Inaugurated on 19th January 2009, under the Irish Constitution, the Lodge takes its name from Belfast, the capital city of Northern Ireland, and the Belfast Masonic Lodge No 257, when it merged with Finaghy Masonic Lodge No 651.

Click Here for History of the original Belfast Lodge No. 257 1885 - 2008

History of Finaghy Masonic Lodge No 651 from 1935 - 2008

Finaghy Masonic Lodge No. 651 held its first meeting in January, 1935, when W.Bro. A. M. Wedderburn was installed as Worshipful Master. Some of the founding brethren were also members of Lowe Memorial Presbyterian Church, at Finaghy, and their Christian principles brought in a ban on the intake of alcohol, which lasted until the mid '90s.
The first meeting took place in rooms over Hatch's Hardware Shop at Finaghy Cross Roads. After a few years however, they moved two doors down to above the local newsagents.
These premises were leased out at a peppercorn rent. A properly laid-out lodge room, a dining room and a kitchen were installed, making the Lodge self-sufficient. Over the years three lodges joined 651 at Finaghy, they were Stewartstown No.783, Strathearn No. 680 and Woodland No. 8-nought-3, as well as a Chapter and a Lodge of Instruction.

During its lifetime the Lodge had a few prominent members:

Tommy Priestly who was Master in 1952, but before the war played football for Linfield, Chelsea and Ireland (as it was then).

Sam Cree (1975) was a well-known popular playwright with such titles as "Cupid Wore Skirts" and "Don't Tell the Wife" to his credit; he also wrote scripts for the some of the "Carry On" films.

The most notable Brother, however, was Right Worshipful Brother George Power. George and John Hood took a great interest in the Masonic Boys' and Girls' Schools and raising funds and awareness.
George Power wrote many books on freemasonry 'A Masonic Miscellany' being one of the more recent.
George's degree work was unique; there was not a degree he could not deliver accurately, and with a relaxed style which was quite refreshing to the recipient as well as the brethren.

However, all good things come to an end and in 1985 when the lease on the Masonic hall ended, the Lodge moved from Finaghy to Freemasons' Hall, Arthur Square, Belfast, where it enjoyed a strong period with a goodly flow of new members.

In 2006 disaster struck; over a three-month summer period five members died. With fewer new members coming through a decision had to be taken about the future of the Lodge.
On 21st November 2008, the longest attending Past Master W. Bro J D Pollock closed the last meeting of Finaghy Masonic Lodge No. 651.

At 6.51pm on Monday 19th January 2009, the Lodge reopened as:

The Belfast Masonic Lodge No. 651

Past Masters of Finaghy Masonic Lodge No. 651

1935 A M Wedderburn	1936 S G Duckworth	1937 J K Carlisle
1938 H Page	1939 R Dixon	1940 J Barnes
1941 C H Robinson	1942 J A Shaw	1943 M A Gillespie
1944 J Caldwell	1945 J H Smith	1946 S T Fleming
1947 T Magowan	1948 R Mulholland	1949 S J Marks
1950 H Hearnden	1951 G Milliken	1952 T J Priestley
1953 S Sharp	1954 J A Spence	1955 D White
1956 C R J Anderson	1957 T Curry	1958 R E C Reavy
1959 J E McMillan	1960 G Power	1961 P J F McBride
1962 A Shaw	1963 S D Shaw	1964 W J Hood
1965 D J Williamson	1966 F Uprichard	1967 D G Lynn
1968 J B White	1969 C Lynn	1970 J Hewitt
1971 J Armour	1972 J R Taggart	1973 H Snoddy
1974 J E Cathcart	1975 J D Pollock	1976 J Johnston
1977 J Johnston	1978 J J Robertson	1979 K Crawford
1980 R D T Gibson	1981 W E Anderson	1982 P Wright
1983 T G Murtagh	1984 W Lennon	1985 J J Scarlett
1986 J H Frazer	1987 J H Frazer	1988 C Maguire
1989 I Cathcart	1990 W McGrath	1991 R W Wilson
1992 L R McGrath	1993 J D Mezza	1994 J D Mezza
1995 R P Brotherton	1996 H G McGrath	1997 T W Quaite
1998 M T Bowman	1999 D S Fletcher	2000 D Lennon
2001 A K Reid	2002 A K Reid	2003 S A Strange
2004 R D Hughes	2005 R McKibben	2006 R E L Reavy
2007 G Sleith	2008 A W Macpherson

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