Sean Haggerty named “Hibernian of the Year”
From the Allegany County Ancient Order of Hibernians, pictured is Haggerty with President Pat Doughtery
The Allegany County Ancient Order of Hibernians, Division #1 had their annual year end meeting at Wellsville Brewing on December 10th to elect Officers for 2025 and to announce several significant donations to area charities and to present an AOH Scholarship Check. 2024 AOH Division President Patrick Dougherty presented Cooper Brockway of Wellsville who is the 2024 Allegany County AOH Scholarship winner. Cooper is the son of Mr. & Mrs. Bryan Brockway of Wellsville and is a 2024 graduate of Wellsville High School. Cooper has just completed his first semester at Alfred State College majoring in Engineering and has been very active in area Wellsville community as well as being a standout scholar, athlete and peer mentor at Wellsville High School. Cooper has also assist the local AOH Division in past Island Park car show fund raisers.
President Dougherty also presented AOH President awards to AOH Division Historian Mike McCullough for his continued active service on all AOH Division Events as well as Matthew Cannon and Brian Cannon for their efforts in organizing the AOH Car Shows, Road Bowling and Shortest Saint Partrick’s Day parade in Wellsville. Chaplin John Embser and Patrick Dougherty also presented Matthew Cannon with an AOH Sign for his 4 year of Presidency and Division leadership from 2020-2023.
The Main Division Award Recipient of 2024 Hibernian of the Year was Sean Haggerty of Wellsville, NY who has devoted extensive time to the local AOH Division’s Fund raiser events while also perfecting his Irish Smoked BBQ Talents and skills for our Road Bowling Events. President Dougherty stated “Sean is an extremely hard worker and does whatever is required to make our AOH Road Bowling, Worlds Shortest Parade and Annual AOH Car show events a success-he is a great asset to the Wellsville community!”
In addition to the above awards, President Dougherty announced that the Allegany County AOH Division #1 has and will be making the following donations to local charities as well as a local First Responder donation as follows:
-$1,000 in local Food Cards was made earlier this month to Jim Campbell at the Allegany County catholic Charities Food Pantry in Wellsville, NY. Jim and his team provide food to over 1900 local food challenged individuals and meet a great community need of fighting hunger.
-The Cuba, Fillmore and Alfred, NY local Food pantries will each be getting a $250 AOH Check shortly to help their local efforts in combating hunger in Allegany County. NY.
-Wellsville Salvation Army-will also be getting a $250 donation from the local AOH Division for their food bank helping local families.
-Allegany County District #4 Fire Control-will receive a $500 AOH Check to add to the new EMS Firefighting Air Truck Fund for Allegany County Fire District #4 which services the Southeastern region of Allegany County
President Dougherty noted that our Local AOH Division tries to support local charities and assist local organizations so that the Division’s charitable Donations stay and help our local community. The Division has been active in supporting the fight to eliminate hunger in the county and will continue to do so. Our AOH Division also wants to support higher Education and scholarship and our award to Cooper Brockway of Wellsville reflects this support. Dougherty also notes that we want to help the local first responders and fire companies and the new air truck vehicle helps a large portion of Allegany County, NY.
On deck for the 2025 AOH year will be the Worlds’ Shortest (12’ long) Saint-Patricks Day parade in Downtown Wellsville in March , The Annual Irish Road Bowling Tournament Fundraiser Kilbane Road in Andover, NY and the early September annual AOH Park in the Park Car Show in Island park in Wellsville, NY. More to follow on all 3 of these local AOH Irish Events! 2024 President Patrick Dougherty will switch to being Chairman of the AOH Standing Committee in 2025 as current Vice president John Dean of Andover will be 2025 AOH Division President. Current Standing Committer Chair Matthew Cannon will become Vice President in 2025 with all other officers remaining the same.
The local AOH Division wishes everyone “Nooaig Shona” (Merry Christmas in Gaelic). For more information visit the local Allegany County, NY Facebook Page www.facebook.com/WellsvilleAOH
