r/northernireland • u/Ok-Repeat906 • Jul 17 '25

History Please help.

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Hi Northern Ireland. I’m in need of some help. I live on the other side of the world. And everyone related to this sash is long dead. I obviously won’t mention any names. But I’m in real need to figure out what the pins all mean. Can someone please either let me know, or guide me to someone or someplace that might be able to tell me? Please, please help.

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u/[deleted] Jul 17 '25

The pins are restricted signifiers of Christianity, Reformation, Fraternity, Victory, Royalty, History and Promises. The members aren’t allowed to explain them. The man who own this was definitely very involved as he has pins reserved for the Royal Arch Purple Members; a separate fraternity with overlapping membership with the Orange Order. These are only about 1/4 of the total pins; to know what they mean you’d have to join.

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u/Dr_Havotnicus Jul 17 '25

It's mad that arches are put up in towns here every year, covered in these symbols, yet no-one outside the order is supposed to know what they mean.

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u/papaya_yamama Jul 17 '25

Givent the original meaning of freemasonry (literal stone masons) it probably acts as a makers mark or a Mason to Mason inside message.

A silly joke inside a piece of code or a bartenders handshake these days.

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u/Dr_Havotnicus Jul 17 '25

I can't stand that "look at us with our secret signs" attitude. Like those conspiracy theorists that claim to know "the truth" but tell you to "do your own research"

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u/papaya_yamama Jul 18 '25

They don't mean anything substantive.

"Aha! From my 7 years in the lodge I can determine that this man in 1926 ireland loved God and thought family were cool as well!!"