The Grand Lodge of Ireland

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 26 June 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 18th 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 18th 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 19th century 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.

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
  

Provincial Grand Lodges Overseas

• Bermuda
• Far East
• Ghana
• India
• Jamaica
• South East Asia
• Natal
• New Zealand
• Nigeria
• South Africa Northern
• Southern Cape Province
• Sri Lanka
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe
  

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 Frederick 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