Masonic Forum - Anecdotes

¤ The Grand Lodge of Ireland

With St. Patty's day right around the corner, I thought that I would explore a little bit about Irish Freemasonry by visiting their website at http://www.irish-freemasons.org. It is a fine site and a nice introduction to the Craft. The GM makes a fine opening statement and you can find links to individual lodges. I have snipped the following history of the lodge as well as the histories of individual provinces for your reading pleasure.
The GL of Ireland, aside from providing fellowship across the island, has also chartered lodges around the world including Hong Kong, Bermuda, the Far East, Ghana, India, Jamaica, Natal, New Zealand, Nigeria, S. Africa, Northern and Southern Cape Province, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. When you are done taking this tour of the island, I suggest that you extend your studies of masonry by visiting their website listed above.

A Brief History of the Grand Lodge of Ireland

The Grand Lodge of Ireland is the second oldest in the world and the first evidence for its existence comes from the Dublin Weekly Journal of June 26th 1725. The paper describes an event which took place two days previously on June 24th - a meeting of the Grand Lodge of Ireland to install the new Grand Master, the 1st Earl of Rosse. Unfortunately the exact date of the foundation of the Grand Lodge is not known, but the installation of a new Grand Master would suggest it was already in existence a couple of years. 1725 is the year celebrated in Grand Lodge anniversaries.

There is considerable evidence that there were Masonic Lodges meeting in Ireland prior to the eighteenth century, for example the manuscript known as "the Trinity Tripos" dating to the 1680s, and the Baal's Bridge Square, discovered in Limerick in the mid nineteenth century, which purportedly dates to the early sixteenth century. The story of the "Lady Freemason", Elizabeth St. Leger, also dates to a time prior to the existence of the Grand Lodge.

During the eighteenth century hundreds of Lodges were founded in every part of Ireland, and most of these would have met at inns, taverns and coffee houses. In Dublin, Lodges were known to have met in the Yellow Lion on Werburgh Street, the Centaur Tavern on Fishamble Street, and the Eagle Tavern on Cork Hill, amongst others, and in Belfast meetings were held in the Sailor on Mill Street and the Donegall Anna. The meetings of the Grand Lodge however, generally took place in civic and guild buildings such as the Tailors' Hall in Back Lane, the Cutlers' Hall in Capel Street, and the Assembly Rooms on South William Street.

Towards the end of the eighteenth century the number of new Lodges being founded increased dramatically at the same time as the popularity of the Volunteer Movement expanded. Several Lodges were associated with Volunteer Regiments, and in Dublin, the First Volunteer Lodge of Ireland No. 620 was founded by the Officers of the Independent Dublin Volunteers in 1783. The Ballymascanlon Rangers were associated with Lodge No. 222, Dundalk, and in Fermanagh there was a regiment known as the Lowtherstown Masonick Volunteers,

The political influence of the Volunteers combined with the success of the American War of Independence and the French Revolution created new ideals of democracy in Ireland. Following the founding of the Society of United Irishmen several Lodges, particularly in the north of Ireland, made public proclamations in the press about the need for reform of the Constitution. Whilst the vast majority of Lodges that did this disavowed violence as the means to an end, some were quite rebellious in their proclamations. Other Lodges, it must be said, publicly dissociated themselves from their more revolutionary Brethren.

Government pressure was brought to bear on Grand Lodge and notices were sent out reminding Lodges of the Grand Lodge Law forbidding quarrels of a religious or political nature to be brought within the doors of the Lodge. However several well known United Irishmen were also Freemasons, including Henry Joy McCracken, Henry Monroe, and Archibald Hamilton Rowan.

In 1826 the papal Bull of Leo XII against secret societies was widely promulgated in Ireland unlike the previous bulls issued against Freemasonry in the eighteenth century. Catholic members of the Order were threatened with excommunication if they failed to resign from their Lodges. One of the most prominent figures in Irish history to have been a Freemason, Daniel O'Connell, resigned after pressure was put on him by Archbishop Troy of Dublin.

The nineteenth century saw the expansion of Irish Freemasonry to all four corners of the globe with Lodges established in Australia, New Zealand, the West Indies, India and the Far East. Prominent during the century was the 3rd Duke of Leinster who presided over the Order as Grand Master for an impressive sixty one years. The nineteenth century also saw the expansion of the Masonic Female Orphan School, founded in 1792 to educate the daughters of deceased Freemasons. In 1881 a brand new school building was opened on the Merrion Road in Dublin while in 1867 the Masonic Orphan Boys School was founded.

By the 1820s the Grand Lodge of Ireland had arranged to lease No, 19 Dawson Street, Dublin, for use as the headquarters of Irish Freemasonry. From there, following a brief sojourn in the Freemasons Coffee House in D'Olier Street, the Order moved to another rented premises, Commercial Buildings on Dame Street, which became the Masonic Hall until 1869 when the present Freemasons' Hall opened for meetings. The new building was designed and purpose built as a Masonic Hall and it remains the headquarters of Irish Freemasonry, housing dramatically decorated Lodge rooms, a library. a museum, offices and dining areas.

A Brief History of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Antrim

In the early days of the 18th Century communication between Dublin and the rest of Ireland was slow, irksome and inconvenient. Travel between the Capital City and other major towns was done largely by coach which was costly and often irregular. Even by 1788 the mail coach journey between Belfast and Dublin took 3 days and often much longer in winter. As a result Lodges were, by necessity, largely independent and worked in accordance with their own ideas. Committees were established between Lodges in order to achieve some regularity and uniformity in their observance of the Laws and Regulations. Only matters deemed to be of primary importance were submitted to Grand Lodge for approval.

This system operated over several years until the report of Grand Lodge dated 27th December 1828 indicated coming changes. This was indeed the first official intimation that changes in the government of the Order were going to be implemented – that the old system was about to make way for a completely new one. The instructions issued were as follows :-

“ His Grace, the Grand Master, will appoint, on the recommendation of Grand Lodge, Provincial Grand Masters and Provincial Grand Lodges for such Counties or Districts as may, in the opinion of Grand Lodge, require such establishments for the better government of the Craft.”

Very little happened until 1833 when the Brethren of the Northern District of County Antrim, under the leadership of the Rev. Walter Bishop Mant M.A. , Archdeacon of Connor, won the approval of Grand Lodge to form the Provincial Grand Lodge of Cary and Dunluce – a geographical area that was approximately 18 miles by 12 miles. It covered the north coast between Ballycastle and Portrush and extended southward to Dervock, Stranocum and Armoy.

As “Cary and Dunluce” was the first application for Provincial Grand Lodge status it claimed seniority for the new Province. Lodges 38, 48, 223, 229, 280, 337, 414 and 1001 recommended the Rev. Walter Mant to be Provincial Grand Master and this recommendation was approved by Grand Lodge. It is interesting to note that three of these Lodges are still in existence – Nos. 38, 280, and 414.

The Rev. Mant was Installed as Provincial Grand Master of the northern part of County Antrim at a ceremony in Dublin on 6th March 1834. The first meeting of the new Provincial Grand Lodge took place in the Lodge rooms of Lodge No.229, Dervock, on Tuesday 2nd June 1834.

When the Provincial Grand Lodge of Cary and Dunluce began working, a similar body for South Antrim was mooted which met with serious and sustained opposition from a number of the older Brethren who were unwilling to part with their independence. However, a large number of Masons from Belfast and South Antrim, including the Committee which governed the area, petitioned Grand Lodge for the formation of a Provincial Grand Lodge and nominated the Marquis of Donegal as Provincial Grand Master. This was approved by Grand Lodge and Archdeacon Mant was the Installing Master of the new Provincial Grand Lodge of Belfast, Antrim and Masserene. County Antrim remained in two parts until 1848.

At this point in time, the Belfast Masonic Committee, which had held power for many years, ceased to exist. Archdeacon Mant, on receiving a Clerical promotion in 1835 to Archdeacon of Down, moved to County Down and subsequently formed the Provincial Grand Lodge of Down. However, he did not resign his office as Provincial Grand Master of Cary and Dunluce until 1846.

Many of the Lodges in County Antrim – particularly those in the rural areas – carried on as before and remained outside the remit of the new Provincial Grand Lodges. Grand Lodge was insistent that they should not be forced, against their inclinations, to join. In due course opposition declined and those Lodges eventually joined Provincial Grand Lodges, resulting in unity for the work of the Province.

The separate Provincial Grand Lodges of Antrim and Down – formed on the basis of geographical boundaries – came into being in1868 and have remained in place ever since.

Sources :-
Grand Lodge Records
Freemasonry in North Antrim; (V.W. Bro. S. Leighton PPSGW) 1934
Tablet outside Provincial Grand Lodge Room, Rosemary Street, Belfast
A Brief History of the Masonic Province of Down

In a Report of the Grand Lodge for the half year, 27th December 1828 to the 24th June 1829, will be found the following significant notice, which was in all probability framed with a view to the extinction of the Local Masonic County Committees:-

"The Grand Lodge of Ireland gives notice to the lodges under its jurisdiction, that His Grace, the Grand Master, will appoint, on the recommendation of the Grand Lodge, Provincial Grand Masters, and Provincial Grand Lodges for such Counties or Districts as may, in the opinion of Grand Lodge, require such establishments for the better government of the Craft."

The Belfast Masonic Committee, some eighteen years later, gave place in 1836 to the newly constituted Provincial Grand Lodge of "Belfast and Massereene," or of "South Antrim," the sphere of control of which Governing Body extended over a much larger district than actually described. In 1848 this Provincial Grand Lodge was superseded by a new Grand Lodge known as "The Grand Masonic Lodge of Belfast and North Down," and which at the time comprised in all 77 Subordinate Lodges, 17 of which were domiciled within the town boundary of Belfast in the County of Antrim. Twenty six lodges located in the latter county were domiciled outside the town of Belfast; and 34 lodges were domiciled outside the municipal boundary, within the northern portion of the neighbouring County of Down.

The first Provincial Grand Master of this Province was Bro. the Venerable Walter Bishop Mant who had hitherto held the appointment of Provincial Grand Master of the Province of Carey and Dunluce.

About three years after the constitution of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Belfast and North Down, i.e. in 1852 the Provincial Grand Lodge of South Down was formed. The ceremony of constitution was performed by the Venerable Archdeacon of Down, R.W. Bro. Walter B. Mant who after that ceremony proceeded with the Installation of the new Provincial Grand Master, V.W. Bro. Colonel William Brownlow Forde, D.L., of Seaforde.

At its inception the Provincial Grand Lodge of South Down consisted of 22 lodges plus a further 6 which had recently been cancelled and might be revived. The new Provincial Grand Lodge of South Down, during a period of sixteen years, held its communications twice annually, in the months of May and November, in Newry and in Downpatrick alternately.

In the latter end of the year 1868, the Grand Lodge of Ireland, having decided upon yet another re-arrangement of Masonic Provinces, so regulated matters that the "Provincial Grand Lodge of South Down" should cease to exist; and that the entire County of Down should be formed into a new Province, which would in future become known as the "Masonic Province of Down." R.W. Bro. Colonel Forde was, by Patent of Appointment, duly confirmed in the position which he had already occupied and became Grand Master of the new Province.

The first meeting of the new "Provincial Grand Lodge of Down" was called for the 10th November, 1868 and duly met in the Lodge Room of Lodge No. 86, Downpatrick on that date, representatives from twelve lodges being present and apologies from a further six being noted.

At this date some 23 Lodges were "in good standing" in the area once known as South Down and a further 20 being transferred from the Province of Belfast and North Down.

In 1877 the Provincial Grand Master, Colonel W.B. Forde, after having held office for about 25 years resigned office and the Rt. Honble. Lord Arthur William Hill, MP for West Down, was appointed in his place. The Installation ceremony was conduced by the then Deputy Grand Master of Ireland, R.W. Bro. R.W. Sheckleton, QC., and took place in the town of Newry. Lord Arthur Hill remained in office until 1905 when he resigned in favour of V.W. Bro. Colonel R.G. Sharman Crawford, DL., JP., of Crawfordsburn. The Installation of Bro. Sharman Crawford took place on 24th January, 1906 in the Masonic Hall, Ballymacarrett, Belfast. Bro. Crawford was to reign over the Province of Down until his death in 1934. The Rt. Hon. Harry Mulholland, MP., was to succeed him and down the years many other distinguished brethren have filled the Office. The present incumbent being R.W. Bro. James Kirk.

The oldest Province within the Irish Constitution is that of MUNSTER which dates from 1751. Today, the province comprises the City and County of Cork and that portion of the County of Kerry lying south of a line drawn from the head of Tralee Bay to Clydagh Bridge, including Milltown and the town of Tralee.

Prior to 1842 when the province of North Munster was established the province of Munster included Limerick, Co Clare, part of Co Tipperary and all of the County of Kerry.

Freemasonry is much older in Munster than 1751. The earliest mention in existance is 1656 when one John Champion is recorded as "Master of ye society of Freemasons". He was a wealthy land and property owner of the time.
In the early days of the 18th Century there were sufficient lodges operating to have neccessitated the creation of a GRAND LODGE OF MUNSTER. The date this Grand Lodge was established is unknown as its earliest minute which is dated 1726 is obviously not that of its foundation.

In 1733, Lord Kingston of Mitchelstown was elected Grand Master of Munster while being at the same time Grand Master of Ireland and in this way the two Grand Lodges were amalgamated.

While being happy and content to give their allegiance to the Grand Lodge of Ireland, the thirteen Munster Lodges retain a form of working which differs somewhat from that used by other Lodges of the Irish Constitution. Within the United Grand Lodge of England, the province of Bristol uses a rather similar working. It is believed that this similarity of working came about because of the close maritime trading links between Cork and Bristol in the 18th and 19th Centuries.

The Masons of Munster are always delighted to welcome visiting Brethren to their meetings. Likewise any man of goodwill interested in joining our ancient and honourable society will be given all the help and advice he may require.

Contact can be made by telephoning the Masonic Hall, 27 Tuckey St, Cork. at 021 274095 where a 24 hr answerphone is operating or by emailing one of the Lodges direct from their own homepages which are part of this site.