THE PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF MEATH is part of THE GRAND LODGE of FREE and ACCEPTED MASONS of IRELAND and it consists of the Counties of Meath, Cavan, Longford and Westmeath except the town of Athlone, all located in Ireland. It meets four times per year on the fourth Wednesday in the months of March, June, September and November.

Month	Location
March	St John's Close, Virginia*
June	Oldcastle
September	Cavan
November	Longford

^*  By kind permission of Masonic Havens Ltd.

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THE PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF MEATH was constituted by order of The Grand Lodge of Ireland on April 2^nd in the year 1869.
R. W. Bro. Lord Castlemaine was appointed the first Provincial Grand Master of Meath. The Provincial Grand Lodge met for the first time on June 10^th 1869 in Carroll's Hotel, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath.

The First Provincial Grand Officers
R. W. Lord Castlemaine P. G. M. R. W. William Fetherstonhaugh   P. D. G. M. V. W. W. Anderson P. S. G. W. V. W. M. W. O'Connor P. J. G. W. V. W. F. B. Fetherstonhaugh P. G. Treasurer. V. W. G. J. d’Arcy P. G. Secretary.     W. I. Sherwood P. S. G. D.     W. Wm Matchett P. J. G. D.     W. C. T. B. Vandeleur P. G. I. G.

However Lord Castlemaine died shortly afterwards and in September R.W. Bro. William Fetherstonhaugh, of Carrick, Mullingar was appointed Provincial Grand Master.

Bro. Fetherstonhaugh appointed R. W. Bro. Dr. Babbington, of Lodge 90 - Cavan, Provincial Deputy Grand Master, and V.W. Bro. J. G. Norman d’Arcy, J.P., of Lodge 131- Mullingar, was elected Provincial Grand Secretary.

On the death of R. W. Bro. Fetherstonhaugh, Bro., the Right Hon. Col. E. R. King-Harman, M.P., was appointed Provincial Grand Master and he nominated V.W Bro. Norman d’Arcy as Provincial Deputy Grand Master.

The office of Provincial Grand Secretary vacated by Bro. Norman d’Arcy was filled by V.W. Bro. the Venerable F. E. Clarke, M.D., LL.D., of Lodge 76 - Longford.

R. W. Col. King-Harman died in 1888, and the Grand Master appointed Bro. the Most Noble the Marquis of Headfort, K.P., (Lodge 244 - Kells) in his stead, and he was duly saluted as such at a Stated Communication in Kells, on September 19^th, 1888.

On being appointed Provincial Deputy Grand Master of North Connaught, Bro. Clarke resigned the office of Provincial Grand Secretary and V.W. Bro. G. H. Miller, J.P., of Lodges 65 - Granard, 76 - Longford and 308 - Ballymahon, was elected Provincial Grand Secretary on September 17^th, 1890 at a Stated Communication held in Longford.

On the death of the Marquis of Headfort in 1894 Bro. Col. Charles Pepper, D.L., Lodge 244 - Kells, was appointed Provincial Grand Master, and on June 19^th, 1895, was saluted as such at a Stated Communication held in Mullingar.

Bro. C. H. Miller resigned the Office of Provincial Grand Secretary in 1899, and on September 20^th of that year Bro. Samuel Jones, M.A., was elected in his stead.

In 1904 R. W. Bro. G. J. Norman d’Arcy died and V. W. G. H. Miller, J.P., was nominated by the Provincial Grand Master as Provincial Deputy Grand Master in his place.

For many years after Provincial Grand Lodge was established all Meetings were held in Mullingar. It then used to meet, in turn, each year in Mullingar, Kells, Cavan, and Longford. Now it meets in all the Lodges in the Province, rotating around with four each year.

At first the Province consisted of ten Lodges, but it then increased to peak of fourteen with the addition of four Lodges: Granard (65), Kenagh (96), Belturbet (99), and Castlepollard (124). Today it consists of 12 Lodges.

List of Provincial Grand Masters

1869 - 1869 R. W. Lord Castlemaine 1869 - 1880 R. W. William Fetherstonhaugh 1880 - 1888 R. W. Col. E. R. King - Harman 1888 - 1894 R. W. Marquis of Headfort 1895 - 1928 R. W. Col. Charles Pepper 1928 - 1957 R. W. Lord Farnham D. S. O. 1957 - 1962 R. W. S. R. Brown 1962 - 1979 R. W. A. H. D. Gordon 1979 - 1989 R. W. Garret W. Tyrrell 1989 - 2000 R. W. Trevor E. Winckworth 2001 - 2005 R. W. John F. Wood 2005 - Present    R. W. Cecil P. Tilson

Lodge           Year
Cavan 1738 Ballyconnell 1763 Ashfield (Cootehill) 1794 Bailieborough 1794 Leinster (Mullingar) 1845 Edgeworth (Longford) 1857 Headfort (Athboy) 1872 Killeshandra 1875 Loughcrew (Oldcastle) 1877 King-Harman (Granard)  1885 Belturbet 1892 St John’s 2005

 

If you are interested in a general history of Freemasonry in this part of Ireland, this is a link to an article written by Larry Conlon for Riocht na Midhe, the annual journal of The Meath Archeological and Historical Society.