Editing Ancient Order of Hibernians (section)

{{short description|Irish Catholic fraternal organisation primarily active in the US}}
{{EngvarB|date=October 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox fraternity
| name = Ancient Order of Hibernians
| letters = AOH
| crest = AOH Logo 2001.svg
| image_size = 170px
| founded = {{start date and age|1836|5|4|df=yes}}
| birthplace = [[New York City]], [[New York (state)|New York]], US
| affiliation = Independent
| type = Fraternal order
| status = Active
| scope = International
| colors = {{color box|#009352}} [[Shades of green|Green]], {{color box|#FFFFFF}} [[White]] and {{color box|#F79730}} [[Orange (colour)|Orange]]
| emphasis = [[Irish Catholic]]
| address = PO Box 437
| city = [[Oreland, Pennsylvania|Oreland]]
| state = [[Pennsylvania]]
| postal code = 19075-0437
| country = United States
| website = {{URL|https://aoh.com/}}
}}

The '''Ancient Order of Hibernians''' ('''AOH'''; {{Langx|ga|Ord Ársa na nÉireannach}}<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZrFMHmsMmWAC&q=%22Ord+%C3%81rsa+na+n%C3%89ireannach%22&pg=PA370|title=Shillelagh: The Irish Fighting Stick|first=John W.|last=Hurley|date= 2018|publisher=Lulu.com|isbn=9781430325703|via=Google Books}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://tomhasnateanga.blogspot.com/2014/01/libel-slander-drinking.html|title=Libel, Slander, Drinking|access-date=12 December 2018|archive-date=15 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181215225100/http://tomhasnateanga.blogspot.com/2014/01/libel-slander-drinking.html|url-status=live}}</ref>) is an [[Irish Catholic]] [[fraternal organization]]. Members must be male, [[Catholic Church|Catholic]], and either born in [[Ireland]] or of [[Irish people|Irish]] descent. Its largest membership is in the United States, where it was founded in New York City in 1836.

The name was adopted by groups of Irish immigrants in the United States,{{sfn|Miller|1973|pp=209–215}} its purpose to act as guards to shield Catholic churches from [[Anti-Catholicism in the United States|anti-Catholic]] forces in the mid-19th century, and to assist Irish Catholic immigrants, especially those who faced discrimination or harsh coal mining working conditions.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}<!--'working conditions' claim unsupported by article body--> Many members in the coal mining area of [[Pennsylvania]] allegedly had a background with the [[Molly Maguires]]. It became an important focus of [[Irish American]] political activity.{{sfn|Miller|1973|pp=209–215}}