242 Visit the Grand Lodge of Ireland
Saturday the 16th of September provided the Brethren of lodge Houstoun St Johnstone with a unique opportunity to attend a regular meeting of our good friends from the Wallace Masonic Lodge No 146 IC- held in the splendour of Freemasons Hall in Molesworth street Dublin
With some of the Brethren feeling rather fragile - the result of a salubrious Friday night out in the town of Bangor - our trip to Dublin began in earnest at around 8:30 on the Saturday morning when all 29 Brethren from 242 boarded the bus for the first part of our trip to the local Masonic lodge in Newry Co Down where the assembled brethren enjoyed the delights of a good old fashioned Ulster fry for breakfast, with a “light refreshment” thrown in for small measure.
After breakfast which “incidentally” was fit for a King, the Brethren of the lodge took 20 minutes or so to look over the lodge room at Newry with all coming away with a favourable impression of the lodge and the welcome which was afforded to us.
At approximately 1 pm we found ourselves at the Grand lodge of Ireland Molesworth Street
The RWM brother Desmond McCulloch was afforded the honour of being invited to sit in the East of the Grand Lodge of Ireland - the First Master from 242 to do so - an honour which was not lost upon Brother Desmond.
The purpose of the meeting was a conferral of the MM degree on one of Wallace Masonic lodge’s Candidates, a task which was fittingly carried out – was Comparable in content to what we know at 242 - it was never the less slightly different in Presentation in so far as the burden of toiling in the quarries rested with the Worshipful Master who took on the majority of the degree work!
After the business of the afternoon was concluded Bro- Desmond McCulloch congratulated the Brethren from Wallace Masonic lodge for the dignified and sincere manner in which they carried out their labours and proceeded to present the Worshipful Master of Wallace Masonic lodge with a ceremonial Mallet (suitably inscribed) to mark the occasion of our joint visitation to the Grand Lodge of Ireland.
After the close of the meeting a conducted tour of Grand lodge, its museum and various pendant bodies were arranged, a tour in which those to chose to partake of thoroughly enjoyed.
At 5:30pm we set of once again for the lodge in Newry where we were scheduled to enjoy an evening meal- again superbly cooked and enjoyed by all in attendance
The WM of lodge 146 thanked the Brethren of 242 for their part in making 146’s visitation to Grand lodge a success and as a small token of gratitude presented the RWM of 242 with a pair of Masonic Cuff links. Thereafter the Brethren of both lodges retired to the function suite where an hour or so of harmony and fellowship was enjoyed by the Brethren of both lodges.
The Brethren of 146 and 242 in Freemasons hall, Dublin
Home of the Grand lodge of Ireland
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