STRAID No. 276 BALLYCLARE, Co. ANTRIM N. IRELAND
						Straid Lodge was originally issued with Warrant No.923 in December 1802. This was returned in 1825 for Warrant No.276, previously held by Monasterevin, Co. Kildare from 5th January 1757 to 4th July 1823. For the first 95 years this Straid had nowhere to call 'home' and held their meetings in the houses of various members of the Lodge. The earliest written record of the Lodge appears in an old school exercise book, "Minutes for 1886 of the Straid Masonic Lodge No. 276". Prior to 1871 the brethren had been unable to raise enough money for a hall, so they joined forces with Straid 'Orange' Lodge and had a hall built, the common property of both. In 1895, to stop a series of disputes, Lodge 276 waived all rights to the hall for an agreed sum. Two years later, in 1897, they had enough funds to build their own hall.
	They still reside in this 'new' hall today. (Warrant 923 lay dormant from 1825 until it was issued to Garryowen Lodge on 25th April 1998 in the neighbouring town of Larne).