Of the dozen or more trips the Editor of Freemasonry Today and I have enjoyed photographing and writing this series of articles on masonic museums, our visit to Dublin will certainly remain the most outstanding of our travels. In organising the visit with Rebecca Hayes, the Archivist and Morgan J McCreadie, Assistant to the Grand Secretary, I happened to mention our disappointment that the Grand Lodge of Ireland should be in its August recess on our first visit to Dublin. ‘Let me see what I can do’ was the amiable Morgan’s response and he exceeded all our expectations.
    On arrival we did not know what to expect. To our delight and pleasant surprise we were welcomed by Harvey F. J. Heavener, Provincial Grand Master of the Province of Wicklow & Wexford and John Emerson, the Master of Emerald Lodge, No. 49, from Greystones in that Province. His officers and some twenty Brethren of the Lodge, which is situated outside the Metropolitan area of Dublin, accompanied them. Fifteen additional Brethren from various local Lodges were also present as guests. We were overwhelmed by this impromptu, last minute gathering and the warmth of the reception that we enjoyed.
    We entered the classically inspired Grand Temple in awe. Huge portraits of former Grand Masters and other Freemasons hung on the walls and the height of the ceiling was striking. The altar, set away from the east, supported three superbly worked large brass candlesticks dated 1820. They were the handiwork of the Cork sculptor and Freemason Thomas Kirk (1781-1845), Past Master of Lodge No. 171, Dublin.
    Kirk also designed the famous Nelson's Pillar erected in 1808, three years after Nelson’s death.
    In the west, beyond the Senior Warden’s chair, stands the magnificent and highly decorative organ, with Masonic emblems imbedded into the intricate woodwork, indicating that Grand Lodge specially commissioned it. In fact, the organ was installed at the time of the completion of the building in 1869.
    This was the first purpose-built Grand Lodge premises in Ireland, designed by the Birmingham Architect, Edward Holmes and constructed on the site of the town house of the first Grand Master, Richard 1st Earl of Rosse. The building incorporates exterior symbols of the craft in its sandstone façade making it instantly recognisable as a masonic building. The work was began by Michael Meade in 1866 and completed exactly three years later.
    Prominent is the wide staircase leading to the first floor Grand Temple and the unusual light fittings: they consist of a convoluted Masonic geometric pattern all along the ground floor corridor, continuing into what was at one time the original dining room and now houses the wonderful Museum. Similar light supports on the second floor have a Royal Arch and a keystone pattern to complement the Chapter and Lodge rooms dedicated to those Orders on that floor.
    Our meeting, I am pleased to report, though fascinating to us in its differences, was the demonstration of a standard Irish Craft initiation. The whole ceremony through the evening was conducted in a wonderfully relaxed ambiance. The candidate had only been initiated some weeks earlier and this will no doubt remain a unique experience in his Masonic career. Michael Baigent and I were invited to express our gratitude and give brief comments on aspects of Freemasonry of general interest, which we gladly did. It was a splendid evening in every way and a reminder of that very special Masonic ethos that prevails worldwide.
    The Museum of Freemasonry Early next morning, Rebecca Hayes, the young and very enthusiastic Archivist of the Museum and Library of the Grand Lodge of Ireland, welcomed us with a warm smile. Within minutes we were delving into the wonderful collection of Masonic artefacts beautifully and spaciously displayed in the Museum Room. Rebecca’s background in genealogy served her well in her initial involvement with the archival material in the Grand Lodge collection. For all practical purposes, however, since the departure of Alexandra Ward in 2000, Rebecca is the curator of the Museum.
    In June of this year the Assistant Grand Secretary and Librarian to date, D Barry Lyons, was appointed Grand Secretary, taking over the duties of the indefatigable Michael Walker. Rebecca may have lost her teacher and supervisor under whom she had enjoyed inspirational training, but she did find herself now also responsible for the compact, though important, Library, albeit under the watchful eye of her mentor Barry. Our friend Morgan, as Assistant to the Grand Secretary, has also been recruited to assist Rebecca. We looked at the Museum first. The high ceiling matching the Grand Temple above and the widely dispersed display cabinets of various sizes give the room an immediate sense of a friendly environment. It was easy to settle into the widely varying and high quality collection, well and clearly displayed and labelled, and easy to follow. Movable panels in the centre of the Museum room have been placed in order to allocate an area for visitors to listen to talks or view the video titled A World Wide Fraternity - Placing Irish Freemasonry In A Modern Day Context.
    To the left, on entering the Museum doors at the end of the main corridor, is a large tableau recreating a full size early eighteenth century scene of three Freemasons at work. The Irish Master, with his collar and silk apron visible under his waistcoat and jacket, is presenting a jewel to a fellow Brother, whilst the Senior Warden in his own regalia, sits to the Master’s right.
    The opportunity has been seized here to display on the splendid large folding table an array of beautiful and important Masonic objects. Three enormous cream slipware ale jugs at either end of the table have Masonic transfers and references to their provenance. The text on the largest of the three, 400mm in height, reads: 1797 Richard Bailey St James Lodge no. 79. Several other pieces of china including a large and colourful punch bowl are on display. Most are from the well-known Liverpool, Staffordshire and Sunderland makers but with strong imprints of Irish related transfers. Three snuffboxes made variously of tortoise shell and papier-mâché of varying sizes and shapes are displayed: all three embossed with masonic emblems.
    Several sherry glasses, tumblers and a firing glass decorate the table. The exceptionally high quality of each item is evident and impressive.
    The museum also possesses one quintessentially Irish goblet of 1884 made by the Dublin artisan Pugh, decorated with an intricately engraved pattern of garlands of shamrocks and a few other Masonic emblems. It was presented to Charles Stanford, Master of Lodge No. 227, Dublin. Another unusual glass item is the two-funnel drinking flask property of Lodge, No. 838, meeting in Carlow till 1815. But the most appealing items on the table are a charming pair of six-inch terrestrial and celestial globes by John Cary of the famed English cartographic family.
    These priceless globes on their original 4 legged stands date from c1800 and are in almost pristine condition.
    Notwithstanding their small size, they are rarer than the larger eight-inch globes. An inscription along the axis of the terrestrial globe reads: presented to lodge n. 12 by Bro Sir Eddie Borough. Still within the tableau, the Senior Warden holds an unusually shaped hexagonal ivory gavel with engraved emblems of the Grand Master, the Master and the two Wardens on each face. The text at the top reads: M Dowling Master Lodge n. 4, 1792. A similar one is set in front of the Master and has the text that reads: Lodge 153 Gift of Bro Thompson Master 21 feb 1834 with an engraved square and compass at the top of the Keystone shape gavel. Both have delicate shapely mahogany handles. The beautifully upholstered chairs in the display date back to 1820 but had to be recently restored, having been recovered from an unfortunate fire. The restoration has been carried out with professional expertise and intricate carving of Masonic emblems and design. The whole tableau is a realistic and well-balanced display that perfectly evokes the atmosphere and spirit of the period it represents.
    We have only scratched the surface of the treasures we were able to see and photograph and will conclude this review of the wonderful artefacts in Freemasons’ Hall, Dublin in the next issue of Freemasonry Today.

The Hall is open to the public weekdays 9.30 to 5.00pm and for guided tours for groups by prior arrangement. For details please call Rebecca Hayes (353) 679 6799 or (353) 679 5466.

IRISH LODGE WARRANTS

Organised Freemasonry emerged in Ireland in 1725. Evidence of these early beginnings is found in the Lodge Warrants and Certificates. It was a particular delight, therefore, to find that Lodge No. 49, had brought their original 1736 warrant with them. The one predominant difference between Irish and English workings historically was the authority granted by way of the Warrant to each Irish Lodge to work any degree that the Lodge wished or required. The oldest Irish Warrant extant - for a lodge to meet at Mitchelstown, dated 1st February 1731 - has the identical text which has been used on all Irish Warrants since including Lodge 49, stating:

We do hereby give and grant (to the Lodge members)… …to make such laws, Rules and Orders as they from Time to Time shall think Proper and Convenient for the well being and Ordering of the said Lodge…

Thus every Irish lodge may confer any degree by the authority of its warrant, having created the necessary rules and regulations in lodge to do so.