February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
The 89th biennial AOH National Convention will take place in the Pittsburgh Hilton Hotel from July 19- 23.
Hibernians from across the nation will take part in the deliberations, meetings, seminars, workshops and take time out to go on tours, attend banquets and a variety of social, cultural and religious events.
The main business will be electing officers, setting an agenda for the next two years, and deciding which city will host the next national convention, in the year 2000.
Nineteen Hibernians have announced their candidacy for the 11 offices. Vice President Thomas Gilligan of Fort Lauderdale is uncontested in his bid for national president. Five Hibernians are running for vice president: Philip Gallagher, Connecticut; John McAnaw, Virginia; Ned McGinley, Pennsylvania; Kevin Talty, Ohio, and Patrick Troy, Virginia. The quest of 14-year National Secretary Thomas McNabb of New York for another two-year term is being challenged by outgoing National Director James Gallagher of Connecticut. Al O’Hagan of New York and John Meehan of Massachusetts Hibernians are seeking the vacated office of national treasurer.
The eight Hibernians going after the six positions as National Director are David Burke, Massachusetts; James Clarke, Washington, D.C.; Gerry Curran, Ohio; Rich Masterson, Ohio; Raymond Meehan, New York; Edward O’Hearn, Kentucky; Jerry O’Keefe, California, and Peter O’Neill, New Jersey.
Two cities are bidding for the 2000 Convention, Baltimore and New Orleans.
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All indications are that the LAOH elections will be cut and dried. The outlook is for the incumbent officers to move up one chair, without contest – Peggy Cooney of Pittsburgh to LAOH national president; Mary Dolan of Massachusetts to vice president; Eleanore Grimley of Virginia to national secretary; Mary Callanan of California to national treasurer; Mary Leathem of New York to Irish historian; Eileen McNeill of Ohio to chairlady of missions; Dorothy Weldon of Pennsylvania to the open position of chairlady of Catholic Action.
Among those scheduled to make speeches are Rep. Peter King, who will be receiving the John F. Kennedy Memorial Medal; Ray Flynn, former U.S. ambassador to the Vatican; Archbishop Sean Brady, primate of All Ireland; Ireland’s ambassador to the U.S., Sean O’Huiginn, and Sean McPhilemy, author of the controversial “The Committee – Political Assassination in Northern Ireland.”