Original location: Irish Quarter West, Carrickfergus, County Antrim
The International Order of Good Templars, which was established in the 1870s, was just one of the many 19th century temperance organisations. The Order, like many such organisations, drew heavily on the ideals of medieval chivalry. The I.O.G.T., which drew its members mainly from Protestant denominations, took its name from the religious order of military knights founded in 1109, after the First Crusade, to guard the holy sites in Jerusalem and protect pilgrims. They styled themselves the Soldiers of the Temple of Solomon as their church in Jerusalem was on the site of Solomon's Temple, and they were popularly known as the Knights Templar.
The Order grew is size and wealth, with over 400 centres across Europe and came to be seen as a threat to medieval kingdoms. Amid accusations of heresy and heinous crimes the Order was brutally suppressed in 1312 by the King of France. Their tainted memory lived on, and in Sir Walter Scott's popular 19th century novel, 'Ivanhoe', the villain is a corrupt Knight Templar.
When the I.O.G.T. was established the founders adopted the crusading ideal, in this case against the evils of alcohol, from the medieval order, but they were careful to avoid being tainted by calling themselves Good Templars.
Many temperance organisations set up Temperance Tea Rooms to offer an alternative to the public house. They concentrated on providing good plain substantial food at moderate prices to appeal to the broad mass of people who might otherwise use the public house and fall prey to the evils of alcohol.
In Ulster I.O.G.T.Halls survive in Annalong and Bangor. The Bangor hall is now owned by the local council and in keeping with its original purpose the ban on alcohol is maintained.
