Irish Cultural & Heritage Center

05/08/2025

ICHC joins the AOH in celebrating our first American Pope - Pope Leo XIV

Ancient Order of Hibernians in America Congratulate Pope Leo XIV
on being elected the 267th successor of St. Peter.

New York — May 8, 2025 — The Ancient Order of Hibernians in America (AOH) extends heartfelt congratulations and prayerful best wishes to His Holiness, Pope Leo XIV, on his election as the 267th successor of St. Peter. His election marks a special moment for American Catholics as the first pope born in the United States.

“We offer our prayers and support to Pope Leo XIV as he begins his ministry as Bishop of Rome and Pastor of the Universal Church,” said Sean Pender, National President of the Ancient Order of Hibernians.

Ad Multos Annos, Pope Leo XIV.

05/01/2025

04/07/2025

Happy National Library Week! This Year's theme is "Drawn to the Library"

03/17/2025

Happy St. PATRICK'S DAY!! Please enjoy responsibly.
Also don't forget our anual Shamrock drive is live and ready for your donations.

03/03/2025

Check your mailbox for news of our annual Shamrock Drive! Help us continue to be a resource to the Irish community in Southeast Wisconsin. We are home to many social groups, wedding ceremonies and receptions, concerts, a lending library and a nationally recognized genealogy library. But we can't do it without YOU! Didn't get the mailer? You can donate on our website. Hope to see you at the Center soon!

Help support Irish Cultural and Heritage Center of Wisconsin, Inc. by donating or sharing with your friends.

03/01/2025

Big shout out to my newest top fans! 💎 Thomas Reilly

Drop a comment to welcome them to our community,

01/06/2025

‘Nollaig na mBan’ - that’s the Irish name given to ‘Women’s Little Christmas’, celebrated on January 6 — the same day as the Feast of the Epiphany.
For some, it’s the traditional end of the Christmas season, the day we take down the Christmas tree and pack the baubles and tinsel into the attic for another year. But most importantly, it’s the day when the women of Ireland get to have time off from household chores after all the festive cooking and Christmas preparations. A special day to get together with female friends, sisters, mothers, and aunts. The men cheerfully take over the household for the day, so the women can gather together to party and have a glass of fizz.

12/26/2024

Happy Saint Stephen’s Day (Wren Day)

Wren Day [Lá an Dreolín]

Celebrated on St Stephen’s Day on December 26th, Wren Day centres on the ancient practice of capturing the wren. Folklore dictates that the wren – one of Ireland’s smallest birds and its most widespread – betrayed St Stephen, Christianity’s first martyr, leading to the symbolic hunt during Wren Day festivities.

On Wren Day, groups known as “wren boys” dress in straw costumes and colourful garments, marching through towns and villages while playing traditional Irish instruments. Their song, recorded by the Clancy Brothers in 1955, begins: “The wren, the wren, the king of all birds, on St Stephen’s Day was caught in the furze.”

Today, the tradition remains the strongest in the west and southwest of Ireland, particularly in Kerry. The custom piqued international interest in 2023, when Booker Prize-winning Irish author Anne Enright’s novel “The Wren, The Wren” took its title from the Wren Song.

12/03/2024

Remember the Irish Cultural Heritage Center this Giving Tuesday! Your tax deductible gift helps us keep the doors open and continue to provide cultural programing. You can donate using the secure link below. Thank you for your continued support!

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