IN FRIENDSHIP, Unity and Christian Charity
GENERAL MEAGHER’S DISPATCHES
August 2014 Volume 2/Number 7
President’s Corner
Brothers,
I hope you had a good July and that you were able to squeeze in some quality time with your family. I realize many of you are still enjoying the summer but wanted to mention that we are looking forward to a busy Fall and thus found that coming together for a brief time this month would bring us all up to date.
As I mentioned in a recent communication from the Peat Bog, we have been actively pursuing the sale of tickets for our “Trip for Two to Ireland”. If you have tickets or money to turn in or need more tickets, please get in touch with Brother Jim McMorrow, (785-8371).
I would like to thank and also compliment all of the Brothers who participated in highly successful efforts at St Mathew and St Patrick parishes selling the raffle tickets and encourage all of you who can help, to assist us at the following parishes:
St Jude: 23-24 August and 6-7 September (Hugh O’Brien)
St Mary: 6-7 September (Pat Fogarty)
Please contact Brothers O’Brien or Fogarty respectively for the times of the Masses where you can help.
Hopefully you’ve purchased tickets for our Halfway to St. Patrick’s Day party at LOW on Saturday, September 27. It promises to be a wonderful evening with good food, music and dancing. You can obtain tickets ($35/person) from Brothers Neil Buttimer (nbuttimer@comcast.net), Bud Logan (budlogan73@gmail.com), or Bill Halpin (sisconsulting@comcast.net).
May God continue to bless you and your family!
Respectfully, Bill
Pray the Rosary!
August Meeting
Our meeting on the 19th was very well attended. Membership certificates and name badges for our new brothers were available for pick-up. Brother Rusty O’Brien talked about an upcoming Lacrosse tournament (6 September) sponsored by Brother Jeff Fitzpatrick’s’ Blue and Grey Brewery. Rusty said 4 to 6 teams will compete and he estimated attendance at 80-100 people, adding this will provided a good venue for ticket sales. President McCarthy asked Rusty to collaborate with VP Pat Fogarty and Standing Committee Chair, Jim McMorrow, to come up with a viable plan. President McCarthy named Bill Phillips as 2015 nominating committee chair and Pat Fogarty as the Hibernian awards committee chair. Gene McKenna, pointing out that the Battlefield Council, Knights of Columbus supported our golf tourney, announced the Knight’s 15th Annual Charity Golf Tournament at LOWA on September 15th. Brother Hugh O’Brien agreed to represent the division at the Mary’s Shelter Summer Soirée later this month. After business we enjoyed camaraderie along with beverages and Jim’s Famous Brats with Sautéed Onions. Regrettably the division shirt order did not arrive in time for this meeting.
The Biennial AOH National Convention
As Brother Hugh O’Brien reported, the 2014 convention held in St Louis was a great success. More than 1,000 AOH and LAOH delegates attended and voted to include several changes to our National Constitution. Virginia was very well represented by more than 20 official delegates. The convention synopsis can be found on the VAAOH state website (http://www.aohvirginia.org).
Recruiting
Some AOH leaders at the state and national level have expressed a concern that AOH is morphing into the “Order of Ancient Hibernians”. While the important contributions of our “over 65” men are invaluable and indispensable, to assure the future we must find a way to encourage younger Irish-Catholic men to be involved. One step in that direction was the evident at the national convention: Mike Delaney representing the Tri-State Caucus (VA, MD and DC) was elected an AOH National Director. Mike is 28 years old and currently serves as president of the Sons of Aiden Division (DC No. 4). He is a former police officer and current federal probation officer.
We all recognize family and employment commitments of younger men – we’ve all been in the same shoes. The family commitments — being a provider, husband and father — must always take priority. So, finding a way to integrate “family” and “Hibernianism” and identifying ways for participation – even if monthly meetings cannot be regularly attended – are worthy goals. I’ve received outstanding suggestions on ways to achieve these goals, so keep’em coming. One suggestion was to have daytime (Sunday afternoon?) family events. (Bill Halpin, Division Organizer)
August in Irish/Irish American History
Thomas Francis Meagher
Born in Waterford, Ireland on August 3, 1823 — In the 1840s, “Meagher of the Sword” became an influential leader in the Young Ireland movement, which sought to overthrow English rule in Ireland by violent revolution. And the rest is a history you all know…
Daniel O’Connell
On August 6, 1775, Daniel O’Connell, one of the most influential men in Irish history was born near Cahirciveen, County Kerry. Often referred to as The Liberator or The Emancipator, O’Connell was an Irish political leader in the first half of the 19th century. In 1811, he established the Catholic Board, which campaigned for Catholic Emancipation — the opportunity for Irish Catholics to become members of parliament.
In 1823, he set up the Catholic Association which embraced other aims to better the lives of Irish Catholics. Members of the Association were liable to prosecution under an eighteenth-century statute, and the Crown moved to suppress the Association by a series of prosecutions.
In 1828, O’Connell won election to the British House of Commons for CountyClare, but did not take his seat because members of parliament were required to take the Oath of Supremacy, which was incompatible with Catholicism. The Emancipation Act was passed in 1829. He took his seat when Parliament resumed in February 1830.
Later, O’Connell campaigned for repeal of the Act of Union. Passed in 1801 the Act merged the Parliaments of Great Britain and Ireland to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. To support this goal, O’Connell held public rallies (“Monster Meetings”). The British demanded they stop and O’Connell called off the meetings. Nonetheless, he was arrested and sent to prison. Deprived of his most potent weapon, the Monster Meeting, dissension in the Repeal Association spawned the Irish Confederation (aka: Young Irelanders).
O’Connell died in Genoa, Italy in 1847, while on a pilgrimage to Rome. He was 71.
Irish Medal of Honor Recipients- Battle of Mobile Bay,by Damian Shiels
On 5th August 1864 a fleet of eighteen Union ships under Rear Admiral David G. Farragut entered Mobile Bay, Alabama. Their aim was to put the port out of action as a center for Confederate blockade running. The fleet passed under ferocious fire from Forts Gaines and Morgan — and through a minefield — before engaging Confederate vessels. Fourteen Irish-born sailors and Marines were awarded theMedal of Honor. The battle, which took place 150 years ago, still represents the largest number of awards to Irishmen for a single action. Seaman John Cooper won his second Medal of Honor in this battle. He is one of only nineteen men in the history of the decoration to receive it twice.
Great Hunger Monument at Grosse-Île
On August 15, 1909, the Ancient Order of Hibernians dedicated a monument to victims of the Great Hunger at Grosse-Île, in Quebec, Canada. More than 5,000 Irish men, women, and children perished on the island, which served as a quarantine station on the St. Lawrence River. Through the hard work of the AOH, thousands of dollars was collected to erect a fitting memorial to those innocent victims of man’s inhumanity to man. The symbol they chose to use was a Celtic cross, carved from granite and standing 48 feet high. To ensure that no one traveling up or down the St. Lawrence could fail to see the monument, it was placed on Telegraph Hill, the highest point on the island.
http://thenewwildgeese.com/profiles/blogs/grosse-ile-island-of-death
Division Prayer List
Please keep the following in your prayers: Brothers Pete Needham, Bill Phillips, and Hugh O’Brien. Pray to Mary Immaculate, Patroness of Our Country, for the strength of mind and heart to defend our religious freedoms and that this great country will always be “one nation, under God”
Upcoming Events
August 23: Mary’s Shelter Annual Soirée and Fundraiser featuring authors David Bereit and Simcha Fisher and guest speaker, Diocesan Respect for Life Director, Sister Caire Hunter.
September 15: Battlefield Council K of C Golf Tournament at LOWA. Contact Gene McKenna for additional information
September 16: Division Meeting
September 20: Trip for Two to Ireland Raffle drawingat the blue and gray Brewery
September 27: The General Meagher Division Halfway to St Patrick Day Celebration at the Lake of the Woods clubhouse. Tickets are $35/person and include an AOH pint glass with a free beverage, choice dinner of Corned Beef or Salmon, live Irish Music, an Irish dance performance and céili lessons. Venue is Lake of the Woods Clubhouse, 6:30-11:30PM.For tickets, please call party chairman, Neil Buttimer (540-972-0083), Bud Logan (540-972-3933) or Bill Halpin (540-972-5903)
October 11: VAAOH Quarterly State Boardmeeting followed by exemplification of the Major Degreeshosted by Father Kelly Division, Manassas.
October 18: Paul Stefan Gala and Casino Night (www.paulstefanhome.org)
October 21: Division Meeting — nominations for 2015 officers
November 18: Division Meeting — election of 2015 officers
December 16: Division Meeting – installation of 2015 Officers
March 15: Annual Irish Breakfastat St Mary Parish Life Center
Newsletter Participation:
Your input is needed! Make my job easier: Send me articles of interest to your Division brothers – Irish history, local events, etc. Father Fimian agreed to a quarterly “chaplain’s pulpit” beginning in September. (Bill Halpin sisconsulting@comcast.net)
