The Ancient Order of Hibernians in America is an Irish Catholic men’s organization. The AOH was originated in the United States in nineteenth-century New York City by Irish immigrants who banded together in protection of the Catholic Church. The AOH in Ireland was formed in the fourteenth century for many of the same reasons.

The Ancient Order of Hibernians purposes and goals are:

  • To promote friendship, unity and Christian Charity
  • To foster and sustain loyalty to country and community
  • To aid and advance by all legitimate means the aspirations and endeavors of the Irish people for complete and absolute independence, promoting peace, with justice, and unity for all Ireland
  • To foster the ideals and perpetuate the history and traditions of the Irish people
  • To promote Irish culture and encourage civic participation
  • To encourage an equitable immigration law for Ireland, and to cooperate with all groups for a fair American Immigration Policy
  • To accept and support, without prejudice, the concept of free expression of religious practice for the people of the world