During the early days the lodge enjoyed considerable prestige, having at one stage no fewer than three brethren who were members of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland. These were Captain Fearon, his son George, and Josh Harrison, all of whom enjoyed some prominence as fluent speakers, as Grand Lodge minute books will testify. Records show that L.O.L. 597 was still active in No. 2 District Dublin in 1848, and it remained so until 1854 when the warrant lapsed. The warrant did remain dormant for long and was taken up by a Bro. J. Wilson and transferred out of Dublin, to Trough district, County Monaghan, where it remained fairly active until 1893, when it again became dormant warrant was reissued in May 1896, and the lodge was subsequentlyreformed on the following 19 June in Ballynafeigh Orange Hall under the mastership of Bro. Thomas Neill, The minute books of 1896 indicate that discipline was very strict indeed:'Any brother 3 months or more in arrears with his dues was not entitled to vote on any issue whatever, any interruption when a brother is speaking entailed a fine of sixpence, a second interruption entailed a second fine of sixpence and expulsion from the lodge room, bad language was penalised by sixpence for very word used, brethren talking amongst themselves while lodge was assembled envolved a fine of threepence for every member concerned, and any brother found to be intemperate was automatically fined half a crown'. The reader may think these small sums, but in 1896 these fines were far from trifling.

Guiding Star was a well behaved and controlled lodge, and must have lookeda very fine sight when all 59 members left Ballynafeigh Orange Hall on the Twelfth of July morning 1897, uniformly dressed in scarlet sashes. The same year during the month of December the lodge organised a concert in the hall, selling 500 tickets for the event! One wonders how the ballroom would have accommodated everyone had they all turned up. 200 of the tickets were sold at one shilling (five new pence), while 300 were sold at sixpence (21/2 new pence); the minutes do not record what preference the holders of the dearer tickets have over those of the cheaper ones.

In 1898 the lodge purchased a new banner from Bridgett's for the sum of 15 pounds 13 shillings and sixpence. Fortunately details of the lodge's first banner on joining No. 10 District are still available. The banner was blue with gold fringing, with the front showing a five pointed star surmounted with a cushion and open bible, while the reverse side showed King William and full company at the river Boyne. It was greatly admired at the time, for it is recorded that other lodges borrowed it for display purposes at the lodge meetings; during these years it was customary to place the banner unfurled during lodge meetings behind the master's chair, and it is worth mentioning also that the warrants of all lodges domiciled in the hall were kept permanently displayed in frames around the walls of the Orange room.

Political problems were as prominent in the early 190(J's as they are today. I quote a passage from the lodge minute book of 1906:'Members strong in their unalterable loyalty to the present constitution of the realm are resolved to resist to the utmost all attempts by conspirators, whether exalted, notorious, or secret, who would rob us of our civil and religious liberty. We rejoice that Ulster is awakening to the grave perils which confront her and are confident that our enemies of old shall be overcome'. Times during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century were very harsh, as witnessed by minute book entries urging the brethren to give widows and children of deceased brethren all the financial assistance they could, as many were left in a virtually penniless condition, with no state benefits to sustain them. Again prices were by today's standards unbelievable: in 1905 the lodge organised a coach tour for a day's outing in County Antrim. They arranged with McNeill's of Larne to furnish them with lunch on the outward journey and high tea on their homeward journey; both meals were priced at two shillings (10 new pence) per head.