Fr. Gary Donegan speaks while accepting a Christmas Appeal grant last year.
The Ancient Order of Hibernians will present $150,000 in Freedom for all Ireland (FFAI) grants to 19 applicants, on Saturday, April 5 in a live webinar broadcast from the Houben Centre, located on the grounds of Holy Cross Church in Ardoyne, Belfast.
Each grant winner will speak to Hibernians across the United States about their work for Irish freedom and how much they count on AOH donations. The webinar broadcast will begin at 10 a.m. Eastern Time and 3 p.m. in Ireland.
Said an AOH release: "Each year the Ancient Order of Hibernians makes a special Christmas Appeal to raise funds for groups working for freedom for all Ireland. This year, under newly elected AOH President Sean Pender, members of the AOH set a new record, and will be contributing $150,000. Sean Pender will be in Belfast along with Freedom for All Ireland Chair Martin Galvin and Deputy FFAI Director Bob Bollbach to make the presentations."
The AOH said that this year's grants would be especially important in the light of the British Labour government adopting "the same austerity and legacy injustice policies imposed by the Tories."
Holy Cross is the location where, 25 years ago, Catholic girls were subjected to a vicious campaign of sectarian abuse on their way to attend their primary school. The Houben Centre has been a major recipient of FFAI Christmas Appeal support.
Continued the release: "Among the recipients this year are the Ballymurphy Massacre Campaign, and Bloody Sunday Trust, whose respective half century battles for justice have been an inspiration to victims’ relatives across the north.
"Others awarded grants because of their work in fighting for legacy truth were Relatives for Justice and the Witness Project. The EALU center was awarded a grant for its work with Republican ex-political prisoners in Tyrone.
"A heritage grant was awarded to the St. Patrick Centre. Both Belfast National Graves and Tyrone National Graves were awarded grants for their work in honoring and caring for the graves of Irish patriots. Joe Doherty, who spent years in a New York prison battling extradition, is scheduled to speak on behalf of the Greater New Lodge Commemoration Committee.
"The Bogside Artists and Martin McGuinness Foundation were among the Derry grant winners. Green Cross, Duchas-Oriall, Committee, Bridges Beyond Boxing, and the O’Neill-Allsopp Memorial Band will also be grant recipients. Among the first time recipients are the Ardoyne Youth Club and Eileen Hickey Museum."
"A special contribution will be made to Ireland’s Future in the form of an AOH sponsorship for Ireland Future’s major event in Philadelphia in April."
The YouTube Live link for the webinar is https://youtube.com/live/cVSoEQYaBNo. The Zoom link is https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_vVssaxwURMellOy9Ni-hAg.
