It has worked for over 200 years to increase awareness of the Christian faith in Ireland and across the world.
[1] The Association for the Discountenancing of Vice and Promoting the Knowledge and Practice of Religion and Virtue, to Combat Infidelity and Immorality was founded in October 1792, at 7 Capel Street, Dublin, by William Watson (bookseller), Reverend Dr George O’Connor, and Reverend Singleton Harpur.
It was founded in response to the French Revolution of 1789, the distribution of the two parts of Thomas Paine's "Rights of Man", and the formation of the Society of United Irishmen.
[4] The Society was incorporated in 1801, later becoming the Association for Discountenancing Vice and Promoting the Knowledge and Practice of the Christian Religion, and during the early 19th century became involved with administering government funds supporting schools for poor children.
[5] However, following the introduction of a standardized system of primary education in Ireland in the 1830s, the ADV lost its government grants and reverted to being an evangelical publisher.