday commemoration march. The trip started out more like an episode of “The Amazing Race” [...]
On Beechmount Street in West Belfast there is a wall that is a stark reminder of the work that still needs to be done to bring justice to those lost to British state sponsored murder. A sign at the beginning states: “This wall is dedicated to the families who have fought and are still fighting [...]
In Derry the gable walls of the Bogside are the canvases that display for all to see the true history of the troubles and the hope for the future. In Belfast and throughout the North classrooms are filled with students speaking Irish at levels not seen in generations. Throughout the north some families are finally [...]
Annual AOH Christmas Appeal Helping to build One Island One Ireland with Justice for all. In his address to the delegates of the National AOH – LAOH convention the Deputy First Minister of the North of Ireland quoted a poem by Tom Paulin. The poem likened the experience of nationalists and republicans in the northern [...]
On June 15th like many others I nervously awaited the release of the Saville Inquiry, it would be hard to believe that the truth could somehow be once again be delayed or worse denied, but after so many years of waiting I was not going to take anything for granted. At work I was lucky [...]
As we prepare to gather in Cincinnati for our National Convention, I would like to take this time to once again sincerely thank National President Seamus Boyle for appointing me to this position and for his trust in my ability to carry out the responsibilities of this office. Additionally I want to thank Vice President [...]
Members of the AOH and LAOH traveled to the North of Ireland in late January to attend the annual Bloody Sunday Commemoration march and spent a week meeting with the organizations that we support through our annual Christmas Appeal. Our members were able to see first hand the great work that is done by the [...]
