Who We Are

Our History

Founded in May 1836, the Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH) is America’s oldest Irish Catholic Fraternal Organization. Our roots can be found in a number of similar societies that existed in Ireland in the mid 1500’s. These societies were established to protect the welfare of Irish Catholics and especially the clergy, who, after the Penal Laws of 1691, risked immediate death in keeping the Catholic faith alive in occupied Ireland.

The early Irish societies were born of a need in the mid-fifteen hundreds to protect the welfare of fellow Irish Catholics. In Ireland these various secret societies were formed across the country to aid and comfort their people by whatever means was available. Similarly, the AOH in America was founded at New York’s St. James Church on May 4,1836 by men emulating these Irish societies, to protect the clergy and churches from the violent American Nativists who attacked Irish Catholic immigrants and Church property. At the same time the vast influx of Irish Immigrants fleeing Ireland’s Great Hunger in the late 1840’s, prompted a growth in many Irish societies in the USA – the largest of which was, and continues to be, the AOH.

Active across the United States, The Order seeks to aid the newly arrived Irish, both socially and economically. The many Divisions and club facilities located throughout the U.S. have traditionally been among the first to welcome new Irish immigrants. Here, the Irish culture — art, dance, music, and sports are fostered and preserved.  The AOH has been at the forefront for issues concerning the Irish, such as; Immigration Reform; economic Incentives both here and in Ireland; the human rights issues addressed in the MacBride Legislation; Right-To-Life; and a peaceful and just solution to the issues that divide Ireland.

Our Present and Future

Today, the AOH is established in the United States, Canada, Ireland, England, Wales and Scotland. This division: Indianapolis’s Kevin Barry Division #3 is one of the largest divisions in the United States. We celebrate and promote Irish Catholic Culture in Indiana and support local and regional charities through monthly donations. Our charitable endeavors are funded through several special events and initiatives that members and friends of the division support. In addition to charitable donations, the Kevin Barry Division seeks to tighten bonds of friendship and unity among our members through various social events.

We invite all Catholics of Irish birth or descent to seek admittance to the finest Irish Catholic Organization in the World and to live our motto of: “Friendship, Unity, and Christian Charity.”