Despite the miserable weather our Brethren in Redhall Lodge No 260, Ballycarry had a massive turnout of Brethren family and friends supporting their annual Easter Monday fund raising breakfast in support of the RNLI and Hope House Respite Care Centre down at Brown’s Bay, Islandmagee. Earlier in the month they decided to increase their food provision to increase the number of breakfast’s that could be provided from 100 meals up to 120 meals, which were all completely sold out by 10.30am this morning. Provincial Grand Lodge were represented with a number of senior Brethren present and a goodly number of Widow’s Sons, roared in from Comber to support the occasion. I’ve just learned that the Brethren in Redhall have raised just over £ 1,000-00 this morning for their nominated Charities.
Redhall Lodge No 260, Ballycarry is a busy lodge with many activities taking place over the year. Their next big event will be their quiz night planned for Friday the 26th April which will start in the Hall at 8.30pm. They are hoping to attract teams of six @ £ 3.00 per person, when they will conduct a number of rounds on general knowledge, TV, Film, Geography and Sport. All funds raised from this event will go towards their Lodge Building Fund. Their next Lodge meeting will be held in the Hall on the 23rd April 2024 at 7.30pm. And if we go back 208 years to 1816, when on the 24th April James Orr, the famous Ulster weaver poet and Freemason passed to the Grand Lodge Above. His monument, refurbished a few years ago by The Provincial Grand Lodge of Antrim, and others stands in Templecorran graveyard, at the top of the town in Ballycarry.
I imagine that it will depend on the amount of business on in the Lodge that night, as to how much of a memorial will take place that evening in memory of this famous Ballycarry Mason.
Robert Bashford.