Which fraternal organization is known for its involvement in St. Patrick's Day parades?

The Ancient Order of Hibernians is the fraternal organization especially known for involvement in St. Patrick’s Day parades.

The AOH is an Irish Catholic fraternal organization founded in the United States by Irish immigrants. Its early purposes included protecting Catholic churches from anti-Catholic hostility and assisting Irish Catholic newcomers facing discrimination and difficult working conditions.

The organization became closely connected with public Irish-American life, including major St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. In New York City, the AOH organized the St. Patrick’s Day Parade for roughly 150 years, until control passed to an independent committee in 1993. It has also remained associated with parading in parts of Northern Ireland.

The AOH should not be confused with the Knights of Columbus, another Catholic fraternal organization with a broader membership and mission. Nor is it simply a generic Irish-American society: “Hibernians” refers specifically to members of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, whose name draws on Hibernia, the Roman name for Ireland.