Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1908-03-14
Comparatively Small Hall Was
Adequate When Louisville
Was Site.
Southern Membership Does Not
Show Any Marked In
crease.
Big ASSEMBLY IS IN PROJECT

The growth of the Ancient Oder o.,
Hibernians in the United States has
been remarkable, one might say
phenomenal, Within the last thirty
years. While it has grown in this
State within that time the growth
here is not as marked as in some
other sections of the country. The
first division organized in Kentucky
was Division 1, of Louisville, and 1t
was for the greater part made up of
Irish members of the Cathedral par
ish.. That division was organized in
1872. 1t was quickly followed by
! Division ?, composed Of men from the
eastern section of the city and the
Hill" Then st. Patricks parish
came to the front with Division 3,
and ere long Limerick organized
Division 4.
In those old days there were street
parades and all the Hibernians were
in line on Sit. Patrick's day More
| Irish immigrants were coming to
| Louisville then than come now, and
the enthusiasm was great. The first
State convention of the order was
held in this city, and the sessions
were all conducted in the hall over
St. Nicholas Hotel, the hostelry now
conducted by former Magistrate Jo-
seph b. Keyer, at Sixth and Court
Place. In those days the entire top
floor was used as a lodge room by
various societies. The first State
delegate to a National convention
was the late John NJ. Hennessy.
The order grew and flourished, and
Kentucky Hibernians were such good
workers that they brought the Ma
tional convention to Louisville in
| 1856. Among the workers i'm those
old days were many now dead
| Matthew Curran. Thomas p. Clines,
John NJ. Hennessy, William Sullivan,
John Sullivan, James p. Rogers, John
Gillen and Thomas Cain. Other early
members are still living and can tell
| interes ting stories of times now gone
by. Martin Cusick. who has held
every position I'm the gift of the di-
vision, County and State; Thomas
Shelly, owen Keiran, Thomas
Keenan,, John NJ. Mulloy, Patrick T.
Sullivan, George J. Butler, John A.
! Murphy, James Coleman and Harry
Brady. Nearly every one of these
have held positions of honor and
trust in the order, and at least one
was a member of the National Board
When the national convention was
held here a comparatively small hall
sufficed to hold the delegates, but
now the order has grown TO such pro-
portions that it will require an as
sembly room with seating capacity
for at least 1000 delegates. Add to
these delegates the thousands of Wis
itors and you win not wonder that
the indianapolis Hibemians have Sc
cured Tomlinson Hall for the ma
tional convention to be held i'm July
Among the prominent men who were
delegates to the national convention
that met in Louisville twenty-five
years ago were Hon. Maurice F.
Wilhere, who was National President,
and at that time Postmaster of Phil
adelphia; Hon. John Fitzpatricck
Mayor of New Orleans. who after
ward became National President.
Hon. Richard c. Kerens, of st. Louis,
who has since become millionaire,
and Hon. jeremiah Crowley, then
S. rving his second term as Mayor Of
Lowell, Mass. Nearly every State in
the Union sent at least one of its
leading sons to the deliberations held
by the Hfbernians in this city.
In those days there were only a
lew AmNlNlOliS III ttiAll EDhdAts anu AAitlf
were several less States then than
now. But the membership continued
TO grow, until now the New England
States have more divisions than
there were in the United States i'm
1856. New York, New Jersey Della
ware. Pennsylvania and Maryland
show large numbers of divisions in
all their cities and towns. Though
the order is not progressing as it
should in the South, the growth is
steady. People who live in Kentucky,
and who know how immigration
from Ireland TO this section has
fallen off, will understand why the
growth of Hibernianism in the South
| is retarded
In the Northern and Western
States the growth is better than in
the South, yet all are striving for
the same end-the aims unity, fra
ternity and true Christian charity.
Since Louisville was the site of the
national convention Hibernians have
met in every section of the land, AMI
each year saw an increased number
of delegates. When the delegates
assemble in indianapolis next July
| they VIII fill Tomlinson Hall, the
largest in the Hoosier capital. Be
sides the Delegates there will be
thousands of visitors. Louisville ex-
poets to send several hundred men
aside from their delegates, the
Marching Club and Hibernian Rifles.
Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Mil
wankee and Detroit will also send
large contingents. The Lake States
and the Ohio Valley are sure to be
well represented in the big street
parade that is to add glory to the
| forthcoming assembly.
Another feature that can be noted
in connection with the A. o. II. is the
way it has grown into favor with
the clergy. Since the Louisville con-
vention men like Archbishops Farley,
! Glennon. Ryan. Corrigan, Quigley
and Ireland Bishops Feehan, Nc
Faul and others have served as Ma