Grand Lodge of Ireland
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The Grand Lodge of Ireland is the second oldest Grand Lodge of Freemasonry in the world. 1725 is the year celebrated in Grand Lodge anniversaries, since the first evidence for its existence comes from the Dublin Weekly Journal of June 26 1725. This describes a meeting of the Grand Lodge of Ireland to install the new Grand Master, the 1st Earl of Rosse, on June 24. The Grand Lodge has jurisdiction over 13 Provincial Grand Lodges covering all the Freemasons of the Island of Ireland, and another 12 provinces worldwide.
There is considerable evidence of Masonic Lodges meeting in Ireland prior to the eighteenth century. The story of the "Lady Freemason", Elizabeth St. Leger, dates to a time prior to the existence of the Grand Lodge, also there are records of a Lodge meeting in Trinity College, Dublin as far back as the 1680s. The oldest artifact of Fraternal Masonry in Ireland, and one of the oldest masonic artifacts in the world is the Baal's Bridge Square, which dates from 1507. The brass square was recovered from Baals Bridge in Limerick during excavations and is inscribed with the phrase, "I will strive to live with love and care, upon the level and by the square."
During the eighteenth century most Lodges met at inns, taverns and coffee houses. The meetings of the Grand Lodge however, generally took place in civic and guild buildings. During the early 1800s the Grand Lodge was leasing No. 19, Dawson Street in Dublin which is the current home of the Royal Irish Academy. From Dawson Street, the Grand Lodge moved to Commercial Buildings on Dame Street until Grand Lodge along with most Metropolitan Lodges moved to a new, purpose built facility on Molesworth Street.
In 1869 the current, purpose built headquarters of Irish Freemasonry, Freemasons' Hall on Molesworth Street, opened, housing dramatically decorated Lodge rooms, a library, museum, offices and dining areas.
Contents |
[edit] Provincial Grand Lodges in Ireland
- Antrim
- Armagh
- North Connaught
- South Connaught
- Down
- Londonderry & Donegal
- Meath
- Midland Counties
- Munster
- North Munster
- South Eastern
- Tyrone & Fermanagh
- Wicklow & Wexford
[edit] Provincial Grand Lodges Overseas
- Bermuda
- Far East
- Ghana
- India
- Jamaica
- Malaysia
- Natal
- New Zealand
- Nigeria
- South Africa Northern
- Southern Cape Province
- Sri Lanka
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
[edit] Metropolitan Area
- The Metropolitan Area of Dublin contains 34 Masonic Lodges which are managed by a board under the Grand Lodge of Ireland.
[edit] Grand Masters
| Election | Name |
|---|---|
| 1725 | Richard Parsons, 1st Earl of Rosse |
| 1731 | James King, 4th Baron Kingston |
| 1732 | Nicholas Netterville, 5th Viscount Netterville |
| 1733 | Henry Barnewall, 4th Viscount Kingsland |
| 1735 | James King, 4th Baron Kingston |
| 1736 | Marcus Beresford, 1st Viscount Tyrone (later Earl of Tyrone) |
| 1738 | William Stewart, 3rd Viscount Mountjoy |
| 1740 | Arthur St Leger, 3rd Viscount Doneraile |
| 1741 | Charles Moore, 2nd Baron Moore of Tullamore |
| 1743 | Thomas Southwell, 2nd Baron Southwell |
| 1744 | John Allen, 3rd Viscount Allen |
| 1747 | Sir Marmaduke Wyvill, 6th Bt |
| 1749 | Robert King, 1st Baron Kingsborough |
| 1751 | Lord George Sackville (later Viscount Sackville) |
| 1753 | Hon. Thomas George Southwell |
| 1757 | Brinsley Butler, Lord Newtown-Butler |
| 1758 | Charles Moore, 6th Earl of Drogheda |
| 1760 | Charles Moore, 1st Earl of Charleville |
| 1761 | Sir Edward King, 5th Bt |
| 1763 | Thomas Nugent, 6th Earl of Westmeath |
| 1767 | Ford Lambart, 5th Earl of Cavan |
| 1769 | Edward King, 1st Earl of Kingston |
| 1770 | William FitzGerald, Marquess of Kildare |
| 1772 | Randal MacDonnell, Viscount Dunluce |
| 1774 | George Rochfort, 2nd Earl of Belvedere |
| 1776 | Garret Wesley, 1st Earl of Mornington |
| 1777 | William FitzGerald, 2nd Duke of Leinster |
| 1778 | Randal MacDonnell, 6th Earl of Antrim |
| 1782 | Richard Wellesley, 2nd Earl of Mornington |
| 1783 | Robert Deane, 1st Baron Muskerry |
| 1785 | Arthur Hill, Viscount Kilwarlin |
| 1787 | Francis Annesley, 2nd Viscount Glerawley (later Earl of Annesley) |
| 1789 | Richard Hely-Hutchinson, 2nd Baron Donoughmore |
| 1813 | Augustus FitzGerald, 3rd Duke of Leinster |
| 1874 | James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Abercorn |
| 1886 | James Hamilton, 2nd Duke of Abercorn |
| 1913 | Richard Hely-Hutchinson, 6th Earl of Donoughmore |
| 1948 | Raymond Fredrick Brooke |
| 1964 | John Hely-Hutchinson, 7th Earl of Donoughmore |
| 1981 | Dermot Chichester, 7th Marquess of Donegall |
| 1992 | Darwin Herbert Templeton |
| 2001 | Eric Noel Waller |
| 2006 | George Dunlop |
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- Waite, Arthur Edward (2007). A New Encyclopedia of Freemasonry. vol. I. Cosimo, Inc.. pp. 400. ISBN 1602066418.
