Editing Ancient Order of Hibernians (section)

== Ireland ==
=== Origins ===
[[File:Members of the Ancient Order of Hibernians parading at Cormeen - geograph.org.uk - 3068974.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Members of the AOH parading at [[Cormeen]], Co Cavan]]
The organization had its roots in the [[Defenders (Ireland)|Defenders]] and the [[Ribbonism|Ribbonmen]], Catholic agrarian movements of the 18th and 19th centuries.{{sfn|Cecil|1993|p=155}} It emerged in [[Ulster]] at the end of the 19th century in opposition to the [[Orange Order]].{{sfn|Cecil|1993|p=156}} It was organized by [[Joseph Devlin]] of [[Belfast]], who was [[Grand master (order)|Grand Master]] by 1905.{{sfn|Rees|1998}} The AOH was closely associated with the [[Irish Parliamentary Party]], its members mainly members of the party.{{sfn|Garvin|2005|pp=107–110}} It was strongly opposed to secular ideologies such as those of the [[Irish Republican Brotherhood]] (the IRB), who were most unhappy at the re-emergence of this old rival "right-wing" nationalist society.{{sfn|Garvin|2005|pp=106–107}}

From a membership of 5,000 in 1900, nearly all in [[Ulster]], it climbed to 64,000 by 1909, complementing the [[United Irish League]].{{sfn|Garvin|2005|pp=107–108}} By 1914 the order had spread throughout the country, mainly because of its utility as a patronage, brokerage and recreational association.{{sfn|Garvin|2005|p=108}} As a vehicle for [[Irish nationalism]], the AOH greatly influenced the sectarian aspect of Irish politics in the early twentieth century. In Ulster and elsewhere it acted as an unruly but vigorous militant support organization for Devlin, [[John Dillon|Dillon]] and [[John Redmond|Redmond]] against radicals and against [[William O'Brien]]: O'Brien regarded himself as having been driven from [[Irish Parliamentary Party|the party]] by militant Hibernians at the "[[All-for-Ireland League#Baton Convention|Baton Convention]]" of 1909.{{sfn|Garvin|2005|p=108}}

The ceremonial aspects of the Order resembled those of the Orange Order with green replacing orange on sashes and banners.{{sfn|McMahon|2011|p=99}} This led to opponents such as [[James Larkin|Jim Larkin]] calling it the "Ancient Order of Catholic Orangemen".{{sfn|McMahon|2011|p=99}}

[[File:Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH) 1911 plaque, Kanturk, Co Cork, Ireland.JPG|thumb|right|150px|AOH 1911 plaque, [[Kanturk]], [[County Cork]]]]

=== After 1916 ===
After the 1916 [[Easter Rising]] the organisation declined outside of Ulster, its members absorbed into [[Sinn Féin]] and the [[Irish Republican Army]] (the IRA).{{sfn|Garvin|2005|p=109}} In many areas the organisation provided by the AOH was the nearest thing to a paramilitary force. On the other hand, on 13 June 1916 Joe Devlin chaired an AOH Convention in Dublin that approved the proposed [[partition of Ireland]] by 475 votes to 265.<ref>Wm O.Brien, ''The Irish Revolution'' (1923) Chapter XVII "The final surrender of the six counties [https://www.libraryireland.com/irish-revolution/final-surrender-six-counties.php] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190131040202/https://www.libraryireland.com/irish-revolution/final-surrender-six-counties.php|date=31 January 2019}}</ref>

Many [[Irish republicanism|republican]] leaders in the 1916–1923 period, among them [[Seán Mac Diarmada]], [[J. J. Walsh]], and [[Rory O'Connor (Irish republican)|Rory O'Connor]], had been "Hibs" before the formation of the [[Irish Volunteers]] in 1913.{{sfn|Garvin|2005|p=109}}

The AOH is also significant as a link between the new nationalist organisations and the century-old tradition of popular militant societies. More directly, it lingered on as a [[Pro-Treaty Sinn Féin|pro-Treaty]] support organisation. Some Hibernians fought in the [[Irish Brigade (Spanish Civil War)|Irish Brigade]] in the [[Spanish Civil War]]. The quasi-Fascist [[Blueshirts]] movement of the 1930s may, in fact, have owed as much to the Ribbon tradition which it so much resembled, as it did to continental analogies.{{sfn|Garvin|2005|p=110}}

=== Recent decades ===
Within Ulster generally, but especially within [[Northern Ireland]], the AOH remains a visible but somewhat marginal part of the Catholic community. It [[Parades in Northern Ireland|parades]] at Easter, [[Lady Day]] and a few other times a year.

At the beginning of [[The Troubles]], the AOH placed a voluntary ban on its members parading until 1975, though records of some parades taking place in defiance of the ban were reported. In 1978 an estimated 10,000 participants attended a parade in [[Kilrea]]. Since then there has been a rapid decrease of numbers and usually around twenty divisions parade at a single location.

The locations of AOH parades in Northern Ireland generally tend to be cities with a high Catholic population, coupled with the AOH's desire not to provoke trouble.{{sfn|Jarman|1997|p=107}} County Fermanagh has never hosted an AOH parade since the onset of The Troubles and County Armagh has held one. The majority of the 21 locations for parades have been in counties Antrim, Down and Londonderry.{{sfn|Jarman|1997|p=140}} On occasion when the parade has been held in an area with a significant [[Ulster loyalism|loyalist]] population it has been met with an aggressive protest, notably [[Garvagh]] in 1985 and [[Armoy]] in 1989 which held its first AOH parade in 35 years.{{sfn|Jarman|1997|p=141}}