Irish Charitable Society
   HOME

TheInfoList



Click Here for Items Related To - Irish Charitable Society
OR:
Irish Charitable Society on:   [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Amazon]

The Charitable Irish Society of Boston was founded in 1737 and is the oldest Irish organization in North America. Its early charitable efforts focused around providing temporary loans and assistance in finding work to Irish immigrants. The society was incorporated in 1809 and established a constitution in 1810.


Involvement in the first St. Patrick's Day

The society organized the first observance of
St. Patrick's Day Saint Patrick's Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick ( ga, Lá Fhéile Pádraig, lit=the Day of the Festival of Patrick), is a cultural and religious celebration held on 17 March, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick (), the foremost patr ...
in the Thirteen Colonies. Surprisingly, the celebration was not Catholic in nature, Irish immigration to the colonies having been dominated by Protestants. The society's purpose in gathering was simply to honour its homeland, and although they continued to meet annually to coordinate charitable works for the Irish community in Boston, they did not meet on 17 March again until 1794. During the observance of the day, individuals attended a
service of worship A church service (or a service of worship) is a formalized period of Christian communal worship, often held in a church building. It often but not exclusively occurs on Sunday, or Saturday in the case of those churches practicing seventh-day Sa ...
and a special dinner.


Notable members

*
Patrick A. Collins Patrick Andrew Collins (March 12, 1844 – September 13, 1905) was a U.S. Representative from Massachusetts and Mayor of Boston from 1902 until his death. Biography Early life Collins was born March 12, 1844, near Fermoy, County Cork, I ...
* James Michael Curley *
Patrick Donohoe Patrick Donohoe VC (1820 – 16 August 1876) was an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross. Details He was approximately 37 years old and a private in the 9th Lancers, British Army during the Indian Mutiny when the following deed took place o ...
*
John F. Fitzgerald John Francis "Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald (February 11, 1863 – October 2, 1950) was an American Democratic politician from Boston, Massachusetts. He served as a U.S. Representative and Mayor of Boston. He also made unsuccessful runs for the United ...
*
Hugh O'Brien Hugh O'Brien (July 13, 1827 – August 1, 1895) was the 31st mayor of Boston, from 1884 to 1888. O'Brien is notable as Boston's first Irish and Catholic mayor, having emigrated from Ireland to America in the early 1830s. O'Brien was the editor ...
*
John C. Park John Cochran Park (1804–1889) was an American attorney and politician who served as district attorney of Suffolk County, Massachusetts, and a judge of the Newton district court. Early life Park was born on June 10, 1804, to Dr. John and Louis ...
*James McGee *Daniel Malcolm *Peter Pelham *Robert Auchmuty


See also

* Charitable Irish Society of Halifax


References


External links

* Irish-American organizations Irish-American culture in Boston Clubs and societies in Boston 1737 establishments in Massachusetts Organizations established in 1737 Philanthropic organizations based in the United States {{US-philanthropy-org-stub