The Freemasons of Ireland are making a €2,500 donation to charity following criticism over an interview featuring Conor McGregor and US commentator Tucker Carlson, which was filmed at their Dublin premises.
The interview, lasting 55 minutes, was uploaded to Carlson’s YouTube channel and has already attracted over 1.4 million views.
It included discussions on McGregor’s plans to run for the Irish presidency, immigration and Donald Trump.
The Grand Lodge of Ireland said it was unaware of the true nature of the event when it approved the venue hire. In response, the organisation issued an apology and confirmed it would be making an anonymous donation to a suitable non-political charity.
An internal investigation into how the Grand Lodge Room was used has also been launched.
The incoming grand master expressed strong concern over the damage caused, describing the use of the venue as grossly inappropriate.
He told members that the incident had caused significant harm to the organisation’s reputation and pledged to ensure the group remains neutral and respectful of its values.
In a message sent to members, Richard S G Ensor stated that the Freemasons do not comment on political matters and deeply regret allowing their premises to be used for political conversation.
He called on members to help restore the organisation’s image and expressed personal disappointment over the situation.
Philip Daley, the grand secretary of the Grand Lodge of Freemasons of Ireland, spoke to RTÉ earlier this week.
He explained that although the organisation regularly rents space to media companies, they insist on knowing who will be involved and the topics that will be discussed. In this case, he said the full details were only received an hour before the interview took place.
The booking was allowed to proceed after assurances were given that all backgrounds would be blurred and the Freemasons’ Hall would not be mentioned. However, Mr Daley admitted that in hindsight, the decision was a mistake and accepted full responsibility.
During the interview, McGregor criticised the current state of Irish politics and confirmed his intention to stand in the presidential election. He argued that traditional politics had failed and called for a new approach.
The conversation also touched on topics including the Irish economy, housing crisis, immigration, US tariffs and Donald Trump. McGregor praised the former US president, saying he believed Trump led with independence rather than party influence.
