AN GARDA SÍOCHÁNA has confirmed that its members must declare that they are not members of the Freemasons, similar to a requirement for members of the UK’s largest police force.

The Journal asked the organisation whether gardaí can be members of the secret society after the UK High Court upheld a requirement by London’s Met Police for its staff to declare whether they are or have previously joined the organisation.

The Freemasons is a male social club and its inner workings are somewhat of a mystery to the outside world. The wealthy society owns many historic buildings, known as Grand Lodges, where they hold meetings and sometimes welcome the public.

The Irish branch of the group is an all-island organisation and has a number of lodges located on either side of the border, as well as members who have served in the Irish and British defence forces.

In a statement, a spokesperson for An Garda Síochána said that members of the force have to swear a “solemn declaration” to affirm that they are not members of or subscribe to “any political party or any secret society whatsoever”.

In December, the Met Police announced that membership of the Freemasons would be added to its declarable associations policy along with other “hierarchical organisations”.

Officers and staff of the force are now required to declare membership “past or present” of any organisation that is “hierarchical, has confidential membership and requires members to support and protect each other”.

The United Grand Lodge of England took a court challenge against the requirement, and argued that the reporting requirement could undermine the public credibility of Freemasons, and could breach their human rights and GDPR rules.

The move to make Met Police officers declare past or present membership of the Freemasons was recommended by a report into the force’s handling of the unsolved 1987 murder of private detective Daniel Morgan.

The 37-year-old officer was killed in south-east London in March 1987, and subsequent inquiries into the murder unearthed allegations of corruption.

In 2021, the report said that officers’ membership of the Freemasons had been “a source of recurring suspicion and mistrust in the investigations”.

Contains reporting from the Press Association.