Kirlish “Chosen Few” Loyal Orange Lodge No. 380 crowned County Tyrone Lodge of the year
The inaugural County Tyrone Grand Orange Lodge Awards was held in the Theatre of the Burnavon Cultural Centre, Cookstown on the evening of Thursday 12th February, 2026. Tickets for the very well organised and run event sold out within a few days that had the aim to showcase the best marching bands and Lodges from County Tyrone. It certainly did all that and much more with wonderful marching band music together with well deserved finalists and winners celebrating excellence, community involvement, charitable fundraising and Christian outreach.
It was a very special night for “Kirlish Chosen Few” LOL No. 380 who lifted the final award for the evening, Lodge of the year. The Lodge is a member of Killen District LOL No. 12 in County Tyrone. A district with bands and Lodges that did very well to reach the final in a number of different categories. This was the more remarkable as the band of the year went to Aghyaran Accordion Band. Aghyaran Accordion Band is the most westerly band in County Tyrone and demonstrates through fundraising and quality of their music why they are so justifiably band of the year. This year is the band’s 70th anniversary as it was formed in 1956 and paraded for the first time at Castlederg on the Twelfth of July, 1956.
As Worshipful Master of Kirlish “Chosen Few” LOL 380 it is such an honour for my fellow Officers, Brethren and indeed myself for the Lodge to be awarded County Tyrone Lodge of the year. You can see that pride and joy in all our faces. We might be a small Lodge but the Lodge has a big heart with so much community involvement, Christian outreach and witness at the heart of everything the Lodge does. Members of the Lodge are always there to help in any way they can and that hard work shows what can be achieved.
Kirlish Orange Lodge has a very proud and long history as it has been operating on Kirlish hill, close to the plantation Castle of Castle Kirlish outside Drumquin for 230 years. From Kirlish hill in the Sperrins it has some of the most beautiful and simply stunning views to be found anywhere in Northern Ireland. Historically Kirlish or Castle Curlews as it was previously known was constructed from 1610 by Sir John Davies a poet and Attorney General of Ireland to Elizabeth I. He also built the castle at Castlederg and constructed a straight causeway 7 miles long across hills and bogs to connect them. Kirlish Castle was attacked and burnt in the Irish rebellion of 1641. The Rev. James Baxter a Protestant Minister of the parish was murdered at Kirlish during that very bloody rebellion along with other Protestant, men, women and children. Many Protestants loyal to King William from the Castlederg/Drumquin area including Kirlish would take part in the great siege of Londonderry 1688-1689 that helped to bring freedom and liberty to Europe as part of the Glorious Revolution. There is a long record of Boyne Societies and other groups celebrating the legacy of King William and Queen Mary from the 1690s in the area.
Kirlish “Chosen Few” is one of the oldest continually operating Orange Lodges in County Tyrone. After the Orange Institution was formed following the Battle of the Diamond near Loughgall, County Armagh on the 21st September, 1795 to promote Protestantism, remembrance of King William III and for mutual defence. Lodges quickly spread across Ireland and then throughout the world. Interestingly County Tyrone is home to the first Orange Lodge, Dyan LOL No. 1 and not County Armagh.
The first record of the Lodge operating can be found in the first Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland minute book dated March, 1798 when the Lodge had 30 Brethren and the Worshipful Master being Worshipful Brother John Irvine from Kirlish, but it is clear the Lodge was operating at Kirlish from autumn 1795.
The Lodge has a very eventful and colourful history, so often not just being part of history but making history. Some of the Brethren took part in skirmishes on Kirlish Hill with the United Irishmen in the Rebellion of 1798 when an orange/green standard with white to separate the colours was flown. Later still Lodge members took park in skirmishes on the hill in the 1830s. The Lodge originally being a member of Killen District Orange Lodge but would for a few years be a member of Omagh District Orange Lodge. Returning to Killen District Orange Lodge in the early 1840’s where the Lodge retains membership today. Unlike so many Lodge’s who surrendered their Warrants, a certificate issued by the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland giving a Lodge permission to operate. The Brethren of Kirlish never surrendered their Lodge Warrant even under legal request as part of Party Processions Acts from the 1820s to 1850s that banned parades which the Lodge continued to hold on Kirlish hill despite unjust laws. This means that our Lodge still operates under the original Warrant number of the 380, whereas so many Lodges received different Warrant numbers over the years after returning their originals.
The Lodge took an active part in the 1859 Ulster revival that spread out across the United Kingdom that helped gain many thousands of converts to Christ.
Members of the Lodge took part in rallies against Home Rule in Ireland and helped to organise the Ulster Volunteer Force in the area that later became part of the 36th Ulster Division. Kirlish is a short distance across the valley from the Baronscourt Estate, the ancestral home of the Dukes of Abercorn, a focal point in the history of the establishment of Northern Ireland.
On the 30th June, 1918 at the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland meeting, the Lodge was given special permission to add “Chosen Few” to the Lodge title. At that time membership would peak at 52 members, despite losing several Brethren in the Great War.
Kirlish Pipe Band would be formed in 1921, to replace the previous fife and drum band and is now one of the oldest pipe bands in County Tyrone.
The Lodge would have its first purpose built home ninety years ago when Kirlish Orange Hall would be opened in 1931, previously meeting in the homes of the Worshipful Masters. Since then Kirlish Orange hall has been at the centre of community life running dances, hosting meetings, fundraising and other cultural and religious events.
Like so many Orange Lodges it would lose Brethren in the Second World War. The first soldier from County Tyrone to be killed in the Korean War often referred to as the forgotten war was a member of the Lodge. The Lodge lost a brother who was murdered by fascist republican terrorists during the troubles in an attempt to ethnically cleanse the Protestant and Unionist community. A number of Brethren also losing close family members and friends or narrowly escaping serious injury and death. 344 brethren and sisters of the Orange Institution would be murdered during the troubles with terrorists often targeting members of the order in particular.
In more recent happier times the Lodge built a new Orange Hall and a new Lodge Banner was unfurled to mark the centenary of Northern Ireland that features paintings of the map of Northern Ireland, a Bible and Crown, Gideon's "Chosen Few" and King William III. A new upstairs extension to the hall was opened to mark the Coronation of King Charles III. The latest addition to Kirlish Orange Hall being a Memorial Garden opened on the 8th May, 2025 to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day.
Membership is on the increase in Orange Lodges in general thanks to a recent Grand Orange Lodge recruitment campaign, with increases of Brethren, Sisters and juniors right across Northern Ireland. This is also the case at Kirlish as membership of the Lodge increased by 25% during 2025.
Last year with the normal events like the annual Orange Service, Big Breakfasts and other fundraisers. The Lodge opened a new memorial garden to honour those who served in the First and Second World Wars, the Korean War and Operation Banner. The Lodge held its first Orange Victims Day, its first Armistice Day Service and its first carol service.
The Brethren of Kirlish “Chosen Few” LOL No. 380 are so proud of all they have achieved as part of the Orange family that is often never reported and will use the award to showcase all that is great by way of fellowship in our Orange institution. It is hoped the award will help to attract even more new members. Currently the Lodge has 25 members and the principal officers for 2026 are as follows: WM Stevan Patterson, DM Andrew Scott, Treasurer David Buchanan, Secretary Thomas Buchanan, Chaplin Rev. Jonny Jordan, Lay Chaplin William Mitchell, Tyler Joe McSorley and Committee foreman Noel McKane.
As County Tyrone Lodge of the year the Brethren of Kirlish “Chosen Few” LOL No. 380 look forward to their 230th Twelfth of July celebrations and parade that will be held in the local town of Castlederg on Monday 13th July, 2026 hosed by Killen District LOL No. 12.
The full list of winners for the 2026 County Tyrone Grand Orange Lodge Awards is as follows:
Christian Outreach Award
Bro. Ronald (Ronnie) McLean – Ballymacall True Blues LOL 295
Culture & Heritage Award
Somme Memorial Hall
Contribution to Lecturing Award
Bro. Robert Gilchrist – Cappagh LOL 554
Bro. Robin Kyle Memorial Cup for Lecturing
Bro. Robert Gilchrist – Cappagh LOL 554
Best Charity Fundraising Award
Killyclooney LOL 287 & RBP 64
Junior Lodge Excellence Award
Bro. Noah Erskine – Annahoe District JLOL 286
Sporting Achievement Award
Bro. Matthew Curry – Donemana LOL 503
Band of the Year Award
Aghyaran Accordion Band
Best New Banner Award
Pomeroy Faith Defenders LOL 325
Event of the Year Award
Proms on the Pitch – Roughan LOL 1031
Community Involvement Award
Bro. Keith Buchanan MLA – Moree LOL 195
Junior Lodge Membership Increase Award
Blossomhill JLOL 250
Lodge Membership Numerical Increase Award
Chambre’s Volunteers LOL 171
Lodge Membership Percentage Increase Award
Mowillan Chosen Few LOL 1436
Junior Lodge of the Year Award
Killyman JLOL 262
Lodge of the Year Award
Kirlish Chosen Few LOL 380.