The building of Kildoag Orange hall

“We never had a hall of our own, The new hall was first mentioned in January 1934 and was to be a two storey, 50 feet long and 25 feet wide construction,” he said.

“The Worshipful Master at the time was the Late Brother Robert McBeth, better known as Bob the Blacksmith. It was a big undertaking to construct a hall with only 20 members and £13 7s and 4d in the kitty. Three contractors were asked to price the building of our hall, as follows: Cairns of Claudy, £110, Knobbs of the Oaks, £95 and Allans of Donemana, £105.

“Knobbs got the contract at a meeting in April 1934. Bro Sam Buchanan took the contract and the stone for the hall was £8. Bro James Nutt got the contract for digging out the ground to build the hall at £13, while the timber and slates went to JP Corr at £100. New deeds were drawn up at a cost of £3 16s”.

According to his research, Knobbs got part payment, £20, in August 1934; another payment made in September 1934 (£40), with the final payment (£38) in October that year. William James Gardiner of Donemana got the contract to fit the roof at a cost of £11 15s, and at the meeting in May 1935 it was decided to ask Bro E S Murphy, MP, to open the hall on Saturday, June 1.

The Londonderry Sentinel on Tuesday, June 4 noted the new hall was opened in the presence of a large gathering of Orange Brethren and general public of over 700 people and bands from Claudy, Killalloo, Fawney, Killyclooney, Plumbridge, Donemana, Tullintrain, Curryfree and Kildoag attending.