Orange Order, St Johnston and Carrigans
The Carrigans LOL used to meet at Molenan in 1866. In later years, they moved to a small hall in Carrigans, just opposite Killea Parish Church on the Main Street. Brother Robert Mc Clelland was the W.M. of this lodge in 1891. In 1921, the hall was given up and eventually became a cottage. The order then began meetings in Carrigans Memorial Hall, Back Street, Carrigans. This hall was burned to the ground through arson on the 8th September 1971. The Order lost a lot of valuable items and the Carrigans Pipe band was left without its instruments and uniforms. The Order then met in St Johnston Orange Hall for a short time.
In 1944, Carrigans LOL marched on the 12th July to St Johnston. A band was assembled from many surrounding areas led by Robert Orr. A couple of hundred people participated. They encountered some harassment in the village of St Johnston and someone had painted a swastika on the Church wall. Afterwards they marched back to Carrigans Hall and had tea and refreshments.
In a poem written about the occasion entitled Carrigans Parade to St Johnston 1944 the following verse appeared:
The ladies
of the District
Did rally one and all
And each man was served with a cup of tea
That day in Carrigans hall
For Bradley and Sherrard
May their memory never fade;
To them be all the honour
Of arranging this parade
On the ninth of July 1997, minor attacks were made on St Johnston Orange Hall.
Representatives of and members of the Orange Order visited Aras an Uachtarán in early May 2006. David Mahon the Grand Master for Donegal asked that funding be provided for repairs and improvements for Orange Halls including the St Johnston Orange Hall.
May 12, 2006