Ancient Order of Hibernians votes to continue as male-only organisation

One of the main Irish organisations in the United States, the Ancient Order of Hibernians, is to remain a male-only association, following a vote of members at the weekend.

The organisation’s president, Danny O’Connell, said a vote to open up the membership to women had not been carried in a voice vote at its biennial convention in Pittsburgh.

The proposal had been opposed by the leadership of the separate Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians.

The Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians, which although having a largely shared history and goals — including a shared convention — is completely separate and runs in parallel to the men’s organisation. Its leadership essentially saw the prospect of women being allowed to join the traditionally men’s association as being detrimental to its own organisation..

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Tánaiste Leo Varadkar had backed the motion to change the constitution of the Ancient Order of Hibernians. In a video address to the convention at the weekend he said he had been pleased to hear about the proposal at the convention “to build an order that was inclusive of women as well as men”.

Within the Ancient Order of Hibernians, supporters of the proposal to change its rules believed allowing women to join would not only increase membership but also reduce the age profile, which is now believed to be over 50 on average. They maintained younger men were also reluctant in some cases to be associated with an organisation that did not admit women.

Some close to the organisation believe despite the result at the weekend the issue of permitting women to join may re-emerge at a future convention of the organisation.

The order has about 30,000 members across the US. However, membership is ageing, and numbers have fallen by about 20 per cent over the last decade.

The Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians has a membership of just over 10,000, an increase of 5 per cent over the last year or so.

The Ancient Order of Hibernians traces its history to 1836, when it was established in New York and later in Philadelphia as a Catholic immigrant organisation.

It has urged the introduction of “an equitable US immigration law for Ireland” and played a central role in drawing up a bipartisan resolution adopted by the US House of Representatives in March urging the British government to scrap plans to grant an amnesty for all Troubles-era killings in Northern Ireland.