THE MASONIC BOYS SCHOOL

RICHVIEW LODGE

1885 - 1980.

CATEGORIES OF JEWELS

THE MASONIC BOYS SCHOOL

RICHVIEW LODGE

1885 - 1980.

The following is an Article which has been reproduced from "Hidden History of UCD" (April Archive).

Richview Lodge in Clonskeagh, where the UCD School of Architecture is now based, was built in 1790 by the Powell Family.

In 1885 it was bought by the Freemasons of Ireland and developed into a Masonic Boys’ School, which only closed its doors in 1980.^[1] Various freemasonry symbols can still be seen in and around the building today.

The school, which moved from Adelaide Hall because of overcrowding, was founded to “provide for the education and maintenance of the sons of deceased members of the Masonic Order” .^[2] Sir Thomas Drew extended the school in the late 1880s. Drew was one of the most distinguished Irish architects of the 19th century. He was responsible for designing the Ulster Bank on Dame Street, Rathmines Town Hall, the Trinity College Graduate’s Building and St. Anne’s Cathedral in Belfast.^[3]

A trawl of The Irish Times archive showcases dozens of articles from the late 1800s regarding the annual “Masonic Orphan Boys School Sports” days, which became an extremely important date on the Irish sports calendar. The 1890 Sports Day boasts of “military bands and day light fireworks” - tickets were only a shilling each with Family Tickets (admitting three) on sale for only two shilling “provided they (were) applied for at the Freemasons Hall on Molesworth Street”. ^[4] In 1891, there were over two-dozen different competitions including a “one mile walking race”, “throwing the cricket ball” and a “sack race”.^[5] A Clay Pigeon Tournament was held in 1893 to raise funds for the school^[6] , the following year The Band of the Royal Dragoons played “a selection of music” on the grounds. ^[7]

The school was in the news in 1904 when Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught (Queen Victoria’s son) and his wife Princess Louise of Prussia visited the school. The royal party were given a tour of the grounds, inspected the ninety boys enrolled in the school and had tea.^[8]

Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught.

Prince Arthur was himself a Freemason and was elected Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England thirty seven times, the last when he was eighty-nine.

In 1930, the school built “an infirmary and hall” in memory of the pupils of the school who fought and died in the First World War. ^[9]

In 1944, a memorial pavilion (at the cost of £820) was built in memory of Mr. James Moore, who had been headmaster of the school from 1896-1940. ^[10] In 1969, a new £60,000 science block was added to the school and named the ‘Raymond F. Brooke Memorial Building’ honouring the late Deputy Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Ireland. ^[11]

Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation whose origins lie in the stonemasons’ guilds of the Middle Ages. Membership is only open to men, of legal age who believe in a “supreme being”.

The Grand Lodge of Ireland is the second oldest in the world with the first evidence of its existence coming from a mention in the Dublin Weekly Journal in 1725. ^[12] In the thirty-two counties today, there are 700 Masonic lodges made up of 35,000 freemasons.

The symbol of the crossed compass and set-square (see below) is the most easily identifiable symbol of Freemasonry. The compass supposedly represents spirituality and divinity (i.e. Heaven); while the set-square is supposed to embody mortality and impermanence (i.e. Earth). According to the Masons, together these symbols embody the union of earth with the heavens, or matter and mind. The Eye of Providence (which sits between the compass and set-square) represents the all-seeing eye of God.

In 1980, UCD bought Richview Lodge and its estate of 17.4 acres for £2.1million. ^[13] This was provided by the government in consideration of the college’s agreement to vacate part of the Merrion Street Building. Richview Lodge and its surrounding building now accommodates the UCD School of Architecture, Landscape and Civil Engineering.

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[1]Donal McCartney, UCD: A National Idea, The History of University College, Dublin (Dublin, 1999), 397
[2]Patrick d’Esterre, “Masonic Boys School”, The Irish Times, July 23, 1964.
[3]Architects of Ireland – Sir Thomas Drew (1838-1910) http://ireland.archiseek.com/architects_ireland   /drew.html
[4]Anon, “Athletic Sports at the Masonic Orphan Boy’s School”, The Irish Times, July 3, 1890.
[5]Anon, “Masonic Orphan Boys School Sports Annual Sports”, The Irish Times, June 29, 1891.
[6]Anon, “Clay Pigeon Shooting Tournament At Clonskeagh”, The Irish Times, May 5, 1893.
[7]Anon, “Masonic Orphan Boys School Sports Annual Sports”, The Irish Times, June 22, 1894.
[8]Anon, “Masonic Orphan School Clonskeagh, – Visit of the Duke and Duchess of Connaught”, The Irish Times, April 20, 1904.
[9]Anon, “Masonic Orphan Boys School – Memorial Hall and Infirmary Opened”, The Irish Times, June 30, 1930.
[10]Anon, “Memorial to late Headmaster”, The Irish Times, May 1, 1944.
[11]Anon, “New block at Masonic boys’ school”, The Irish Times, May 26, 1969.
[12]Website of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Munster http://www.munsterfreemason.com/Freemasonry _in_Ireland.htm [Accessed 20th April 2009]
[13]Donal McCartney, UCD: A National Idea, The History of University College, Dublin (Dublin, 1999).

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