BALLYCASTLE

District of Cary and Dunluce Travelling from the Diamond towards the sea front the hall sits back from the road on the hill on the left hand side just after passing the road side buildings. There is an entrance to a large car pary directly opposite to the hall on the right. Address:- Freemasons' Hall 56 Ann Street Ballycastle BT54  6AD

No. 89 Ballycastle which is situated on the Main Street of the town, known as the Quay Road. It is built on an elevated site approached by 17 steps and 3 sloping platforms. It was built in 1884 and was Constituted on St John's day the 24th June 1884. The hall was renovated in 1974 with a kitchen added on. It is a two storey building although the first floor extends only to about a quarter of the whole building the main Lodge room itself is approximately 1600 sq. ft and of course there is in addition the front porch, the dressing room, kitchen, toilets, and a small lounge.

Items of interest in the hall consist of two tracing boards bought from George Kenning of London which date back to 1880. They are copies of the famous Harris Pattern boards, about 24in by 12in, framed with a black gloss surround. An old fashioned chair sits in the hallway, which belonged to Lodge No.19 and dates back to 1830. There is a framed picture of Sir Frederick Boyd, presented in 1899, whose family granted the grounds on which the hall stands. He was a member of Lodge No. 89 Ballycastle and Apollo Masonic Lodge, Oxford. The Apollo Lodge in Oxford was also the mother Lodge of the first Provincial Grand Master of Carey and Upper Dunluce, Rt. W. Bro. Walter Bishop Mant. The most interesting item in the hall is an old Scottish sword of great antiquity. It is thought to be the kind of weapon that was used at the battle of Culloden.

The Lodge meeting in Ballycastle Masonic Hall:-