Freemason's network in Irish business?

I

Icarus

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Sensationalist nonsense aside, do you think that there is an old boys network of free mason's looking after each other in the Irish business world?

We all know of mason's lodges and many of us know of people who are masons e.g. my friend's father is a very wealthy business man who says he is in the masons purely for business benefits. I wonder how prevelant it is, or not, as the case may be.
 
There's a list of their Irish lodges [broken link removed]. The Vatican forbids Catholic entry to the the Masonic Order, which does much to endear them to me (the Freemasons, that is). Apparently Cardinal Ratzinger — yes, that one! — renewed the Church's ban in 1981.

See [broken link removed] on Politics.ie for further, wild, unsubstantiated allegations... ;)
 
I think they are fairly active in Ireland, but there is no way of knowing exactly how widespread they are or how much influence they can exert. In the USA and Canada they are very open and they actively try to recruit members, as happened to me while there on business last year. I declined.

I think the Irish Masons are a very closed club and invitation to membership is decided by society screening.

Maybe someone else can shed some light on these pillars of the community?
 
Hibernicatio said:
In the USA and Canada they are very open and they actively try to recruit members, as happened to me while there on business last year. I declined.
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Apparently European masons look down upon their nouveau riche cousins in North America.
 
If you want to take a trip down Conspiracy Lane then have a read around the Bilderberg Group. A quick Google threw [broken link removed] up.
 
Decani said:
If you want to take a trip down Conspiracy Lane then have a read around the Bilderberg Group. A quick Google threw [broken link removed] up.
Click to expand...

I've seen a bit about the Bilderberg group on TV. Pretty full on stuff. But unlike the masons I don't think they operate in the world of Irish business.
 
Would I be wholly wrong in thinking that they might have a greater influence north of the border?? Both sides seem to like their obscure 'ancient' orders up there.
 
Betsy Og said:
Would I be wholly wrong in thinking that they might have a greater influence north of the border?? Both sides seem to like their obscure 'ancient' orders up there.
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I know what you mean. The Orange Order certainly seemed to have had a rub of the masons with their Grand Lodges and decorative attire. Not so sure about the other side though!
 
Well I live in the west and one of my work colleagues is a member of the masons. From looking at him I don't think there are any huge financial benefits to his lodge. Not that he is poor, far from it but our particular job isn't one where being a mason would particularily benefit.
I don't think he goes out of his way to do business with fellow masons e.g. buying car or whatever.
But in Dublin it may be dtfferent.
I was talking to a guy in London and he reckons that there are a lot of masonic goings on over there in relation to rewarding contracts etc.

I was invited to join, as have the rest of us at work but politely declined.
 
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