An Nuacht

The Newsletter of

The Order of the Friendly Sons of the Shillelagh - Essex Division

A 501c(3) Non Profit Organization

December 5, 2025

Shillelagh Kids Holiday Party – Saturday, December 7 at 1 PM!

Register here: Shillelagh Kids Christmas Party

The halls of the Shillelagh Club will be filled with holiday cheer as the Friendly Sons of the Shillelagh (FSOS) and the Essex Shillelaghs GAA (ESGAA) proudly host the annual Shillelagh Kids Holiday Party!

Join us on Saturday, December 7 at 1:00 PM in the Grand Hall of the Shillelagh Club in West Orange for an afternoon of Christmas magic, laughter, and community spirit.

All FSOS and ESGAA member families, along with friends from our invited organizations, are warmly welcome to attend. The day will be filled with joy, music, and excitement—especially when Santa Claus himself makes a special visit to hear what’s on every child’s wish list!

Parents are kindly asked to bring:

🎁 One wrapped gift for each of their children (clearly labeled with the child’s name).

🎁 One unwrapped gift (up to $25 value) for donation to families in need.

Target Gift Cards are especially appreciated for their flexibility and usefulness during the holidays.

Come celebrate the season Shillelagh-style—with community, generosity, and the true spirit of Christmas. Let’s make this year’s holiday party one to remember for all our young Shillelaghs!

Please register here: Shillelagh Kids Christmas Party



Date: Saturday, December 7

Time: 1:00 PM

Location: Grand Hall, Friendly Sons of the Shillelagh, West Orange

Get ready to jingle and mingle at the Annual Shillelagh Christmas Party—coming to the Grand Hall of the Shillelagh Club on Friday, December 5, 2025, at 7 PM!

This is the most wonderful night of the year, filled with holiday spirit, good friends, and great cheer! Enjoy a full open bar and a festive buffet guaranteed to make your taste buds sing with joy.

We’re calling all Shillelaghs to show off your best (or fabulously ugliest!) holiday sweater—let’s make this a great night!

Free admission for all members in good standing (2025 dues paid) and one guest.

Please bring an unwrapped child's gift for donation or Target Gift card in the value of $25 or more.

So grab your Santa hat and join us as we deck the halls Shillelagh-style!

The Friendly Sons of the Shillelagh are proud to announce that longtime member and devoted volunteer Stephen “Steve” Shaffer has been selected as a Deputy Grand Marshal for the 2026 West Orange St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

A lifelong resident of Denville with deep Irish roots, Steve has been an invaluable member of the Essex Chapter since joining after his retirement from UPS in 2016. Today he serves on the FSOS Executive Board, where his enthusiasm, work ethic, and commitment to service shine through. Steve plays a key role in many of the club’s charitable efforts—our annual food and coat drives, Back-to-School Backpack initiative, and the Mayor’s Holiday support program—ensuring our mission makes a real impact in the West Orange community.

Steve’s dedication has been long recognized within the club; he was honored as Shillelagh Man of the Year in 2024. His involvement extends across the broader Irish-American community as well, including the Knights of Columbus, the Sons of the American Legion, the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick (Morris County), IAATO, and the Eddie Mal Association. He also volunteers for causes such as Wreaths Across America, reinforcing his longstanding commitment to veterans and the elderly.

Steve and his wife, Michele, reside in Denville and are the proud parents of three daughters—Anne, Molly, and Colleen—each successfully forging their own path.

Please join us in congratulating Steve on this well-deserved honor. His selection as Deputy Grand Marshal reflects not only his devotion to Irish heritage, but also his unwavering service to the Shillelaghs and the community we serve.

A Message of Gratitude from the FSOS - Essex 

Thanksgiving Giving Drive Co-Chairmen

Dear Brothers,

This year’s Thanksgiving Giving Drive reminded us once again what it means to be a Shillelagh to serve, to give, and to stand together for something bigger than ourselves.

Thanks to the generosity of our members, we were able to provide eight full Thanksgiving dinners, each feeding up to seven people. These meals, prepared by Uncle Giuseppe’s of Morris Plains, were delivered directly to local families in need, families who might not have otherwise had the chance to gather around a holiday table.

One of the families we were honored to help, was a young mother of three who had been placed in hospice care. Tragically, she passed away two days before our delivery. When I spoke with the person who brought her family their Thanksgiving dinner, they told me how much our gesture meant, not just the food itself, but the care and compassion it represented. It’s in moments like these that we see the true heart of our organization.

What makes the Friendly Sons of the Shillelagh so special is that much of what we do happens quietly. No fanfare, no spotlight, just good people doing good things. And that’s the very essence of who we are.

As we look ahead, we hope this spirit continues to inspire us. The Thanksgiving Giving Drive has become more than an event it’s a reflection of our values as Shillelaghs: community, kindness, and brotherhood.

Let’s carry that same warmth into next year and beyond, ensuring that our kindness continues to reach those who need it most.

With pride and gratitude,

Michael Coyne & Ronan Boyle

Thanksgiving Giving Drive Co-Chairmen

Friendly Sons of the Shillelagh - Essex

The Shillelagh Club invites all members, families, and friends to celebrate Irish New Year’s Eve on December 31, beginning at 3:00 p.m.

Join us for a great time as we ring in the New Year on Irish time with a live televised countdown from Ireland at 7:00 p.m. It’s the perfect way to welcome in 2026 with your Shillelagh family!

No cover, cash food & bar.

Women of Irish Heritage Honors the Essex Shi-Ladies

On Saturday, November 22, 2025, the Women of Irish Heritage, Inc. celebrated its 52nd Anniversary Gala at Ravello’s in East Hanover, NJ. The evening featured music by the Mike Perry Band, a hot and cold buffet, and open bar as the community comes together to honor exceptional women of Irish heritage.

This year, the program paid special tribute to Gwen Glazier, the 2025 Irish Woman of the Year, as well as to our own Essex GAA Shi-Ladies, who were recognized as “Friends of the Women of Irish Heritage.”

For the Essex Shillelaghs, this was a proud moment. The Shi-Ladies have been a cornerstone of our our club since 2024—supporting our youth programs, raising funds, organizing cultural activities, and standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the ESGAA in every endeavor. Their recognition by the Women of Irish Heritage was a fitting tribute to the countless hours they have dedicated to our club, our players, and the Irish community of Essex County.

A special word of thanks to Ronan Boyle, Ciara O'Donoghue and Charlie Glaws whose tireless efforts have brought the ladies program to fruition.

Congratulation Shi-Ladies!

December 13, 2025, 12:00pm - St. Patrick's Guard of Honor, Annual Luncheon, Hanover Manor,$100pp Info & Tickets

January 17, 2026, 9am - AOH Div. 9 Trip to SHU vs Butler

January 18, 2026, 1pm - Irish Organization Kick Off Party, Shillelagh Club

March 17, 2026, FSOSP 122nd Annual Dinner, Hanover Manor, East Hanover, NJ

Editor's Note: Ancient Ireland & History Roundtable is presented by the History Committee of the FSOS and hopes to bring to life the richness of Irish history with curated and authored articles by members. Submissions for publication are encouraged, subject to Editorial staff approval.

Proinsías Dubh

By Marty Meehan



Amidst Ireland’s rugged north-west, there arose a figure whose daring exploits and charmed escapes became the stuff of legend—a man sung about in ballads that echoed through the valleys and hills of Donegal and Fermanagh. His name was Proinsias Dubh, the Black Francis, a highwayman whose reputation for audacity and wit transcended the confines of mere crime, transforming him into an outlaw hero, a real-life Robin Hood of the Irish hinterland.

Born in modest circumstances in the middle of the eighteenth century, Francis McHugh entered this world near the quaint village of Pettigo. The McHugh’s home, a small lease-hold farm, had once been part of a larger estate before the cruel tides of the Plantation stripped away their land, leaving the family to bear the scars of lost inheritance and a future marred by suffocating tenancy. With jet-black hair, Francis earned his nickname, 'Dubh,' a dark, resounding call among the locals, marking him from youth as a figure of both striking appearance and defiance.

Growing up amid the remnants of land lost to foreign conquest, Francis’s heart kindled with resentment for the unjust rulers who wielded power over their ancestral grounds. Like many young men of his time, he found himself drawn into acts of quiet rebellion—poaching rabbits in the woods, salmon from the river, chickens, ducks—anything to feed his family and stave off hunger’s relentless grip.

His notoriety grew quietly but steadily, his reputation a whisper on the wind, inspiring both fear and admiration in equal measure. The band he led—comprising men like James McQuade from Monaghan, Brian McAlinn of Fermanagh, Tarlach Muireas from Tipperary, and the fiercely loyal Patrick ‘Supple Dick’ Corrigan—became a formidable presence in Tyrone, Fermanagh and south Donegal. Their hideouts were tucked within the rugged upland stretches between Pettigo and Barnsmore, secret sanctuaries amid the mountains.

One tale tells of the gang relieving the British Red Coats of seventy thousand gold sovereigns near the village of Killeter and how they hid the bounty in a foal’s skin before burying it. Rumor remains that the treasure is still in that spot “in line with the three spires during the last rays of the setting sun on the twenty second of June”.

Despite the law’s relentless pursuit, Black Francis was a man of principles—as formidable in his sense of fairness as in his daring. He believed that only the wealthy—those who amassed fortunes at the expense of the poor—deserved his wrath. His rules were simple: target only the rich, and treat women with respect, never abusing or insulting them. These codes, along with his meticulous planning, made him a legend among the folk—an elusive figure who borrowed nothing but kindness and left behind a trail of stolen riches and whispered stories.

In retaliation for the crown’s seizure of the storied Lisgoole Abbey near Enniskillen, Francis and his men raided the house in the spring of 1780. While relieving the house of its valuables, Francis was mindful of the owner’s daughter, Miss Armstrong, and protected her from possible attack by one of his men. The gang made their escape but were pursued by the Irish Militia. The group scattered but McHugh and Supple Dick were chased to the edge of the Sillees River just outside Enniskillen. Rather than allow themselves to be captured the men aimed their horses toward the river and jumped the twenty-foot span in a single leap. Some say Supple Dick made his escape to the United States not long after this adventure.

The tides of fortune, ever fickle, turned against Dubh one cold spring day. It was Hilliard, a trusted man of the local market and, unbeknownst to Francis, a traitor in disguise, who finally brought about his fall. Hilliard, long thought a friend, had secretly passed information to the Royal authorities, a serpent whose treachery would cost Francis dearly. Not long after Lisgoole, during a routine raid near Irvinestown in Fermanagh, the trap was sprung. A troop of soldiers, reinforced and bristling with anticipation, awaited the band of outlaws.

Francis, in the lead, was quick to sense danger as the routine plan turned into chaos. The soldiers closed in on their position, shots ringing out as the outlaws scrambled for cover. Amid the tumult, Francis was apprehended. Shackled in chains, he was transported to Enniskillen Gaol, where the bleakness of his confinement offered a stark contrast to the daring hero he had once been. For over a month, he languished in a dark, damp dungeon, the heavy iron around his wrists a reminder of how swiftly a man’s fate could turn. An empty coffin was placed in his cell for company.

His trial was swift, held on the 2nd of May, 1780, a day that would forever mark his story in the annals of Irish folklore. Before the court, he was presented as both outlaw and patriot, a symbol of resistance against tyranny. Miss Armstrong, the lady Francis had protected in Lisgoole, appeared unexpectedly in court. Her courage and compassion shone and she offered to pay reparations for his thefts and spoke candidly of his acts of bravery and kindness, saving her honor at great personal risk.

Yet, her pleas could not sway the stern justice that demanded retribution. The court sentenced Francis McHugh to death—a verdict met with a collective hush that fell over Enniskillen. The day of the execution was shrouded in a tense silence, as the town gathered in trepidation and curiosity, their hearts heavy with a mix of grief and admiration.

On the gallows, Black Francis faced his end with dignity and poetic resignation. His oratory was eloquent, painted with the rich words of a man who knew his legend would live on in stories spun by firesides for generations. When told to hurry up with his speech, Proinsías Dubh responded that, while the hangman’s day was long, his own would be, without a doubt, quite short. As the noose tightened around his neck, he looked out over the crowd, offering a final, solemn nod, the black beard framing his resolute face. His death was the end of a chapter, yet the legend was far from over.

After his execution, the McHugh family transported his body across Lough Erne by boat to be waked in Bannagh. Black Francis was buried in an unmarked grave in Templecarne graveyard a few miles north of Pettigo. The stories of his heroic deeds, his unwavering sense of justice, and his daring leap across the Sillees River persisted. His story did not fade into silence; it only grew louder in the mouths of bards and storytellers who honored his memory.

On the gallows, Black Francis faced his end with dignity and poetic resignation. His oratory was eloquent, painted with the rich words of a man who knew his legend would live on in stories spun by firesides for generations. When told to hurry up with his speech, Proinsías Dubh responded that, while the hangman’s day was long, his own would be, without a doubt, quite short. As the noose tightened around his neck, he looked out over the crowd, offering a final, solemn nod, the black beard framing his resolute face. His death was the end of a chapter, yet the legend was far from over.

After his execution, the McHugh family transported his body across Lough Erne by boat to be waked in Bannagh. Black Francis was buried in an unmarked grave in Templecarne graveyard a few miles north of Pettigo. The stories of his heroic deeds, his unwavering sense of justice, and his daring leap across the Sillees River persisted. His story did not fade into silence; it only grew louder in the mouths of bards and storytellers who honored his memory.

About the Author

Marty Meehan has served as a trustee of the Essex FSOS, is currently chairman of the Sports Expo Committee and sponsor of the ESGAA. A longtime, devoted member of the club, Marty hails from Derrygonnelly, Co. Fermanagh and played senior GAA football with NY Donegal in the 2000's.

On behalf of our FSOS Brothers in Old Bridge

John Hatton, a long-time member of the FSOS Old Bridge and the pipe major of their pipe band, received devastating news this past summer: he was diagnosed with advanced liver cancer. As John faces this difficult journey, his wife Regina is also courageously battling cancer, a fight she has been enduring for some time. Together, they are the loving parents of two wonderful girls, Brigid and Grace, who are their world.

The challenges of facing cancer are overwhelming, and the financial strain has become immediate and urgent. With both John and Regina focusing on their health and caring for their daughters, daily living expenses have become a significant burden. They are in need of support from friends, family, and the wider community to help them through this incredibly tough time.

Please keep John, Regina, Bridget, and Grace in your prayers. Any financial support you can offer will go directly toward helping them with daily living costs, allowing them to focus on healing and being together as a family. If you are unable to donate, please consider sharing their story to help spread the word. Your kindness and support mean the world to them.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-john-regina-hattons-cancer-fight

November 16, FSOS Quent Golf Outing, Myrtle Beach, SC

November 28, FSOS Casino Night

The first-ever Shillelagh Casino Night was a resounding success! A full house enjoyed great games, prizes, and craic throughout the evening. Our thanks to Karl Burke for his hard work and leadership in organizing such a memorable event—his efforts made this night one to remember for all!

Photos: Janet Burke

Shillelaghs About and About: monthly posting of members & friends at our club, at our events or proudly wearing Shillelagh Swag anywhere in the world. Bring your Swag where ever you go and send pics to [email protected] .

Dressed for Success as an Essex Shillelagh

The Executive Board has approved the Shillelagh uniform for 2025. 

All of what is listed below is considered part of the Official uniform for all members.  

Shillelagh Blazer 

• Call Ambassador Uniform at (800) 711-5885 x104. Ask to speak with sales and tell them you are calling to order:
• Shillelagh Blazer, Style #2013 in Hunter Green 
• Price is $76.90 (as of this email) 
• Turnaround time is 2-3 weeks

Shillelagh Patch

• The Shillelagh patch will be provided by the Club for members who have secured their Shillelagh blazer. Please speak with Kevin Kinney [email protected].

Shillelagh Tie

• The Shillelagh tie is available for purchase at the Club. Please speak with Kevin Kinney [email protected].

Slacks

• We have selected one style of charcoal gray slacks that members must wear. These slacks are available for purchase on Amazon, through this link Shillelagh Slacks
• Haggar Men's Premium Comfort Classic Fit Pleat Front Pant 
• Color: Charcoal **color is the most important aspect, as it is the most visible to those viewing the Club as we march together. If your size is not available in this particular pant, please purchase a similar model in Haggar charcoal**
• Price is variable by size (as of this email)

Shillelagh Cap

• The Shillelagh cap is available for purchase from Sashay Studios, through this link Shillelagh Cap
• Price is $15.00 (as of this email)   

Shillelagh Sweater

• The Shillelagh sweater is available for purchase from Sashay Studios, through this Shillelagh Sweater
• Price is $38.00 (as of this email) 

Shirt

• White button down dress shirt

Shoes 

• Black dress shoes



Looking forward to seeing everyone looking good come parade season!

An Nuacht is published monthly by the Corresponding Secretary, Jim McGuire with Funding Support from:

For information, submissions or advertising, please contact Jim McGuire at [email protected]