ABOUT US

Welcome to the Official Site for the Ancient Order of Hibernians, Myles Scully, Division One of Yonkers, New York! We are the oldest and largest Irish-American Organization in the U.S., and we are dedicated to live by our organization's motto, "FRIENDSHIP, UNITY and CHRISTIAN CHARITY." The Yonkers Division was established on November 1, 1891.

DIVISION OFFICERS


Chaplain

Fr. Senan Taylor

President
Dennis O'Brien

Vice President
Robert Eggen

Recording Secretary

Chad Ghastin

Financial Secretary
Michael Flynn

Treasurer
Kevin Hartnett

Chairman Standing
Committee

Ronan O'Brien

Marshal
Andrew Hayden

Sentinel
Justin Kennedy

NEXT MEETING


Wednesday,
Oct. 9, 2020
7:00 PM

Location:
Sprain Lake Golf Course, Yonkers

CONTACT US


A.O.H. Myles Scully
Division One
P.O. Box 1020
Yonkers, NY 10703

aohyonkers@gmail.com

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Monday, December 16, 2013

AOH Supports Gill Family Benefit




Yonkers AOH Supports The 
Gill Family Fundraiser
         

Hundreds Gather at Rory Dolan's for The Gill Family Benefit
            
         The entire Irish community came together this past weekend to support The Gill Family of Yonkers at a fundraiser held at Rory Dolan’s in Yonkers.  The Gill family, who had recently returned to America from Ireland, suffered a terrible tragedy on October 11, 2013, when an out of control car killed 15 year old Kalie Gill, and severely injured her younger sister Lindsey.  The Gill family have many relatives and friends in the Yonkers area.

Kalie and Lindsey Gill pictured in Times Square NYC

         The outpouring of support came almost immediately after the accident, as hundreds of people who learned of the terrible accident went to work to see what they could do to help.  The benefit weekend was to raise funds for Lindsey’s medical and rehabilitation expenses. 

Massive crowds filled Rory Dolan's for the event

        The weekend’s events started with a benefit concert held at The St. Barnabas Parish/High School Chapel, as Kalie was a student at the school.  The second phase was a massive day long fundraising event held at Rory Dolan’s Restaurant, which included live music, a silent auction of sports jerseys and memorabilia, and raffles prizes that included a pair of Superbowl tickets as well as tickets to Ireland.  Actress Sarah Jessica Parker even donated a collection of shoes to be raffled off in support of the family.
 
Silent Auction featuring both American and Irish Sports Memorabilia


       The Archbishop of New York, Timothy Cardinal Dolan stopped by to lend his support.  He said that he has been in constant contact with the Gill family, and was encouraged by a community united both in grief and support for Kalie and Lindsey.

 
Division president Kevin Ellis Presents Donation to the Event Committee

      Division One of Yonkers approved a $2,500 pledge of support for the event. “It is exceptionally heartwarming to see the entire Irish Community come together to support this family.” said Division President Kevin Ellis, “We are here to let them know that they can count on the AOH now and in the future.”


Anyone wishing to make a donation to ‘The Gill Family Fund’ can visit the website that has been set up for relief efforts at www.youcaring.com/kaliegillbenefit  or you can donate by check made payable and mailed to ‘The Gill Family Fund’, 961 McLean Avenue. Yonkers, New York, 10704.


Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Division One Earns Marching Award in N.Y.C. St. Patrick's Day Parade

Division One Earns Marching Unit
 Award From N.Y.C. St. Patrick’s   
  Day Parade Committee

2nd Place "Best AOH Marching Unit" Award

     The New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee presented Division One Yonkers with a marching unit award at its meeting last night at New York Athletic Club in Manhattan.

Parade Chairman John Dunleavy with Division President Kevin Ellis

     Division One was awarded 2nd Place for “Best A.O.H. Marching Unit” for the 2013 parade.  The award was presented by Parade Chairman John Dunleavy and was accepted by Division President Kevin Ellis.  Division members Bob Stauf, Peter van Slyck, and Tom Daly were also on hand for the awards presentation.

 A Video Recap of The Award Winning 2013 Marching Season





    “This award is a tremendous honor for Division One”, said Ellis, “The membership works very hard to make sure we look our best marching up 5th Avenue”.   

     Division One wasn’t the only Irish organization from Westchester County to receive marching unit awards.  The Police Emerald Society of Westchester (P.E.S.W.) won 1st Place for “Best Emerald Society Marching Unit”, and Iona College won 1st Place for “Best School Pipe Band”.  We extend our congratulations to all of our friends in both organizations.  


P.E.S.W. President Peter van Slyck accepts 1st Place Award

     This marks the second time in the past three years that Division One has been recognized by the NYC Parade Committee.  Division One also placed 2nd in 2011 in the same category.  Division One also earned a marching unit award in The 2013 Yonkers St. Patrick's Day Parade, winning the Parade Chairman's Special Award.

     For more information about The New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade, visit their website at:

Monday, December 2, 2013

Irish History - The Murder of Private Daly


Irish Historian’s Report


Division One is honored to share Irish History articles provided by The National Historian of The Ancient Order of Hibernians
 


The Murder of Private Daly

By Mike McCormack



The Connaught Rangers circa 1914-1918

     In 1793, England needed soldiers to support a war with France. On Oct 3, they advertised in the Connaught Journal for volunteers to start a British Army regiment to be called the Royal Regiment of Connaught Rangers.  That advertisement became an invitation to death for thousands of men of the Irish west who gained fame on international battlefields as the Connaught Rangers.  It was a time when military service provided the only steady employment an Irishman could find that offered an escape from the serfdom of tenant farm life.  Between Nov 1793 and Mar 1794, 30,000 Irish enlisted in the service of the Crown to form the nucleus of two regiments – the Rangers and the Royal Irish Rifles.  Sent to Flanders, they returned in the summer of 1795 with only 222 fit for active duty. Replacements were hastily recruited.


Regimental Flag of The Connaught Rangers


     When the United Irishmen rose in 1798, the Crown deemed it unwise to have armed and trained Irishmen around while atrocities were being committed in Ireland, so the Connaught Rangers were sent to India.  From there they were sent to Egypt on a difficult campaign.  Upon their return in 1803 they were billeted in Sussex, where they remained isolated from news that Robert Emmet was hanged, drawn, and quartered on a Dublin Street.  The Rangers saw action when Spain declared war on England in 1804.  In 1807, they were in Argentina and returned only when their ranks needed new Irish blood from the homes of the Irish west – England’s military reservoir in their battles with Napoleon.  In 1808, the Rangers were leaving comrades on the battlefields of Talavera, Bussaco, and Fuentes del Onoro as they earned the reputation of the most gallant regiment in the British Army.  Viscount Sir Arthur Wellsly wrote, whenever anything gallant or desperate is to be done, there is no corps in the Army that I would sooner employ than the Connaught Rangers.


Artist's Depiction of The Connaught Rangers in Action

     As conditions worsened in Ireland during the years of the Great Hunger, the regiment was sent to Greece and the Barbadoes where they never knew what was happening in Ireland.  Despite the insensitive attitude of British field officers who considered them cannon fodder, the Rangers added to their reputation for gallantry in the Crimean War in 1854.  Often sent into battle poorly fed, ill clothed and short of ammunition, their superb bravery never faltered.  They did what they were so miserably paid to do – win battles.  Journalist T.P Gilfeather wrote that their Balaclava campaign was a pitiful tale of neglect and abysmal stupidity on the part of the noble and titled incompetents who were responsible for the organization and leadership of brave menEngland maintained her empire by sending the unemployed youth of one colony to fight the unemployed youth of another; in 1857 a regiment of Irish youth who had chosen soldiering to starvation, sailed to India to shoot rebellious young men who opposed the civilizing influence of Victoria.  Leaving 416 of their comrades in Indian graves, they were shipped to S. Africa to bring law and order to that part of the empire; in 1881, they were back in India; and in 1899 back in Africa where the Brits were trying to seize the land of the Boer farmers for its diamonds and gold.  As the Rangers were shipped from hot spot to hot spot throughout the empire, new recruits from Ireland came to fill the ranks depleted by casualties.  With the new recruits came news of home, of the Land League, of Parnell and Davitt, and the Fenian Brotherhood.  Still leery of sending armed Irishmen to Ireland, the Crown sent the Rangers back to India in 1909 to await the next major conflict of the empire.





     That conflict came in WWI; in that conflict the Rangers left 25,000 casualties on the bloodiest battlefields unaware of the events in their homeland.  In 1915, when the Irish in Ireland were planning a rising, Irish Rangers in Gallipoli were dying in their thousands.  These were men who volunteered to secure Home Rule for Ireland after the war and for that they risked all at Sedd el Bahr and Suvla Bay.  No news of the Easter Rising reached the Rangers until it was well over and it was too late to do anything but mourn.  The Rangers were sent back to India.

     By June, 1919, 9,682 police and 58,362 British troops were in Ireland and the country was in turmoil.  News finally reached the Rangers.  They learned of the 1,000 or more raids in 1920 by Crown forces on the villages that they had left unprotected in order to secure England’s interests elsewhere.  The final straw came on March 20 when Cork’s Lord Mayor Thomas MacCurtain was murdered at his home in front of his wife.  An official inquest could not deny the evidence and ruled that the murder was carried out and organized by the RIC, officially directed by the British government and we return a verdict of murder against Lloyd George and 3 Inspectors of the RICEngland’s reaction was to introduce a force known as the Black and Tans on March 25.  A period of brutality unparalleled in memory had begun and Ireland’s War of Independence was on.


The Connaught Rangers

     As news of the English atrocities reached the Connaught Rangers, they felt shame for the uniform they wore.  On June 28, 1920 a group at Jullundur Barracks, India, decided to protest the actions of English forces in Ireland.  They demanded to be placed under arrest for refusing to obey orders; this was the traditional and accepted method of protest in the British Army.  A Sergeant who demanded that they report for duty at once was told, We will soldier no more for England. The men were locked up as ‘C’ Company was called out for morning parade. ‘C’ Company learned what happened, and joined the protestors.  The incident was reported to the Major who ordered ‘D’ Company to arrest ‘C’ Company, whereupon ‘D’ Company joined the protest.  The Guardhouse could not hold all the protesting Rangers, especially when ‘B’ Company returned from morning rifle practice and joined the protest.  Numbering more than 400, the protestors moved from the guardhouse to the theater where a committee of 7 was chosen to draft a formal protest.  The Union Jack was lowered and an Irish Tricolor was raised in its place.  Signs reading Stop the Murder Gang in Ireland and We Will Only Fight Black & Tans appeared on barracks walls.  British Officers watched in horror as the men formed up and paraded under orders from their own committee of 7.


The Connaught Rangers

     The officers appealed not to undermine the security of the Fort.  Under promise of having their demands conveyed to the highest authorities, the Rangers agreed relocate to a larger compound where they would be held as prisoners.  On July 1, true to their word, the Rangers grounded their arms and marched out under guard carrying an Irish flag and singing `God Save Ireland‘.  Surrounded by loyal British troops they marched 3 miles to a 200-square-yard barbed-wire enclosure with machine-gun emplacements at each corner.  The Brits tried to remove the few Scottish and English troops who had joined the protest, but without success.  This should have tipped the Rangers that their betrayal was at hand, but they believed that their Officers were guided by the military fairness that they preached.  However, the Rangers actions were more significant than they realized.  The atrocities of the Brits in Ireland were causing embarrassment in the world media.  News of a mutiny in India among Irish troops would provide fuel to the fire of sympathy that the Irish were getting from the U.S. and increase political pressure on Lloyd George from American politicians.  The word came down: No word of this mutiny was to leak out!  Break the spirit of the protest!
Heavy manual labor in the extreme heat of the summer sun and rations reduced to black tea and dry bread caused dozens to suffer heat stroke before Capt. Carney of the Royal Army Medical Corps threatened to make public a report if the mistreatment were not stopped.  Finally, the men were ordered back to their barracks.  As they marched the three miles back to camp, from their parched and bleeding lips came the faint but audible strains of God Save Ireland.  Meanwhile at Solun Fort, 200 miles away, Pvt. James Daly and several other Rangers learned of the protest and joined in.  Pvt. Daly organized the men and marched on the Officers’ quarters where he calmly announced that in protest against atrocities of the Crown forces in Ireland, the Connaught Rangers would serve the Crown no more.  Under the promise that they would be treated as military prisoners in protest, the Rangers surrendered their arms.  As soon as they had done so, armed troops were brought and three unarmed Rangers were shot down.  They were marched off to the notorious Dagshai Jail where they were joined by mutineers from Jullindur.  Dagshai was a condemned building so badly suited for its purpose that a large number of prisoners had already died there.  On a diet of dry bread and tea twice a day, they were kept in their cells for 23 out of every 24 hours.  From these horrible conditions, Pvt. Daly and 5 others made their escape, but instead of fleeing, they traveled six miles to Solan Fort, broke into the canteen, confiscated food and returned to Dagshai where they broke back into the prison and distributed the food to the other prisoners.  All promises to address their grievances were ignored.  Charges were brought and 14 were condemned to death; the rest received up to 20 years at hard labor.


Newspaper Account of Private Daly's Execution

     In London, the War Ministry and the Cabinet were well aware of the effect that the executions of the leaders of Easter Week had and the unifying effect of the recent deaths of Kevin Barry and Terence MacSwiney.  No! The timing was bad; these 14 men could not die, but an example had to be made.  At Dagshai Prison the death sentences were commuted to life imprisonment for all but one of the prisoners – the brave young Private who had organized the protest at Solan because it was there that men had been killed.  It mattered not that those killed were Daly’s comrades and that they were killed by British troops.  Daly was the leader and Daly would die.  On Nov 2, 1920, the 129 year old spirit of the bravest and proudest regiment in the British Army – The Connaught Rangers – died forever as Pvt James Joseph Daly of Tyrellspass, Co Westmeath was murdered by a firing squad at Dagshai prison.


One of Many Memorials to the Connaught Rangers

     Following the Anglo Irish Treaty of 1922 which created the Irish Free State, the regiment was formally disbanded by the Crown, but their memory never died.  In April 1936, the same year that the Irish Free State finally abolished the office of England’s Governor General and removed all reference to the King from their constitution, Daíl Eireann awarded government pensions to the men of the Connaught Rangers who mutinied in India in 1920.  Then, in 1949, the year that the Republic of Ireland was declared, a monument was erected to the memory of the Connaught Ranger mutineers in Glasnevin Cemetery among the graves of Ireland’s other patriots.
Saturday, November 30, 2013

President's Message December 2013



PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Division One President Kevin Ellis





December 2013

Brothers,

            I hope all of you have enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving with your families.  I know as President, I am thankful for the membership of this Division, who work so hard all year long.

            I would like to start by expressing my sincere thanks to all of you for your kind words and support since the death of my mother.  My family was touched by the large turnout of Hibernians at my mother’s wake, and the flowers were absolutely beautiful.  Thank You on behalf of the entire Ellis Family. 

            As we look towards December, we once again will complete elections and install the Division officers for 2014.  I am honored to be returning as Division President for another year.  Your officers and I will work hard towards making 2014 the most successful year yet.  Our Division has a few events scheduled for this month, primarily on the weekend of December 14-15.  On Sunday, December 15th, our Division will be attending the Gill Family Fundraiser at Rory Dolan’s.  We will arrive at 2pm to deliver our donation for the family.  Our Division’s Holiday Cocktail Party then starts at 3pm at Dunwoodie Golf Course.  I would ask all members make every effort to attend both events that day.

           The next big event will be The AOH Westchester County Board Dinner Dance that is scheduled for January 25th.  The honoree will be His Eminence, Edward Cardinal Egan.  It is important that the entire membership support this dinner dance as it will be a major fundraiser for the Westchester County Board.  We will discuss this at length at our Division meeting this month.

          Finally, I would like to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a Healthy and Happy New Year!

          Nollaig Shona Dhuit & Athbhliain Faoi Mhaise Dhuit!


Yours In Our Motto,

Kevin Ellis, President
Division One, Yonkers
Thursday, November 21, 2013

Pat Finucane Portarit Presentation



Yonkers AOH Donates Prize Portrait to Aisling Center

Members of Division 1 Present Orla Kelleher with The Pat Finucane Portrait


    The members of Division One visited The Aisling Irish Community Center in Yonkers today to present the center with a beautiful portrait to be displayed in its newly expanded facilities.  

 
Pat Finucane was killed in his home on February 12, 1989

     The portrait is of slain civil rights attorney Patrick Finucane, who was tragically gunned down at his home in Belfast by loyalist paramilitaries on February, 12 1989.  Mr. Finucane bravely went about his work defending republican clients even after years of death threats.  His murder is still unsolved as of today, despite efforts to bring his killers to justice.  The British Government has consistently refused calls for international inquiry into his death.  A case review was completed in 2012, which showed there was collusion between the police and loyalist killers.  The findings forced an apology from British Prime Minister David Cameron, but he still will not authorize a full investigation.



Pat Finucane- "A Life Shattered"

     The portrait is the creation of acclaimed Irish Artist Robert Ballagh, which shows a youthful Pat Finucane against a canvass which has been “shattered.”  Mr. Ballagh stated that his wish was to capture the importance of this man while also conveying the violent nature of his death.

The British Government has stopped all attempts to discover the truth

     Division 1 was initially presented the portrait by AOH FFAI National Chairman Sean Pender as a thank you for the Division’s support of The Hibernian’s Freedom for All Ireland Christmas Appeal.  Held each year, the appeal, (Which raised over $75,000 last year), raises funds for charity organizations in the north of Ireland.

      To learn more about the AOH freedom for All Ireland Christmas Appeal, please visit the AOH National Website at:





Thursday, November 7, 2013

Sacred Heart High School Scholarship Dinner



Yonkers A.O.H. Supports Sacred Heart High School Scholarship Program

Tom Allison and Jack McDonald Present $1,000 Check to Patti Triarsi

       Division One has been a loyal and longtime supporter of Sacred Heart High School.  Founded in 1923, Sacred Heart is the only Catholic High School in the City of Yonkers.  Every year, the school hosts a fundraising dinner to benefit its scholarship program, and Division One was proud to present a $1,000 donation towards quality education.


   
Division One Members Attend The Sacred Heart Golf Outing

       Division Past President Tom Allison and Charities Chairman Jack McDonald presented the check to Patti Triarsi, Director of Development for Sacred Heart.  The Division also supported the school at its Annual Golf Outing.  We are proud to support Catholic Education in Yonkers!  For more information on Sacred Heart High School visit their website at:



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