This thesis has quantified membership of the freemasons in Dublin from 1770 to 1830. In investigating the social profile of members of the brotherhood during this period this research has shown that approximately 20 per cent of Dublin masons who were registered to lodges during the 1 790s and l 820s were granted the freedom of the city of the city. Freemen, who during this period were almost exclusively Protestant, were entitled to vote, and the voting record of these Dublin freemasons at the 1806 and 1820 elections has been examined in order to ascertain the political persuasions of these masons. The • list of freeholders (who were almost exclusively Catholic) in the poll books of these two elections was also compared with the freemason register in order to ascertain how many masons were entitled to vote as freeholders at those two elections. This research indicates that masons who joined the brotherhood during the 1790s tended to be more liberal than their brethren who joined during the 1820s. However, there were both radicals and conservatives registered to lodges in this period, suggesting that Dublin freemasonry attracted members from across the spectrum of political persuasion. The freemason membership register has been compared with the list of the members of the Dublin city assembly in order to ascertain how many Dublin masons were involved in the governance of the city. This work shows • that there was a significant presence of masons on the lower house (i.e. as guild representatives, sheriffs and sheriffs' peers), but in the upper house (i.e. the aldermen and lord mayor) their presence is not as large. A comparison of the Dublin freemason register with the list of the first subscribers to the Dublin chamber of commerce in 1783 shows that some 7 per cent were freemasons. This is significant as this body was considered to be on the side of reformers. In addition to the poll books from the 1806 and 1820 elections, newspaper sources have been examined in order to build a profile of the masons during this period. Reports show some Dublin masons were 1n favour of Catholic relief during the early nineteenth century. Also, reports in the Freeman's Journal highlight the public nature of some masonic activities, such as parades, and theatre evenings.