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Factfile on Lodge
Name: St. Patrick's Church Temperance L.O.L. No. 1123
Founded: 1923
W.M. of Lodge: Roy Willighan
Location: Ballymena, Co. Antrim
On January 22, 1923, a historic meeting was held in the Parochial
Hall of St. Patrick's Church in Ballymena.
At that meeting were Rev. John Cullen, David Kerr, John Adams,
A. Patterson, Samuel Herbison, David McCullough, John Barr,
Francis Boyd, David McCurdy and David Magill.
These men were all members of St. Patrick's Church and they
met to discuss forming an Orange Lodge. They decided to call
the Lodge St. Patrick's Church Total Abstinence and to seek
a warrant from the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland, which was
duly granted in May 1923, Rev. Cullen's name appearing as
the first Worshipful Master.
In the early years of the Lodge four ministers were members
of L.O.L. No. 1123, which changed its title to Temperance
in 1954.
Over the years the Lodge has had three banners, the second
of which was given to a Lodge in Falkirk in Scotland, where
members of the Lodge have travelled to celebrate the Scottish
Twelfth since the early 1950s. The tradition is also maintained
by the Falkirk brethren travelling to Ballymena to join members
of St. Patrick's Lodge.
The banner is actually in the Lodge possession today and
has Battle of Britain L.O.L. No. 295 on one side and St. Patrick's
Church Temperance L.O.L. No. 1123 on the other.
The Ballymena Lodge is well known for its excellent initiative
in sponsoring an annual St. Patrick's commemoration parade
through the 'city of the seven towers' and helps to underline
the great tradition of St. Patrick's ministry in County Antrim
and elsewhere in Ulster. The Lodge has also been very active
in other fields too; they have taken part in the Rossnowlagh
demonstration on a number of occasions and in the Jubilee
parade in London.
The Lodge celebrated the Queen's Jubilee with a year long
programme of events and has also been well represented at
Drumcree. With 56 members on the roll, the Lodge may be the
youngest Lodge in Ballymena District but it is also determined
to continue being a progressive and forward-looking Lodge,
keen to promote Orangeism at every opportunity.
The oldest and longest serving member of the Lodge is Bro.
Robert Balmer, who has been a member for 58 years, and he
represents a family which has long been prominent within L.O.L.
No. 1123. Youngest member of the Lodge is Bro. Colin Crawford.
The Lodge is led by Roy Willighan (WM), Richard Smyth (DM),
Noel Surgenor (Secretary), Rodney Quigley (Treasurer), Wallace
Barkley (Chaplain), and Tyler Bob Peachy. The committee comprises
Sammy McAuley, John Balmer, Alec Garrett, Davy Kernoghan and
Joe Barr.
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