Coleraine Orange Hall was opened on Easter Monday, 17^th April 1911, and the occasion will be celebrated by Coleraine Orangemen when they hold a parade and re-dedication service on Friday 15^th April. They will be joined by the Grand Master of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland, Most Worshipful Bro. Edward Stevenson, and other visitors including Mrs D. Kirkpatrick and Mr R. Crawford, whose great-grandfather and grandfather respectively, were members of the building committee.

The hall was built on land donated by Bro. Hugh T. Barrie, M.P., at an estimated cost of £1,500; with subscriptions from members of the Order, the general public and a considerable contribution from the ladies of the town who held a bazaar and various other events. The architect was Mr S. J. McFadden and Bro. William Callaghan was the contractor for the hall which was described as being one of the ‘finest in the North of Ireland’.

The foundation stone for the hall was laid on Easter Monday, by Mrs C. E. Strong (for Lady Bruce); Mrs F. H. Watt; Mr Hugh T. Barrie, M.P. and Major J. A. W. O. Torrens (representing Mr George H. Moore-Brown). To celebrate the opening of the hall brethren from many districts, including Belfast, Londonderry, Magherafelt and Ballycastle took part in the parade through the streets of the town, which were lined with holiday-makers.

The hall was opened by Mrs H. T. Barrie and the gathering was addressed by Bro. H. T. Barrie, Mr John Gordon and Rev. Canon Dudley and others; the first public function, a social and concert, was held in the hall that evening.

The decision to build an Orange Hall was taken in 1907, when Brothers Thomas Crawford, William Wilton and Henry Evans, visited the other Lodges with the proposal. The Lodges and Preceptories had been using the Brook Schools for their meetings for about 15 years and prior to that they had met in the Lodge room at the Constitution offices in New Row.

Over the years the hall has witnessed many important occasions while serving the Orange community of the town and district. The first ‘picture-house’ in Coleraine was situated on the upper floor of the hall and during recent renovations the names of the operator and assistant operator, dated 24^th December 1912, were found written on the wall.

During World War II the hall was requisitioned by the R.A.F. leaving the Lodges to find temporary accommodation for the duration; on their return they discovered that the floor of the upstairs room, which had been used for drill practice, had suffered badly and required replacing.

Today the hall is home to L.O.L. Nos. 5, 87, 316 and 735 as well as R.B.P. Nos. 37, 99 and 212; Coleraine Browning A.B.O.D. Club also hold their meetings there; the upper floor houses Coleraine Ulster Scots Resource Centre, which is used primarily for educational purposes, which opened last year.