All Rights Reserved Ancient Order of Hibernians and Logo are Trademarks of the Ancient Order of Hibernians in America Inc.
“Friendship, Unity and Christian Charity”
Ed Casey Award
AOH JERRY O'KEEFE DIVISION #3 HIBERNIANS PRESENT 2009 ANNUAL EDWARD CASEY AWARD TO THE LOS ANGELES POLICE EMERALD SOCIETY PIPE BAND
On June 27, 2011, AOH Division #3 of Orange County presented the seventh Annual AOH Edward Casey award, and what a day it was for the Irish! We were extremely proud to be part of the ceremonies and witness AOH Division #3 Chaplain, Father Michael “Mike” Hanifin receive this year's award for his outstanding leadership and guidance in the AOH. . In fact, Father Hanifin is the first priest to receive this prestigious award. Father Mike was a very popular choice with the Brothers and Sisters of our great Order. He was very appreciative and most gracious in his comments regarding Edward Casey, the Casey family, and receiving the award. .
This AOH award is named in honor of the late Edward Casey, (Father of Terry Casey, lead singer of the Fenians), a Hibernian leader from the early 1960's in Orange County.AOH members believe that Ed Casey and Michael J. Farrell Sr.served as an inspiration and mentors to early Hibernians organizing the Ancient Order of Hibernians in Orange County.
early efforts resulted in the forming of Division #1 in 1962, now the Brothers of Saint Patrick Division in Midway City (with reformations in 1971, and 1992) , the Michael J. Farrell Division #2 (1995) in Anaheim and the Jerry O'Keefe Division, South Orange County #3 in June of 2001.
early efforts resulted in the forming of Division #1 in 1962, now the Brothers of Saint Patrick Division in Midway City (with reformations in 1971, and 1992) , the Michael J. Farrell Division #2 (1995) in Anaheim and the Jerry O'Keefe Division, South Orange County #3 in June of 2001.
Ed Casey's America Dream
Casey was a man who hailed from County Mayo and also lived in Ballaghadereen County Roscommon , Ireland. After the war, like so many young Irishmen of his time, Ed had to travel to England to seek employment and became a carpenter.It was there that he met and married the love of his life Kathleen Hegarty, a native of County Cork.He eventually had the opportunity to follow his dream of traveling to the US and in 1956 he packed up his wife and his two young children, Geraldine and Eamonn, and finally made the trip to America aboard that great ship, the Queen Elizabeth.He landed in New York City and spent three years in Buffalo, New York before heading west to California in 1959, he settled in Orange County and immediately became part of a very close and active Irish American Community.
Orange County, Ed had his third child Terry and enrolled all of his children in the local Catholic school.Ed was a dedicated Catholic and was devoted to the school and parish of Immaculate Heart of Mary, which itself had a large population of children from Irish families.In l964, he organized a group of dads to help develop the last phase of the school by soliciting donations and by physically building the additional classrooms every day after work during that summer.Many years later, he took up the same challenge as a member of the fundraising committee to build St. John Neuman Church, his new parish in Irvine. He further supported Catholic causes by giving his time and energy to the Christian Brothers of St. Patrick.He and his good friend Tony Beirne built the original booths for the first fundraisers supporting the Festival at the Brothers of St. Patrick.In addition, he was a member of the Knights of Columbus in Orange County and previously, as a young man, overseas.
Casey was a man who hailed from County Mayo and also lived in Ballaghadereen County Roscommon , Ireland. After the war, like so many young Irishmen of his time, Ed had to travel to England to seek employment and became a carpenter.It was there that he met and married the love of his life Kathleen Hegarty, a native of County Cork.He eventually had the opportunity to follow his dream of traveling to the US and in 1956 he packed up his wife and his two young children, Geraldine and Eamonn, and finally made the trip to America aboard that great ship, the Queen Elizabeth.He landed in New York City and spent three years in Buffalo, New York before heading west to California in 1959, he settled in Orange County and immediately became part of a very close and active Irish American Community.
Orange County, Ed had his third child Terry and enrolled all of his children in the local Catholic school.Ed was a dedicated Catholic and was devoted to the school and parish of Immaculate Heart of Mary, which itself had a large population of children from Irish families.In l964, he organized a group of dads to help develop the last phase of the school by soliciting donations and by physically building the additional classrooms every day after work during that summer.Many years later, he took up the same challenge as a member of the fundraising committee to build St. John Neuman Church, his new parish in Irvine. He further supported Catholic causes by giving his time and energy to the Christian Brothers of St. Patrick.He and his good friend Tony Beirne built the original booths for the first fundraisers supporting the Festival at the Brothers of St. Patrick.In addition, he was a member of the Knights of Columbus in Orange County and previously, as a young man, overseas.
Catholicism was part of who he was and it formed the basis for a very idealistic view of life.Because of his idealism, in l962 he was the founding President of the first Orange County Division of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, which was chartered in Midway City at the Brothers of St Patrick, which is still a hub of the local Irish community to this day.He also belonged to the Irish National Caucus, an organization founded by Fr. Sean McManus to lobby Congress for Irish Nationalist and Irish civil rights causes.Later he was a member of Irish Northern Aid.A strong believer in the rights of the working man, he was very active in the United Brotherhood of Carpenters, Local 1453. Ed built a career in the building trades with Lusk Homes, over seeing construction of thousands of beautiful homes in Southern California.
Casey was a very proudman...he was proud of his family, his faith and his Irish roots. He instilled those values in his children and they have continued in his love of all things Irish.His son Terry continues to promote Irish culture through his Irish band The Fenians.And he has several granddaughters who teach and perform Irish Dance and have completed the circle of his American journey by returning to Ireland to compete in the World Competition of Irish Dancing held there every year.
Casey was a very proudman...he was proud of his family, his faith and his Irish roots. He instilled those values in his children and they have continued in his love of all things Irish.His son Terry continues to promote Irish culture through his Irish band The Fenians.And he has several granddaughters who teach and perform Irish Dance and have completed the circle of his American journey by returning to Ireland to compete in the World Competition of Irish Dancing held there every year.
Casey passed away on June 6, 1988.
