FOLLOWING a meeting last month between members of Tyrone County Board Ancient Order of the Hibernians (AOH) and representatives FROM Fermanagh, it looks certain that the Order will be re-established in the county early this year.
The organisation strongly supports Irish unity and its religious and moral position is orthodox Catholic.
In a New Year statement, Gerry McGeough, the president of the Order in Tyrone advised members to prepare for a “continued growth and expansion of the organisation across the county throughout 2017”.
He claimed that ‘Irish Catholic patriots’ were already rallying to the Order ‘in significant numbers’, and quoted a number of reasons for this trend.
He went on: “These are restless, uncertain times for northern Catholics. The 1916 centenary has come and gone and the promised united Ireland is still nowhere in sight.
“There is a growing sense of abandonment in the post-Brexit world, and very little confidence in the regional political institutions. Add to this, the still strong folk memory of discrimination and being ‘tramped over’, and northern Catholics instinctively recognise the need to band together”.
A native of Dungannon, Mr McGeough said detected ‘a growing backlash’ where people are being denied control in various matters.
He commented: “I have not met a single Tyrone Catholic who has said that they want an abortion clinic in Omagh or Strabane or Cookstown or Dungannon, yet our political elites are openly attempting to force these on us.”
Mr McGeough said that ‘a new Hibernianism’ was emerging to meet the challenges of the modern era.
“We need people of integrity and commitment to rally to the cause and help mould the new Hibernian Movement.”
He said the Order welcomed Irish Catholics of all ages.
“In that way, we can benefit both from the wisdom of the elderly and the high energy and idealism of our young people.”
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