The latest division scéal (news):


• Next Meeting: March 11th - 7PM @ O'Rorke's Pub, 44 Steinwehr Ave., Gettysburg.
  
  
• 2009 St. Patrick's Day Party: The date is Saturday, March 14th and once again the party will be held at the Gettysburg VFW (369 E. Middle St., Gettysburg). Irish music will be provided by Central Pennsylvania's best...Irishtown Road. Members can purchase tickets at our March 11th meeting.
  
  Advance ticket sales only!
  Purchase deadline is March 11th.
  The general public are very welcome to join us. Tickets can be purchased at the VFW, Garryowen Pub (Chambersburg St) and A Little Irish Too shop, also on Chambersburg Street.
  
  For our flyer with full details (PDF), please click on the thumbnail to the left.
  
  PLEASE NOTE: Doors open at 6:30PM (and NO sooner!) Dinner will be served at approximately 7:000PM.
  
  

  Our party serves as the division's Hibernian Hunger Project. Proceeds from the party fund our donation to the Gettysburg Soup Kitchen and Adams County Food Bank.
  
  

• 2008 Battlefield Tour: As a result of the tour, our division donated $500 to the "Friends of St. Kieran's" fund. St. Kieran's is a church near Pottsville, PA that the local diocese has shut down and are actively stripping the contents of. The church was built by native Irishmen who worked in the local coal mines during the era of the "Molly Maguires". The "Friends of St. Kieran's" is established to try and rescue the church from demolition, preserving it as a historical site.
  
  10.28.08: Check presentation made by Division President, Phil McDonald to Catherine Clifford of the Friends of St. Kieran's in front of the church. Please click on photo to the right for a larger version.
  
  
  
• PA AOH Vehicle License Plate: Bobby Sand Div 1, Dauphin County has worked with PennDOT to create the the AOH license plate for your vehicle. Please refer to the following links on how to apply for the license plate as well as the forms needed. For a larger version of the plate, click the picture to the right.
  
  

  Put some Hibernian Pride on your Ride!
  	General Information
  	Forms (read carefully!)
  	FAQ (PDF)

  
  
  
• Central Pa. AOH: A new division of the AOH is currently being organized in the city of York. For more information, click here to visit their website
  

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The Ancient Order of Hibernians is a Catholic, Irish American Fraternal Organization founded in New York City on May 4th, 1836. The Order can trace its roots back to a parent organization, of the same name, which has existed in Ireland for over 300 years. However, while the organizations share a common thread, the North American A.O.H. is a separate and much larger organization.

The Order evolved from a need in the early sixteen hundreds to protect the lives of priests who risked immediate death to keep the Catholic Faith alive in occupied Ireland after the reign of England's King Henry VIII. When England Implemented its dreaded Penal Laws in Ireland, various secret social societies were formed across the country. These groups worked to aid and comfort the people by whatever means available. Similarly, the Ancient Order of Hibernians in America was founded on May 4th, 1836 at New York's St. James Church, to protect the clergy, and church Property from the "Know Nothings" and their followers. At the same time the vast influx of Irish Immigrants fleeing famine issues in Ireland in the late 1840's, prompted a growth of various social societies in the USA - the largest of which was, and continues to be, the Ancient Order of Hibernians.

Active across the United States, The Order seeks to aid the newly arrived Irish, both socially, politically. The many Divisions and club facilities located throughout the U.S. traditionally have been among the first to welcome new Irish Americans. Here, the Irish culture -- art, dance, music, and sports are fostered and preserved. The newcomers can meet some of "their own" and are introduced to the social atmosphere of the Irish-American community. The AOH has been at the political 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.

The Order has also provided a continuing bridge with Ireland for those who are generations removed from our country. The AOH sponsors many of the programs associated with promoting our Irish Heritage such as the Irish Way Program.