ALEXANDRIA, VA-The Ancient Order of Hiberinans hosted their annual St. Patrick’s Hooley Saturday, March 9, at the Basilica School of St. Mary. The event served as a fundraiser for Christ House. This year’s celebration welcomed the community to an evening honoring Irish culture and heritage.
Vice President of the local Alexandria Herbert-Cady Division, Ken Wolfe, expressed his excitement of funds raised at this year’s event. “Two years ago we raised $8K for Christ House, last year $9K, and this year’s Irish Hooley raised $11K for Christ House,” he told The Zebra.
Christ House in Old Town is a program of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Arlington. It provides free daily meals to those with food insecurity. Christ House also houses a food pantry and provides emergency assistance to those in need.
Murphy’s Irish Pub provided food and drink for the celebration. Local Irish musician Pat Garvey played live music. Irish dancers from the Boyle School of Irish Dance and O’Neill James School of Irish Dance showed off their skills to the crowd, and bagpipes played, creating an authentic Irish atmosphere.
Ticket holders participated in a silent auction and raffle.
The Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH) is America’s oldest Irish Catholic fraternal organization fostering and preserving Irish culture. The local Herbert-Cady Division, established in 2011, is active in the local community and its membership grows each year.
