The Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick grew out of the Robert Emmet Club. The latter club was formed in 1941 and founded in the name of the Irish patriot who was hanged for treason in 1803. Emmet was the leader of an ill-fated rising against British rule in Ireland. The Robert Emmet Club was established primarily as a social gathering place to bring together men who shared pride in a common heritage.
In 1955 the name of the club was changed by consensus to its present form, the Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick of New Bedford, with an incorporated constitution and bylaws. The Friendly Sons held their first function in March 1956; a dinner dance in honor of the feast of Saint Patrick. Today, while the Saint Patrick’s Day dinner dance remains a centerpiece of the annual social calendar of the association, the club hosts many functions and charitable events throughout the year.
Members gather monthly, except during the summer months, to conduct the business of the club in accordance with its stated objectives. The club does not maintain its own dedicated premises for these meetings at this time.
Our Mission
To educate and to preserve the history of the pioneers of our Country and the part that the people of Irish descent have contributed to the development of the United States, Canada and Ireland.
To sponsor and preserve cultural, charitable and social service programs. To sponsor and assist in the education of persons without concern for their national origin by providing financial and other assistance based upon merit ~ From the Constitution of the Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick
