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The Masonic Hall Phone |
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St Fin Barre’s Lodge No. 8, Cork Constituted 1808
Meets at 27, Tuckey
Street, Cork
Lodge Contact: ellardm@mac.com
St Patrick’s Lodge can trace its origins as far back as 1759, when one Bro. Richard Croker of the town of Youghal in the east of the county, was Worshipful Master. The lodge is recorded as working in Dublin in this period, and it was certainly issued there, but there is some evidence that it was being worked in Youghal at this time, although alas, Grand Lodge records of that time are lost. The warrant under which the lodge was revived in Cork is dated June 9th 1808, the first Master being John Wrixon. The first meeting of the newly-constituted lodge was held on emergency on December 12 1809. There are some interesting entries in the old minutes, one of which, dated July 19 1821, refers to the celebration of the coronation of George IV, when the lodge members processed in full Masonic dress to church, with the Mayor and Corporation, and from thence to the laying of the foundation stone of George’s Bridge over the south branch of the River Lee. On November 10 1859, the Brethren of Lodge No. 8, along with other Cork Lodges, were again in attendance at the laying of a foundation stone – that of St Patrick’s Bridge – in the presence of the Lord Lieutenant. In this period, lodge seems to have met in several different locations, initially in the residence of a Mr. George. On May 18 1823, lodge resolved to remove to the house of Bro. Giles Lee at The Crown Tavern, Austen’s Lane, which was no doubt more convivial! In 1824-25, they met in Mr. Leary’s house, and for the rest of that decade at the house of Mr. Wright, Merchant’s Quay. In 1830, lodge met in Bro. Sheehan’s in Warren Place, while a minute of Jan 13 1833 records a committee report ‘that the Imperial Hotel appears to be the best and most suitable place for Lodge No. 8 to remove to’. However, lodge did not remove there for several years, meeting in Lloyd’s Hotel during 1837, until a minute of November of that year resolved ‘that although we consider Mr. McDowell’s Ball Rooms which appear at present the only place that can be got, too large for the present members, that the Treasurer is empowered to pay a sum not exceeding £10 as our proportion of rent (other lodges also rented there) for one year, and Mr. McDowell be requested not to ask for the rooms on the first Wednesday of each month.’ The lodge then resumed working in Mr. McDowell’s Ball Room – better known now as The Clarence Room – where it met until July 1844. This room is of special significance to the lodge, both as a former a meeting room, and the location of the centenary banquet. During 1844, there was a peripatetic period frequent change to the meeting venue; these included the office of Bro. John Bennett, a room in the Victoria Hotel, followed by one above the Oyster Tavern. The first meeting held at No. 31 Maylor Street was on November 18 1844. Almost immediately, No. 31 Maylor Street became the hub of city masonry, being the meeting place of not only Lodge and Royal Arch Chapter No. 8, but also housing as tenants several Lodges and Chapters. In 1850 and 1851, proposals of tenancy from Concord Lodge No. 71 and Third Lodge of Ireland were received, and were accepted, and these lodges and their chapters continued at the premises until the move to Tuckey Street in 1926. The lodge rented their Maylor Street premises for a period, before purchasing it outright. In March 1864, a 500 year lease of 31 Maylor Street was secured, at a yearly rent of £28, with a clause of surrender every three years, and by June of that year, the brethren were already making plans for the remodeling of their premises. Specifications for the rebuilding of the premises to better suit Masonic purposes were laid before the lodge. The re-dedication of the remodeled meeting rooms was held on Dec. 18 1866, when the following report was carried in the local press:
These three lodges and their chapters were later joined at the Maylor Street premises by Hibernian Lodge No. 95 (and latterly also St Fin Barre’s No. 209 (from 1918) and Quis Separabit No. 595 (from 1924) and their royal arch chapters, and for a period, the Shandon Preceptory of Knight’s Templar also met in the building. In 1924, it was resolved that these lodges would prepare to remove to 25-27 Tuckey Street, then the meeting place of First Lodge, Provincial Grand Lodge and District Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Munster. An additional floor was built during 1925, and the last Masonic meeting held at 31 Maylor Street took place on St John’s Day, 27 December 1925. Since January 1926, Lodge No. 8 has been meeting at Tuckey Street. History of Warrant No. 8
A new warrant was issued 9 June 1808 to CORK under the title ‘St Patrick’s Lodge’. The warrant was cancelled 6 July 1826 and restored almost two years later, on 7 February 1828. A duplicate warrant was issued 16 March 1843, it being noted ‘the old one [is] lost’. In 1997, on the cancelling of ‘St Fin Barre’s Lodge’ No. 209, a compromise was reached in that the title of No. 209 was transferred to the lower number, No. 8, and ‘St Fin Barre’s Lodge No. 8’ was formed when the members united under that title.
History of Warrant No. 8 There is no record in the register of Grand Lodge as to the date of grand of the original No. 8 warrant, but it was meeting in the Eagle Tavern on Cork Hill in 1735 (Smith, 1735), and by 1744 had changed to the Plume of Feathers Tavern in Castle Street (Spratt, 1744). This number was erased, 5 November 1801. A new warrant was issued 9 June 1808 to CORK under the title ‘St Patrick’s Lodge’. The warrant was cancelled 6 July 1826 and restored almost two years later, on 7 February 1828. A duplicate warrant was issued 16 March 1843, it being noted ‘the old one [is] lost’. In 1997, on the cancelling of ‘St Fin Barre’s Lodge’ No. 209, a compromise was reached in that the title of No. 209 was transferred to the lower number, No. 8, and ‘St Fin Barre’s Lodge No. 8’ was formed when the members united under that title.
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