It's Not too Late to Get to Hamilton Irish Festival!

HAMILTON, NJ -  As Hamilton got ready to kick off its annual Irish Festival, TAPInto had a chance to sit down with Sean Pender, one of the many familiar faces that will be out celebrating all things Irish.

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Pender is also the recently elected National President of the Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH).

The 2024 festival, which runs until 9:00 p.m. tonight, is taking place at the club grounds at 2419 Kuser Rd, and for just a $5 admission charge for adults, those in attendance will have a chance to enjoy live music, Irish dance, and a wide selection of food vendors.

There is also a children’s area filled with activities between until 5:00 p.m. which includes free pumpkin decorating for the first 75 kids compliments of Longford Landscaping.

While this is the 40th anniversary of the festival, the AOH, founded in 1836, dates back much further and now stands as America’s oldest Irish Catholic Fraternal Organization.

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They trace their roots all the way back to a series of similar societies that existed in Ireland for more than 300 years, but today the Order exists across the US, Canada, Ireland, England, Wales and Scotland.

“For as long as I can remember there has been a Hibernian influence or presence in my life,” Pender said of his initial connection to the organization. “My mom was born and raised in County Kerry and my dad in County Carlow.”

“I was born and raised in Piscataway, and my father joined the Hibernians up in that area. There was a clubhouse not too far from my house in Plainfield, and he was a part of that division,” Pender reflected, adding that some of his earliest memories are from being at that clubhouse as a young child.

Pender then talked about his father being involved in a car accident outside of Gaelic Park in The Bronx, leaving him out of work for 14 months.

“It was the Hibernians who got together and put together a benefit for our family and you know when you’re seven years old, you’ve no idea what money means but my mother said that without those benefits she wouldn’t know how she got through."

“So as far as I can remember, the Hibernians have been a part of my family and as I got older I joined the Elizabeth Hibernians and moved down here in the late 1990’s.”

Pender described his election as ‘a great amount of pride’ while thanking his peers and mentors for ‘always believing in him’.

As the new president, Pender said that one of his primary goals for the Order is to put a large focus on younger members and their future.

“Through my predecessor Danny O’Connell from Ohio, as part of his board we set up a program where we’re sending 10 young members between 19 and 25 to Ireland for 10 days every year to be a part of what we call ‘The Young Ambassadors Program.’”

“Now we’re giving those members something to aspire to. We have a program based out of this area called ‘Gael Scoil’, which actually takes 7 to 16-year-olds and gives them a two-day immersion in all things Irish, whether it be language, cooking, geography, sports and we’re hoping to take that nationally."

“So not only does that appeal to younger children but younger parents who can see what the AOH does. “Also for our members within the organization, I started an under 40 advisory board for the first time ever under our administration right now.”

Pender also explained a further focus on technology and app developments while hoping to start a change in what the AOH sees as an ‘imbalanced immigration’ policy for Irish people coming to the US. He has seen a decline in Irish people getting visas to come to the US over the past few decades and wants to encourage an upturn in that trend.

Being president of any national organization is a huge deal for anyone and for Pender and Hamilton this position brings a new sense of pride to the Division.

“There’s a lot of people here who have helped me from day one when I walked in here in 1996. I still work on the fish fries, I still do whatever I have to do to help out, but it’s very rewarding to come back here,” Pender said.

“About a week and a half after I was elected, the first event I went to was Our Lady of Knock mass here. So it was very nice to come back home and be able to give thanks at a shrine that means so much to me,” Pender said. “Everybody has just been so great in their welcoming. It was great that we had such a big contingent that came down to Orlando with us.

Pender concluded by saying that throughout his time in the AOH many of his fellow Division members have stuck by his side, especially as he ascended through the ranks of the national organization, several serving as mentors.

“I learned a lot and got a lot of confidence and support in this building,” Pender said.  “I’ll still continue to give back and I’m still a Hamilton division guy at heart.”

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