WYNDHAM GRAND DOWNTOWN
600 Commonwealth Place, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Hosted by: National Convention Committee

Contact:  Denny Maher <dnkpgh@comcast.net>

Tara Hall
274 Ennis Avenue, Columbus, OH 43207

Contact: Pat Visel <Ddanaan@gmail.com>

The event raised money for the charities that Hartford AOH supports, particularly in the area of hunger. It was also a great day of camaraderie among AOH Brothers from across the state and others who took part in the event.

Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin was in attendance to throw out the “first bowl” and addressed the contestants at the starting line. A number of AOH Connecticut State Officers were in attendance, including State President Brenden Walsh.

The team led by Brother Brendan Sullivan of the Hartford Division won the tournament followed by the second place team of Brother Rory McGloin, also of Hartford. Third-place went to Danbury AOH, who won a hotly-contested tied breaker over four other teams.

Following the awards ceremony and a raffle drawing, contestants socialized at the Hartford Food Truck Festival and at nearby Vaughan’s Public House, who offered discounts for contestants. “Two for the Road” – a local favorite Irish band – performed as did the “Mulcahy Academy of Irish Dance.”

The tournament will now be held on an annual basis and we look to grow the number of teams involved!

All Photos by Nick Caito

CDIAA
375 Ontario Street, Albany NY 12208
Hosted by: Albany County Board

Contact: Owen Cole <omcole54@gmail.com>

Msgr. Crean Division 1
2419 Kuser Road, Hamilton Square,NJ 08690
Hosted by: New Jersey State Board

Contact: Jeff Nisler <jeff.aoh@nisler.com> or Kevin Jackson <kjack627@gmail.com>

Commodore Barry Irish Center
6815 Emlen Street, Phiadelphia, PA 19119
Hosted by: Daniel Browne Philadelphia Division 80

Contact: Jack Schneider <Jack1515@aol.com>

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish Center
495 North Ocean Avenue, Patchogue, NY 11772
Hosted by: Suffolk County Board

Contact: Jeff Nisler <jeff.aoh@nisler.com>

Hosted by: Schenectady Division

Contact: Owen Cole <omcole54@gmail.com>

Rosen Centre Hotel
9840 International Drive, Orlando, FL 32819
Hosted by: Florida State Convention Committee

Contact: Jim Cahill <jaycahill@aol.com>

The Hartford Brothers were honored with the presence of United States Congressman John Larson of Connecticut’s First District and AOH National Director Richard Thompson.

The event honored the 400 immigrant laborers who left their homeland in Ireland and came to the area between May 1827 and November 1829 to build the canal bypassing the treacherous Enfield Rapids. These hardy souls lived in shanty camps and worked from dawn until dusk in damp and dangerous conditions.

The location of the ceremony overlooked a small parcel of land that is believed to a forgotten Irish-Catholic cemetery – believed to be the burial site of dozens of canal laborers and their family members.

AOH Hartford Division 2 laid a memorial wreath at the park in honor of those buried in the cemetery and all of the Irish laborers and their families. The Division also committed to building some sort of monument/signage so that they would never be forgotten again.

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.

THIS IRISH AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH PROFILE IS PRESENTED BY THE ANCIENT ORDER OF HIBERNIANS (AOH.COM)

#IrishAmericanHeritageMonth

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!

The Division has been holding monthly meetings that were both in-person practicing social distancing and in a virtual format. Starting in December, the meetings are virtual-only as the COVID-19 virus spread more rapid in Connecticut.

We were fortunate to have Father James Sullivan, the rector of the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Waterbury, as our December speaker. He gave a wonderful talk on the life of the recently the recently-beatified Father Michael J. McGivney.

Irish Pro-Life USA will be hosting a Global Leadership Forum for the advancement of Pro-Life & Pro-Family values on Wednesday December 9th at 7PM EST on YouTube Live. Join us for updates and reports from both sides of the Atlantic with calls to action and reflections on positive change for the dignity and protection of human life.

The Keynote Speaker will be, Peadar Tóibín TD, Leader of Aontú, Ireland’s Pro-Life & Fastest Growing Political Party.

Special Guests: Fr. Stephen Imbarrato; Daniel O’Connell, National President, Ancient Order of Hibernians in America; Catherine Glenn Foster, President & CEO, Americans United for Life; Chris Slattery, Founder & President, EMC Frontline Pregnancy Centers.

RSVP via email with Name & Address to irishprolifeusa@yahoo.com or text 973-529-4699.

The Division continues to have monthly food drives to benefit the Food Pantry at Saint Augustine Church in Hartford. The October drive included a call for an extra bag of Halloween treats with usual donations and the November drive was for Thanksgiving side dishes. The Division will work with Saint Augustine to help others for the Christmas holiday.

The Division has been held monthly meetings that were both in-person practicing social distancing and in a virtual format. Starting in December, the meetings will be virtual-only as the COVID-19 virus spread more rapid in Connecticut. The October speaker was Rory McGloin of the Hartford GAA and in November, Connecticut television journalist Dennis House led a non-partisan discussion on the 2020 election, both from a national and state perspective.

The Division will also holds is annual March Calendar Raffle, which awards a daily prize each day in March. The raffle benefit the Hartford St. Patrick’s Day Parade the charities of Hartford AOH. Calendars are $10 each.

Guest Speaker Nikki Bruni is one of the principal organizers of the Pittsburgh 40 Days for Life campaigns that take place during Lent, and again in the fall.

During the campaigns, volunteers meet in front of planned parenthood and pray for an end to abortion. There are many stories associated with the experience including couples who decide to keep their babies.

Nikki is going to share her experiences and talk about the 40 Days for Life Campaigns.

This Virtual event will take place Saturday October 17, 2020, 11:00 AM EDT.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH LIVE ON YOUTUBE

Ancient Order of Hibernians National Freedom for All Ireland Chair Martin Galvin has issued the following statement concerning the decision by the Northern Ireland’s Public Prosecution Service not to prosecute 15 British Soldiers accused of participating in the killings of Bloody Sunday in Derry in 1972.

“The refusal to charge British troopers for Bloody Sunday, seems to signal an undeclared amnesty or de facto immunity for these soldiers, and for others in British uniforms who carried out a shoot-to-kill policy or collusion murders for the crown, with impunity.

Thirteen people were shot dead by British troopers on Bloody Sunday. Fifteen more were wounded. A British Prime Minister, David Cameron, admitted these shootings were  ‘both unjustified and unjustifiable.’ Unjustifiable killings would seem to be textbook definition of murder. The British troopers who opened fire on the peaceful civil rights marchers were known and identified. What explanation can there be for only one British trooper being charged for so many murders and attempted murders?

Moreover the crimes of Bloody Sunday did not end with these murders and attempted murders. There was a criminal cover-up that followed. British troopers gave sworn statements about non-existent gunmen and bombers to justify these murders and attempted murders to the Widgery Tribunal.

Years later these troopers gave more testimony under oath in London, before the Saville Inquiry, where nothing said could be used against them, if they at last told the truth. Each trooper had the opportunity, after 30 years of reflection, to express remorse or give the heroic Bloody Sunday families the truth those families deserve.

Instead these British troopers decided once again to blame their victims for getting in the way of the bullets. One Para after another swore to tell the truth then recited scripted cover stories of the sort whitewashed by the Widgery Tribunal’ . Saville himself noted that these troopers “had “knowingly put forward false accounts in order to justify their firing.” How can there be no perjury charges?

Next January 30th 2022 will mark the fiftieth anniversary of Bloody Sunday. It will mark fifty years that these families have been fighting for justice.

The AOH has marched with the Bloody Sunday families in Derry and in demonstrations across the United States. On September 19th, hundreds of AOH members heard a briefing from Bloody Sunday campaign leader John Kelly, the brother of Michael Kelly. We were also able to present a grant for the Bloody Sunday Trust and Museum of Free Derry. These families are determined to fight for justice for the Bloody Sunday victims no matter how many times justice is denied. The AOH is determined to  stand behind them until they get it!”

Hartford AOH Division 2 had a busy end of summer and beginning of fall. The Division continues to have monthly food drives to benefit the Food Pantry at Saint Augustine Church in Hartford and also collected school supplies in August and September. The Division plans to work with Saint Augustine to help others for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

The Division has held monthly meetings – both in-person practicing social distancing and in a virtual format. Dr. John Tully, chairperson of the history department of Central Connecticut State University, was the guest speaker at the August meeting and spoke on topics included in his book Ireland and Irish Americans, 1932-1945: The Search for Identity.  Our September speaker was Dr. Mary Burke, of the English department and Irish studies at the University of Connecticut, who spoke on her research of tensions between the post-Famine Irish and Scots-Irish and Anglo elites in Philadelphia.

The Division was honored that new National AOH president Brother Danny O’Connell joined their September meeting virtually and addressed the group.