Madigan Muses: Hibernian Happenings
- John O'Brien
- September 28, 2023
- Edited 6 months ago
Table of Contents
By Marilyn Madigan
This fall will be a busy time for Hibernians in the State of Ohio. What an honor for Ohio to host two National Hibernian Events this fall. The AOH National will be meeting in Youngstown for AOH National President Danny O’Connell’s Testimonial and the Presentation or the Sean McBride Award on the weekend of October 13 and 14.
The AOH Boland Berry Division and the LAOH Our Lady of the Rosary Division will also be hosting the 45th Annual Reverse Raffle, to be held on Friday November 3. Prize: $2000, Donation $65. Please call or email Ray McGann at 216-671-6219 or [email protected] or Pat Lavelle 440-596-8552 or [email protected]
The Ancient Order of Hibernians will present the Sean McBride Humanitarian Award to former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern on Saturday October 14, in Youngstown. Bertie was one of the signers of the agreement This Award is “to memorialize the Human Rights contributions made by Nobel Peace laureate, Dr. Sean MacBride, and to recognize the efforts of others who make similar contributions in the cause of peace, justice and the economic well-being of the Irish people.”
You are invited to participate in the 2023 AOH National President’s Testimonial and the AOH Sean McBride Presentation Package: Price is $215 for both day, Friday Reception is $80, Saturday Dinner is $165. Seats are limited, so please contact Laurie and Dan Brinker at: [email protected].
The LAOH will be meeting in the Cleveland area on the weekend of November 9-12 for the Interim Board Meeting, LAOH President’s Testimonial Dinner and the inaugural presentation of the Constance Markievicz Award.
CONSTANCE MARKIEVICZ
The Constance Markievicz Award will be bestowed biennially at the LAOH Interim Board Meeting to a woman who is outstanding, passionate, and shows a deep commitment in her endeavors, either professionally or in volunteer works and conferred without regard to the nominee’s race, creed, religion, color or National origin. The nominee must be a woman who, in the spirit of unity and cross community relationships, has made significant and committed contributions to peace and justice, and/or the social and economic wellbeing of her community and/or the broader world in which we live. This includes, but is certainly not limited to, political activism, social justice, immigration and immigrant issues, political education, veteran affairs, and peace and reconciliation in Ireland.
The Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians are proud to announce that Kathleen Savage of Massachusetts will be receiving the award. Kathleen has been a member of the LAOH since 1982. She has served in many offices on the Division and County levels, with appointments on both State and National Boards. Kathleen is a longtime advocate for peace and social justice issues in the North of Ireland.
Kathleen is currently her division and state chairperson for Freedom for All Ireland (FFAI), formerly holding this position on the national level, consistently promoting this initiative. In 1985, she joined the local chapter of Irish Northern Aid, and began writing Christmas and birthday cards to prisoners, enlisting many of her LAOH sisters to join her.
She has made more than 20 trips to Northern Ireland, witnessing firsthand the discrimination of the British Government against Irish families, visiting prisoners in Long Kesh, Crumlin and Maghaberry, becoming pen pals with several of the prisoners and eventually befriending their families. Many of these relationships continue to this day, and she is considered to be a member of their extended families.
Kathleen can count Gerry Adams, the late Martin McGuinness, Rita O’Hare, Damian McCafferty, the late Martin Ferris and countless others among her many friends. She is a great ambassador for the cause, working tirelessly for the Freedom for All Ireland Committee and peace and justice in the North of Ireland.
In April, Kathleen joined a group of LAOH sisters on a tour of Northern Ireland to distribute the FFAI funds and the release of A Trasna na nTonnta Across the Waves Women’s Reflection on the Good Friday Agreement, the joint project of the LAOH and Relatives for Justice, to which Kathleen is a contributor.
The Interim board meeting is Saturday November 11 at 10:00 a.m. at the West Side Irish American Club and is open to all members of the LAOH. The Testimonial dinners and the presentations of the awards are open to the public. The inaugural Constance Markievicz Award will be presented on November 11, at the LAOH Testimonial Dinner at 6:00pm at the West Side Irish American Club, 8559 Jennings Road, Olmsted Township, Ohio 44138.
All information can be found here.
Rooms are available at the Hampton Inn, 24601 Country Club Boulevard, North Olmsted, Ohio.
Dinner: $65.00 w/ cash bar; Shake Rattle-n-Roll to the music of Kennedy & Riley. Deadline is November 1.
Checks Payable to LAOH, c/o Sharon Kelty, 4606 West 158th Street, Cleveland, Ohio 44135
Forms can be found here. Looking forward to seeing all of you!
Note: only members of the National Board and State Presidents will have a voice and a vote.
The weekend will conclude Saturday evening, November 11, beginning with the celebration of the Eucharist at 4:30PM.
As we commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, it is an honor and privilege for the AOH and LAOH to present these prestigious awards to Bertie Ahern and Kathleen Savage.
Find this column and others from the October 2023 issue here!
Marilyn Madigan
*Marilyn Madigan is the National President of the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians and a Deputy Director of the United Irish Societies of Cleveland. She received a Bachelor of Sciences in Nursing from St. John College and retired from nursing at University Hospitals of Cleveland
