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File:FreemasonsHallDublin.jpg

Freemasons' Hall in Dublin

Freemasons' Hall, Dublin is the headquarters of the Irish Masonic Order and the home of the Grand Lodge of Ireland. It serves also as a home for Dublin's Masonic Lodges and other associated Masonic fraternities. It is a purpose built Masonic building and was completed in 1869.

Previous buildings

Prior to the existence of Freemasons' Hall on Molesworth Street, Grand Lodge of Ireland leased a wide variety of premises in Dublin throughout the 18th and early 19th centuries, such as 19 Dawson Street, now the home of the Royal Irish Acadamy and Commercial Buildings on Dame Street which unfortunately no longer stands. By the mid 19th century, preperations began to construct a purpose built home for the Grand Lodge of Ireland, culminating in the erection of the current building.

The Building Today

Freemasons' Hall is situated in the centre of Dublin City on Molesworth Street, in immediate proximity to Trinity College, [Saint Stephan's Green]], Leinster House and Dawson Street. Construction began in 1866 on the site of 17 and 18 Molesworth Street and the Hall was completed and in use in 1869. Freemasons' Hall is widely noted for its striking Victorian interiors and highly decorative meeting rooms along with stained glass windows created by the celebrated Clarke company.

Grand Lodge Room

The Grand Lodge Room serves as the primary meeting room in Freemasons' Hall. It is decorated in a Neo-Classical theme with portraits of notable past Grand Officers along the walls. The room also includes a large organ made by the notable Telford and Telford company. The meetings of the Grand Lodge of Ireland are the primary function of the Room, it is most often used by some of Dublin's Masonic Lodges. The Room is also available to the public and is frequently used for events such as concerts, book launches and even shooting for film and television.

Other Ceremonial Rooms

In total, there are five other meeting rooms in Freemasons' Hall, each designed for appendant Masonic fraternities operating as part of the Irish Masonic Order. These rooms each have their own distinctive, often elaborate interior design. For example, the Royal Arch Room is decorated in an egyptian theme which was a typical choice of décor for such a room during the high Victorian era. This Room is specifically intended for use by Royal Arch chapters. Also noteworthy is a room intended for use by Masonic Knights Templar which was designed to resemble a Medieval Chapel.

Museum, Library and Archive

The ground flood of Freemasons' Hall features a Museum which was created and opened in 1988 for the benefit of the general public. The museum features an extensive collection of Masonic regalia, antique glassware and ephemera and gives details of some well knows Irish Freemasons such as Issac Butt, Daniel O'Connell and members of the Fitzgerald family. Also displayed are items of regalia from other Fraternal Societies not related to Freemasonry, such as the Friendly Brother of St. Patrick. The museum is free of charge and open from approximately 9am to 8pm each week day and 10am to 5pm most weekends.

Freemasons' Hall also contains a Library and Archive. This is a research facility and can be accessed with the aid of the Grand Lodge Archivist. The Library and Archive consists of a huge collection of records from Irish Lodges and other Irish masonic fraternities, registers of members and a wide variety of books on Freemasonry, both modern and antique. The general public use the archive service on an extremely frequent basis when looking up family members or other information.

Tours

Viewings and Tours of Freemasons' Hall have consistently been exceptionally popular with the public on large events such as Culture Night or Heritage Week. Outside those large events, tours of Freemasons' Hall are available at 2.30pm each weekday in June, July and August. Private bookings for tours are accepted outside those times which a charge of €2 per person.

Notes

External links

[1]

Category:Masonic memorials Category:Masonic museums Category:Masonic buildings completed in 1933