From Mike Joyce …
As this is my first post as Liaison for the Southwest (Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Arizona) it is probably appropriate to introduce myself – especially for those in the territory.
My name is Mike Joyce and I’m in Austin, TX with my wife and young son. We’ve been in Austin for 10 years now with no plans to leave. I joined the Hibernians because I wanted an Irish Catholic experience I remembered from my childhood – thanks to countless Christmas with my grandparents in Youngstown, Ohio and an Milwaukee Irish Fest or two. Unfortunately the AOH didn’t exist in Austin, so we got some guys together and created it from scratch.
I’m honored to serve and help grow the Order where the red dirt yields to the Hill Country and the desert opens into canyons. While our divisions are few and far between out here, it only means there is a lot of untapped potential in a uniquely Catholic part of the country to find new Hibernians.
Our division in Austin, TX came online four years ago and has served all of Texas as our only active division. Austin just held their 4th Annual Half-Way to St. Patrick’s Day fundraiser supporting the Gabriel Project. I am excited to report that we have a colony in Dallas/Fort Worth close to finding their 15th man. I’m confident they will be chartered in the first half of 2019. In Oklahoma, our friends in Tulsa – which is our oldest division at 18 years in the Southwest – are firing on all cylinders and our newest division in Albuquerque, NM is working hard to promote Black ’47. Congratulations to those brothers for getting involved and capitalizing on the opportunity.
What I love about the Order is how accessible all of our officers are and I am no different. Please reach out to me with your questions, membership tips, fundraising ideas, or anything that might be on your mind. You can email me at mpjoyceii@gmail.com or call me on my cell at 804-536-6067. I look forward to helping grow the Order!
