A plan to relaunch an Orange Order lodge in Trinity – after the closure of the original lodge in 1966 –has been given the go ahead by the organisation’s headquarters.
However, despite agreement from the order’s hierarchy, several steps remain before the lodge can be officially set up in Trinity. Speaking to the Times, Trinity’s Press Officer, Caoimhe Ní Lochlainn, said that the College was “not aware of any request from the Orange Order to use the name of the university for this lodge”. The Orange Order also confirmed that it had yet to approach the university about setting up the lodge.
Speaking to the Times, Chris McGimpsey, worshipful master of the Dublin and Wicklow Orange Lodge 1313 and a Belfast City Councillor, said that Trinity has yet to be approached and that the College played “no role in the resurrection of the lodge”.
“As it stands it is just a bunch of Orangemen trying to get their act together to get it up and running again”, he said.
The decision to reopen the lodge was taken after it was revealed that up to 25 current and former Trinity students would be willing to join. The original lodge was forced to close in 1966 due to lack of membership. Currently, there is another lodge named the Trinity College Loyal Orange Lodge 1592 but it doesn’t have an affiliation to the College.
Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) and Ulster University also have officially recognised Orange Order societies which are funded by the universities. Speaking to the the Times, master of the reconstituted Trinity lodge, Reverend Stanley Gamble, said that he hoped “an open and inclusive Orange society can be set up at Trinity”. He said the societies in QUB and Ulster University “allow students to explore and engage with the Orange tradition”.
“The lodge looks forward to making a positive contribution to modern Irish society, and we intend to work alongside various agencies, including the Irish government and Trinity, to promote greater cultural awareness and mutual understanding and respect”, he said.
Should the Orange Order decide to seek society status it will need to permission from the university’s secretary, agree on a written constitution and collect 200 signatures from staff and students who support the society.
Trinity’s history is inextricably linked to Protestantism. Founded in 1592, the College refused to accept Catholic students until 1793. Trinity’s original Orange Order lodge also has a decorated history, housing famous figures such as the founder of the nationalist Home Rule League, Isaac Butt.
