The Freemasons of Ireland have said they will donate the fee received for hosting an interview between Conor McGregor and US broadcaster Tucker Carlson to charity, following regret over allowing the event to take place.
Philip Daley, Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Freemasons of Ireland, described the decision to host the interview at Freemasons’ Hall on Molesworth Street, Dublin, as a "mistake."
Speaking to RTÉ’s This Week, Mr. Daley said new procedures have now been introduced to ensure it won’t happen again.
The venue was booked by a US media company last week. However, Daley said the organisation was only informed of the interview’s participants around an hour before filming began.
"We take regular bookings from media organisations," Daley explained, "but we always insist on knowing in advance who’s involved and what the content is, to ensure it aligns with our morals and principles.
"Unfortunately, that protocol wasn’t followed this time."
Faced with a last-minute decision, Daley said he consulted with colleagues before allowing the interview to proceed, based on assurances that all identifying features of the venue would be blurred and that no reference would be made to the Freemasons.
"There was also a concern that cancelling at the last minute might spark backlash of some sort," he added. "But in hindsight, we’re not happy with that decision. We made a mistake, I fully admit that."
Daley was clear that the booking would never have been accepted had they known in advance it involved McGregor and Carlson.
"I would not be a fan of Mr. McGregor under any circumstances," he said.
The organisation was paid between €1,000 and €2,000 for use of the premises. That money will now be donated to a charity, to be selected by the Freemasons’ board of directors.
Daley also confirmed that going forward, no media booking will be accepted without full disclosure of the individuals involved and the nature of the content.
"This won’t be allowed to drift again," he said.
McGregor’s interview with the right-wing commentator was shared online over the weekend.
The disgraced UFC fighter was interviewed by Carlson, who was fired from Fox News in 2023, with the pair discussing topics from McGregor’s upbringing to his potential Presidential run.
*This article was originally published on Extra.ie.
Comments