Wednesday, May 6, 2015
18th Annual Charity Golf Outing
Yonkers Ancient Order of Hibernians Hold
18th Annual
Charity Golf Outing
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| The Majestic Course at The Ardsley Country Club in Dobbs Ferry |
The Myles Scully Division held its Annual Charity Golf Outing this past Monday at The Ardsley Country Club in Westchester County. Over 125 golfers attended the event, and
enjoyed 18 holes of golf on a course that provided a tremendous panoramic view
of the Hudson River and the cliffs of the Palisades.
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| Danny Mac's Foursome with AOH Members Mike Maher & Sean McEvoy |
The proceeds raised that day fund the Division’s Charity
and Mission’s Program, which provides donations to Irish and Catholic Charities
in the Yonkers and Lower Westchester County region. The Program has grown in its size and scope
every single year, all because of the support of our growing list of friends
and sponsors. This year, the event had its largest number of sponsors
ever! Last year, the Division reported
over $25,000 in charitable donations, and judging by the success of this year’s
outing, we are confident that we will be able to surpass that mark!
And They're Off!
Here is video of the start of the golf outing.
Division
One would like to especially thank our
“Harp
League Sponsors”
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| The Constantine Family has always been loyal supporters! |
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| The Yonkers C.L.S.A. |
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| Yonkers Firefighters Local 628 |
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| Danny Mac's Sports Bar |
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| Laborers International Union Local 60 |
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| Moretrench |
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| Whalen & Ball Funeral Home |
Special thanks to Golf Committee Chairman Tom Allison, who
has worked tirelessly over the past several years and is largely responsible for
this event’s unparalleled success. Tom
is stepping down as chairman this year, and it was no surprise to any of us that
his last outing was his best effort yet!
Congratulations and Thank You T.A.!
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| Division Treasurer Mike Morley calls out another raffle prize winner |
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| Golfer were impressed with the tremendous service they received! |
We would like to thank all of our Lunch and Hole Sponsors this year! 2015 saw the most sponsors in the 18 year history of this event! It is because of their loyal and unwavering support that we are able to perform the work that we do all year long. We look forward to seeing all of our friends and supporters next year!
Saturday, May 2, 2015
Irish Historian's Report - May 2015
Irish Historian’s Report
Division One is honored to share Irish History articles provided
by The National Historian of The Ancient Order of Hibernians
BRIAN BORU
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| Brian Boru at the Battle of Clontarf in the Year 1014 |
A centenary is a 100-year
anniversary and next year we will commemorate the Centenary of the Easter
Rising. However, last year Ireland commemorated a millennium, or a
thousand year anniversary, of the Battle of Clontarf in which the power of the
Vikings in Ireland was forever broken – the only country to ever do so.
Wherever Vikings settled, they took control, but when they tried to control
Ireland they failed. For two centuries they attacked towns and
monasteries, making quick raids and plundering wherever and whenever they
could. Their failure came at the hands of Brian mac Kennedy in 1014.
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| Brian Boru was The Last High King of Ireland |
Born near present day Killaloe, Co
Clare on the west side of the River Shannon, he was the youngest son of
Kennedy, Chief of the Dal Cassian. His eldest brother Mahon was to
succeed as Chieftain so Brian was sent to Clonmacnoise to become a monk.
At the monastery he learned to read, write and appreciate his heritage.
He studied military leaders & tactics and learned to despise the Viking
raiders who were plundering Irish monasteries. In 951, word came that
Brian’s parents had been killed by Vikings and he left the monastery to seek
revenge. Mahon, who was now Clan Chieftain, announced he was making a
treaty with the Vikings of Limerick, but Brian objected! He and a group
of followers left the clan and began raiding Viking camps. Though few in
numbers, his men defeated larger forces and his fame spread throughout Munster
attracting many more to his banner. As Viking raids continued, Mahon
realized that Brian had been right. He renounced his truce with the
Vikings and the two brothers joined forces. They took Cashel from another
Celtic Chieftain who had made an alliance with the Vikings to stay in
power. Mahon then realized that Limerick was too close to Cashel and his
stronghold in Co. Clare so; Viking power in Limerick had to be eliminated.
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| Statue of Brian Boru |
In 968, the two brothers defeated
the Vikings in Limerick and ruled peacefully for eight years over Clare, Cork,
Kerry, Tipperary and Limerick. However, the Vikings returned in 976, and
Mahon attended what was to have been a peace conference with a Chieftain named
MacBrain and his Viking allies. At the meeting, Mahon was killed.
Brian was now the undisputed Chieftain and he attacked and defeated the forces
that had slain his brother. After fortifying his power in the south,
Brian built a fleet of ships to patrol the Shannon and defeated the Vikings in
Waterford. Brian then set his sights on the Vikings of Dublin who had
allied with the King of Leinster and were raiding the center of Ireland.
With the support of Malachy, the King of Meath at Tara, who controlled the
northern part of Ireland, they beat the Vikings of Dublin in 1000. Brian
allowed the Vikings to stay, but an annual tribute was imposed. It’s for
that reason that Brian MacKennedy became known as Brian Boru or Brian of the
Tributes. Brian now led his army to Tara, where his ally, Malachy,
ruled. Brian’s reputation was so wide-spread that Malachy submitted with
little resistance and Brian Boru was now High King of all Ireland.
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| Ireland marked the 1,000 year anniversary of the battle in 2014 |
Brian’s reign as High King lasted 12
years and the country prospered. Monasteries and schools destroyed by
Vikings were rebuilt as were roads, bridges and churches. Illuminated
manuscripts and delicate metal work that had been hallmarks of monastic art saw
a rebirth. Trade increased and emissaries were even sent to Scotland and
Wales to solicit tribute in return for the protection of the King of
Ireland. Brian built his palace, Kincora, on a hill overlooking a
shallow part of the Shannon where tribute cattle could be driven across.
Today it is the town of Killaloe and a Catholic Church stands on that
hilltop. In its day, Kincora was the most noble of all the halls in
Ireland. Throughout his reign, Brian fought challenges from minor
Chieftains who refused to submit to his authority, but by 1011, all regional
rulers had acknowledged him as High King.
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| Re-enactment of The Battle of Clontarf in 2014 |
Then, in 1012, Maelmora, King of
Leinster, rebelled. Knowing he would need help to defeat Brian, he
invited the return of the Vikings, who were eager for revenge. Sigtrygg
Silkbeard, a Dublin Viking leader, called on Vikings from Orkney to the Isle of
Man as well as rebellious Vikings from Limerick, Waterford, Wexford and other
towns Brian had subdued. To Dublin they came and were joined by a few
Irish chieftains who saw this as a chance to quit their obligation to Brian and
avoid their annual tributes. Brian saw this as a threat to his plans for
a better Irish nation. He regretted letting the Vikings stay in Ireland
as long as they promised to be loyal. He would now have to settle this
for good. Brian called the clans for support and even received troops
from ‘Wolfe the Quarrelsome’ and other Vikings whom he had left to rule their
own territories. It was to be Irish and their Viking allies against
Vikings and their Irish allies. Brian set out for Dublin and the final
battle. In the early dawn of Good Friday, March 25, 1014, the army of
High King Brian Boru assembled on the field of Clontarf, just north of Dublin.
Brian, at 73-years old, was too old to lead so the army was commanded by his
son Murchad. Brian was safe behind the lines with his personal
guard. The battle was a bloody clash lasting all day. By evening
the Vikings were pushed back into the sea and the rest of the rebels fled back
to Dublin. The Irish chased them and those who had been guarding Brian
joined in the chase. Brian, meanwhile, knelt in prayer in his tent giving
thanks for the great victory and envisioning a New Ireland. A Viking
warrior named Brodar, who had fled the battle, came across Brian in his
tent. He saw that there were few men guarding the King and he hacked his
way through Brian’s attendants and came up behind the King of Ireland, kneeling
in prayer. It is recorded that Brian, startled by the noise behind him,
turned and drew his sword, prepared to defend himself. He slashed
Brodar’s leg, but it was too late. Brodar’s sword was already descending
and cut off Brian’s head. The High King of Ireland was dead, but
Brodar did not escape to brag of his treachery. Brian’s furious men
seized the wounded Brodar and dispensed proper justice to the man who had
killed the greatest leader that the Irish had ever known. They left
him tied to a nearby tree – with his own intestines!
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| Brian Boru Grave Marker St. Patrick's Cathedral, County Armagh |
Brian’s body was taken to Armagh,
the ecclesiastic center of Ireland, and was entombed in the wall of St.
Patrick’s cathedral. His army had been victorious and Ireland had become
the only country to break Viking power. After 1014, there was never
another Viking raid in Ireland. After Brian’s death, Malachy returned as
High King and Dalcassian strength was reduced to Munster only. Viking
presence remained in Ireland; their power crushed, but as Brian had decreed –
only as merchants and traders. Eventually they adopted Irish manners and
customs and were absorbed into the mainstream of Irish life. Although the
position of High King was filled from time to time after Brian’s death, Ireland
would never again have a ruler who controlled the entire country as Brian had.
Brian Boru was in fact, the last true High King of the Irish. Centuries
later, when Thomas Davis wrote his inspiring ballad A Nation Once Again,
the reign of Brian Boru was his reference.
Note:
In 977 A.D., when Brian defeated the
Vikings of Limerick, he made them a tribute tribe. Led by ‘Wolf the
Quarrelsome’, they soon became close allies to Brian with Wolf himself
sometimes referred to as Brian’s “brother-in-arms”. Wolf survived
the Battle of Clontarf, but lost his “brother-in-arms” when Brian was killed.
He watched Ireland return to factional fighting and knew there would never be
another High King like Brian Bóru. He left Ireland and travel to the Viking
colony in Iceland. As he sat around the fires on cold Icelandic nights he
retold the story of the Battle of Clontarf, and of the man he knew as a friend
for 37 years. His memoirs were written down and became part of the Icelandic
Sagas. They are considered more factually accurate than any other
accounts for he had attended every council meeting with Brian and was better
informed than any other author.
Friday, May 1, 2015
President's Message for May 2015
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
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| Division One President Kevin Ellis |
April 2015
Brothers,
The Month of May is upon us and there will several important events over the next 30 days. I would first like to congratulate all of our members who have been working so hard these last few weeks to make our Annual Charity Golf Outing a success. I attended one of the committee meetings last week and I can tell you everyone is working hard this year. We are looking very good as there has been a good flow of new sponsors this year. This is the result of efforts of all of our newest members, and it is very encouraging to see. I have no doubt that 2015 will be the best outing yet!
Aside from the golf outing, there are a few things that I must bring to your attention.
Our Division was saddened this month of the news that Bob Eggen’s Father had passed away. Bob’s dad had been in ill health for quite some time. I was personally moved and inspired by Bob’s compassion and dedication as he tended to his father at home for all that time. It was heartwarming to see so many of our members attend the wake. Please keep the entire Eggen Family in your prayers.
The Saint Columbkill Knights Major Degree Team has announced that they will exemplify The Major Degree of our Order on Saturday, May 30th at The Hudson Valley Irish Center in Peekskill. The Major Degree is very important and should be achieved by every member of our Division. I hopefully will have more details at our membership meeting on May 6th. Please make plans now to be in attendance on May 30th if you have not yet received your Major Degree.
By now I would hope that most of our members who are planning to attend the AOH New York State Convention have already made their hotel reservations and have sent in your registration forms. Please visit the convention website at www.nyaoh2015.com where you can download the necessary forms. The convention is an event that should not be missed. You can always contact me directly is you have any specific questions about the A.O.H. Convention.
The Spring A.O.H. New York State Board meeting will be held on Saturday, May 2nd at the Shamrock House in East Durham at 10:00am. I will be attending this meeting and will have a full report for the entire membership at our meeting at Burke’s on May 6th.
Our Division also reached an important milestone as we have passed 1,000 followers on our Twitter feed! We currently have the most followers of any AOH page on Twitter. Our social media outlets are the best source for up to date information on all of our events and activities, so please follow the Division One page if you use Twitter and encourage your friends to do the same.
I would be remiss if I didn’t also note that our Charity Golf Outing will be held on May 4th, which is the date of our organization’s founding in New York City in 1836. Be sure to wish your fellow Hibernian’s a Happy 179th Birthday while you are enjoying your golf!
I look forward to seeing all of you at The Ardsley Country Club on May 4th!
Yours in our Motto,
Kevin Ellis, President
Division One, Yonkers
Monday, April 13, 2015
Historian's Report - April 2015
The Countess of Irish Freedom
By Mike McCormack
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| The Countess as a Young Feminist |
She was called the Countess of Irish Freedom by
playwright Sean O’Casey and though she was born with a silver spoon in her
mouth, she spat it out and risked her life for the common people of Ireland that she loved so much.
Constance Gore-Booth was
born into a well-to-do Anglo-Irish family on Feb. 4,
1868 in London. Her father had a large
estate in Co. Sligo where she moved in the circles of the Protestant Ascendancy
growing up as a noted horsewoman and a crack shot as well as a beautiful young
woman. Yet, she couldn’t help comparing her life to the lives of the poor
dispossessed Irish families who surrounded her father’s estate. Even when
she later married into wealth and privilege, she never forgot the plight of the
common Irish. She studied art and in 1898, attended the Julian School in Paris. It was there she met Count
Casimir Markievicz from a wealthy Polish family. Even though he was
Catholic, they were married on Sept. 29, 1901. Constance Gore-Booth was
now the Countess Markievicz.
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| Countess Markievicz |
In 1903 they moved to Dublin where she began to make an
impression as a landscape artist. She and Casimir founded the United Arts Club
in 1905 but she soon tired of this life.
Nature should provide me with something to live for, something to die for,
she said. Then in 1906 she found that ‘something. She rented a cottage in
the Dublin hills formerly rented by poet,
Pádraic Colum. He had left old copies of revolutionary publications like The Peasant and Sinn Féin there. Reading
these, Constance found the cause to inspire her
life. In 1908 she became active in nationalist politics, joining Sinn
Féin and Maud Gonne’s women’s group, Inghinidhe
na hÉireann founded to support Irish and boycott British goods.
She went to England in 1908 and stood for election
against a young man named Winston Churchill. She lost and returned to Ireland where she founded Fianna Éireann in 1909, an
organization similar to the boy scouts, but focusing on military drill and the
use of firearms. Pádraic Pearse would later say that without Fianna Éireann, the Volunteers of 1913 would not have arisen. By
1911 she was an executive member of both Inghinidhe and Sinn Féin. She
was jailed for the first time for demonstrating against the visit of King
George V to Ireland. She also involved
herself in the labor unrest of the time, running a soup kitchen during the Great Dublin Lockout of union
workers in 1913 and supporting labor leaders James Larkin and James
Connolly. Her activity took a toll on her marriage and Casimir left for
the Balkans and joined the Imperial Russian cavalry during WWI.
As the war began, Constance was in the center of the
nationalist activity in Dublin which exploded in the Easter
Rising. Most women in the movement participated as nurses or by running
messages through the streets; not the Countess! As part of Connolly’s
Citizen Army, she was second in command to Michael Mallin at St. Stephen’s
Green, supervised the erection of barricades and was in the middle of the
fighting. Driven from the Green, they occupied the College of Surgeons and held it until ordered to
surrender by James Connolly after the rising. The Countess kissed her
automatic pistol before handing it over. The English officer who took
their surrender was a distant relative of hers and he offered to drive her to
jail. No offence, old feller, she
said, but I much prefer to tag along with
my own. At her court martial she told the court, I did what was right and I stand by it.
She was taken to Kilmainham jail where she sat in her cell listening to the
volleys of the firing squads as her comrades were murdered. She too had
been sentenced to death, but General Maxwell commuted this to life in prison on
‘account of the prisoner’s sex.’
She told the officer who brought her the news, I do wish your lot had the decency to shoot me.
Moved by the faith of her comrades, she vowed to become a Catholic and when
released in the General Amnesty of 1917, she kept her promise and became a
Catholic.
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| She was directly involved in the fighting during the Easter Rising |
The fire within her had
not been extinguished by the tragic events of 1916, and she continued the
struggle. In 1918 she was jailed by the Brits during a phony ‘German Plot,’
aimed at breaking anti-conscription forces in Ireland. While in prison, she became
the first woman elected to the British Parliament, running as a Sinn Féin
candidate. She refused to take the oath of allegiance to the King and was
denied her seat, but when the first Dáil Éireann was formed two months later,
she was appointed the first Minister of Labor and went on the run. She was
jailed twice during the War of Independence and was released to attend the
Treaty debates. When the Irish Civil War broke out she was once more
involved in the fighting, helping to defend Moran’s Hotel in Dublin. Later she toured the US raising funds for the Republican
cause. After the Civil War she regained her seat in the Dáil, but her politics
ran her afoul of the Free State government and she was jailed
again. Along with 92 other women prisoners, she went on hunger strike and was
released after a month. She joined Eamon de Valera’s Fianna Fáil party in 1926
and was elected as one of it’s candidates in 1927.
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| Countess Markievicz Irish Postage Stamp |
However, a month later she
became sick. She had given away the last of her wealth and died in a
public ward among the poor where she wanted to be. It may have been
appendicitis, but many said it was simply overwork. She could have lived a life
of leisure, insulated from the trials and tribulations of the common man, but
she gave it all up and intentionally risked her life for the people she came to
love and respect. When her body was taken to the Republican plot at Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin, for burial, as many as 300,000
people turned out on the streets to bid her farewell. At her graveside,
Eamon de Valera gave the eulogy.
As the 100th anniversary of
the Easter Rising approaches and people are searching for history’s heroes,
they should be told the story of Constance Gore-Booth, she was truly the
Countess of Irish freedom.
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