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LODGE 116 and Royal Arch Chapter 116

Unity Lodge, Carlow Address:  Athy Road, Carlow. Click for map	Meets: 3rd Monday every month, except July and August Constituted: 1789 By courtesy of Grand Lodge of Ireland, works under original warrant as issued in 1739 to Limerick. Email: Lodge Secretary No. 116
Carlow RAC 116      (Wicklow & Wexford District)	Meets: 2nd Thursday March, April, October, November.
The picture is of the Lodge room which was purpose built in 1895. Any special meeting for members of a lodge can be exciting, but can you imagine the excitement for the members of Carlow Masonic lodge 116 on May 18th 1895 on the occasion of the opening of their new lodge. Due to the increase in membership the members of Carlow Lodge 116 felt it was a necessity to build a new lodge. A site was obtained in Carlow town on the Athy road and the building of the new lodge was entrusted to a man called William Weir, from Palatine Carlow. The plans having been prepared by W. Morrisson and the painting and decoration to be done by S. Coleman and J. W. Ross. A requisition to have the new lodge dedicated in accordance with the ancient rites and ceremonies of Freemasonry was favourably received by R.W. the Provincial Grand Master of the South Eastern District, Bro. Stephen Moore, D.L, who arranged for the opening ceremony. A meeting of his Grand Lodge Proceedings commenced at 5 o'clock with a service at St Mary's church Carlow by kind permission of the rector Rev Canon Finlay. After the service, the Brotherhood then marched to the newly built Lodge for the first meeting which started at 7pm. The lodge room was filled to capacity and a large selection of visitors having travelled from a wide variety of lodges, were present. A festive board in any lodge today is a culinary delight but can you imagine sitting down to a festive board of Oxtail soup, Salmon, Lamb cutlets, curried shrimps, chicken patties, beef olives with Italian sauce, Knuckle of veal, spring chicken, Ox tongue, Limerick ham, roast fore quarter of Lamb, sirloin of beef, saddle of mutton, Vegetables included new Potatoes, green peas, seakale, cauliflower, potato croquets and Lobster salad. Just as if you thought you would have had enough at that stage, they then arrived with desserts consisted of Crystallised fruits, Muscatels, Almonds, chocolate creams, chancellor pudding, Exeter pudding, Apple tart, Rhubarb tart, liqueur jellies, Macedoine of jelly, Trifles, fancy pastries, Cheese, Watercresses. It is also understood that after the festive board every brother was offered a cigar. On 27th May 1929 a new set of rules and bye laws were presented to lodge 116 by William Fennell W.M and Canon S Ridgeway Sec. they were passed in open lodge and approved by grand lodge and those are the laws that the lodge operates under to this very day. Those rules can be found in a little blue book in lodge 116.