Irish Freemasonry

There is no certain evidence that operative lodges existed in Ireland, and there is only a single literary allusion to a Speculative Lodge at Dublin in 1688. The first certain date is 26 June 1725, when a meeting of the Grand Lodge at Dublin elected the Earl of Rosse as its 'New Grand Master'. The Dublin Grand Lodge, however, was not the only one in Ireland. Just as in England, provincial lodges were wary of submitting to a central authority. Many of them paid little attention to directives from Dublin. while in Cork an independent Grand Lodge of Munster survived for seven years until 1773. For the rest of the eighteenth century the Grand Lodge of Ireland had no rivals and, except for the brief emergence of a Grand Lodge in Ulster in the early nineteenth century, it has continued to act as the sole Masonic authority in Ireland.

In Masonic terms, Ireland was also a model of religious tolerance. Protestants and Catholics came together in the Craft, and for many years the statesman and patriot Daniel O'Connell played an active part in Irish Freemasonry, resigning from the Craft only when a misguided belief that Freemasons were to blame for the excesses of the French Revolution led the Roman Catholic hierarchy to enforce the anti-Masonic Bulls of 1738 and 1751. This foolish action led to a great exodus of Catholics from the Craft, for which a terrible price in sectarian violence has subsequently been paid.

But despite such setbacks, Irish Masonry flourished. Lodges under the Irish Constitution were founded overseas and from 1732 it was the Grand Lodge of Ireland that issued the first travelling warrants to regiments of the British Army. While this had little impact on English Freemasonry, a later influence in English Masonry was to create an upheaval in the Craft that would have dramatic and far reaching consequences.

History of Saxena Lodge No 815 IC

The Lodge was warranted on June 2, 1960 and established at Calcutta to preserve the memory of Very Worshipful Brother RAMESWAR DAYAL SAXENA, Honorary Past Grand Deacon of the Grand Lodge of Ireland, Provincial Grand Secretary of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Eastern India, who died on July 21, 1959.The fact that the Lodge was granted its Warrant within a year of his death is suggestive of the high estimation and regard enjoyed by Bro.Saxena amongst his brethren during his lifetime.

The Lodge worked at Calcutta till February 23,1994 and was transferred to Calicut on the advice of the Rt.Worshipful Provincial Grand Master of Ireland in India, Rt.Wor.Bro.Capt.Sam B. Aga.
The first communication of the Lodge at Calicut was held at the Freemasons' Hall, West Hill, Calicut on Tuesday, June 28, 1994 when V.Wor.Bro. Capt.P.R.Datar was Installed as Worshipful Master by the Rt.Wor. the Provincial Grand Master of Ireland in India, Rt.W.Bro.Capt.Sam B.Aga, assisted by V.Wor.Bro.C.K.Marfatia, Provincial Grand Secretary.

The membership of the Lodge at that time was twenty nine,including Bro.Datar and 26 other brethren from Calicut who were Affiliated to the Lodge at its last meeting at Calcutta on February 23, 1994 when V.Wor.Bro.Sitangu Bhusan Chatterjee was in the Chair. The sagacious guidance of Rt.Wor.Bro.Capt.Sam B.Aga, disciplined response by the Brethren of Calcutta, decisive action by the Grand Lodge, the dedication of the Worshipful Master and Brethren at Calicut transformed the Lodge from the moribund to vibrant life. In the nearly 8 years at Calicut we have held 73 Communications under 9 Worshipful Masters, had 14 Initiations and 12 affiliations.

The present strength of the Lodge is 62.

Rt.Wor.Bro.E.F.Smith & Rt.Wor.Bro.S.B.Chaterjee, Past Masters of the Lodge from its Calcutta days and are continuing there membership, were elected as Emeritus Members on 8-12-2001.
This chronicle will not be complete without recording and acknowledging the tremendous, high quality and single minded exertions of V.Wor.Bro. Dr.M.G. Sahadevan, PHG Stwd of Charities, Pro.G Chaplain, who had toiled ceaselessly and passionately to bring the Lodge from Calcutta to Calicut, and once it was in Calicut to nurse and nurture it first as Senior Warden, then Worshipful Master and lastly as Secretary - and above all as a quintessential teacher.