About Us

A nonprofit organization, LAOH Mary Ryan is part of the oldest Irish Catholic Fraternal orgnization in America that was formed in the 1800s to support and protect fellow Irishmen coming to America, to support and keep our Catholic faith alive, and to teach others of our Irish History.  To join you need to be a female of Irish, of Irish descent, or married to an AOH member.  For the LAOH you must be 18 and older.  For the Junior LAOH you must be 6-17.

History

The Ancient Order of Hibernians in America, Inc. was organized in New York City in 1836. The Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians was organized in Omaha, Nebraska in 1894 as the .Daughters of Erin. The Order pledged itself to God and Country. At the National Convention in Saratoga Springs in 1906, the Ladies received permission from the National Chaplain (Archbishop Farley of New York) and the National President of the A.O.H. to function as a separate organization. The name was changed to the .Ladies Auxiliary to the Ancient Order of Hibernians in America. In 1984, at the National Constitutional Convention held in Albany, NY, the Ladies voted to change their name to the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians in America. In 2004 We officially became The Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians Inc. The primary purpose of the Ladies was to protect young immigrant Irish girls coming to the United States, to assist them securing employment, to give them the opportunity to be with girls of similar circumstances and to keep them from becoming homesick and discouraged. The motto of the Ladies is FRIENDSHIP, UNITY AND CHRISTIAN CHARITY. Our patron saint is Saint Brigid of Ireland. The preamble of our Constitution states that the intent and purpose of the Ladies is to promote Friendship, Unity and Christian Charity, to foster and sustain loyalty to the Roman Catholic Church and to the United States of America among its members, to aid and advance by all legitimate means the aspirations and endeavors of the Irish people for complete and absolute independence, and to foster the ideals and perpetuate the history and traditions of the Irish people and to promote Irish culture.