Limerick Lodge of Antiquity
Masonic Order of St. Patrick
Kentucky
Chivalric Order
Who we are?
The Most Illustrious Order of Saint Patrick is a dormant British Order of Chivalry
associated with Ireland. The Order was created in 1783 by King George III at the request of the then Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, the 3rd Earl Temple (later created Marquess of Buckingham).
The regular creation of Knights of the Order lasted until 1922, when most of Ireland gained independence as the Irish Free State, a dominion within what was then known as the British Commonwealth of Nations.
While the Order technically still exists, no Knight of St Patrick has been created since 1936, and the last surviving Knight, Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, died in 1974. Charles III, however, remains the Sovereign of the Order, and one officer, the Ulster King of Arms (now represented in the office of Norroy and Ulster King of Arms), also survives. St. Patrick is patron of the order; its motto is Quis separabit?, Latin for "Who will separate [us]?": an allusion to the Vulgate translation of Romans 8:35, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?"
Most British orders of chivalry cover the entire kingdom, but the three most exalted ones each pertain to one constituent country only. The Order of St Patrick, which pertains to Ireland, is the most junior of these three in precedence and age. Its equivalent in England, The Most Noble Order of the Garter, is the oldest order of chivalry in the United Kingdom, dating to the middle fourteenth century. The Scottish equivalent is The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle, dating in its modern form to 1687.
For further information and histories, please refer to the book:
The Most Illustrious Order: The Order of St Patrick and its knights
Galloway, Peter (1999). The most illustrious Order: The Order of St Patrick and its knights. London: Unicorn. ISBN 0-906290-23-6.
Founders of the Illustrious Order of Saint Patrick
who were Freemasons
Edward Augustus Knight Founder (11 Mar. 1783)
Duke of York (1739-1767). 2nd son of Frederick Lewis, Prince of Wales, and brother to George III. Initiated in Lodge of Friendship, Berlin in 1765, the Lodge then taking the name Royal York Lodge of Friendship. Elected a Past Grand Master of the premier Grand Lodge of England on 15 April 1767.
William Robert FitzGerald, 2nd Duke of Leinster Knight Founder (11 Mar. 1783)
12/13 March 1749 – 20 October 1804 In 1770 FitzGerald was chosen Grandmaster of the Grand Lodge of Ireland, which post he held for two years. He was re-elected for another year in 1777.
Thomas Nugent, 6th Earl of Westmeath Knight Founder (11 Mar. 1783)
(April 1714 – 7 September 1792), styled Lord Delvin from 1752 to 1754 Nugent was appointed Grandmaster of the Grand Lodge of Ireland in 1763, a post he held for the following four years.
Field Marshal Charles Moore, 1st Marquess of Drogheda Knight Founder (11 Mar. 1783)
(29 June 1730 – 22 December 1822), styled Viscount Moore from 1752 until 28 October 1758, was an Irish peer and later a British peer, and military officer. He bore the colours of his regiment at the Battle of Culloden in April 1746 during the Jacobite risings and later commanded the 18th Light Dragoons during operations against the Whiteboys in Ireland. He also sat as Member of Parliament in the Irish House of Commons and, having served as Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, he went on to become Master-General of the Irish Ordnance. Was also elected Grandmaster of the Grand Lodge of Ireland in 1758, a position he held for two years.
Richard Colley Wesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley Knight Founder (11 Mar. 1783)
(20 June 1760 – 26 September 1842) was styled Viscount Wellesley from birth until 1781 and was known as Earl of Mornington from 1781 until 1799. He was elected Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Ireland in 1782, a position he held for one year.
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