A SECRETIVE INTERNATIONAL conference linked to billionaire investor and Donald Trump ally Peter Thiel has been cancelled following weeks of controversy over its planned staging at a hotel in Co Wicklow.

In a statement today, Powerscourt Estate said it was “relieved and pleased” to announce that the Dialog event, which had been due to take place at the Powerscourt Hotel in August, would no longer go ahead.

“Following a period of great concern for Powerscourt Estate and on foot of discussions with the Powerscourt Hotel, we are relieved and pleased to announce the Dialog event planned for August at the Powerscourt Hotel has been cancelled,” a spokesperson for the estate said.

It also thanked its staff, neighbours, supporters and legal team for their backing “through this difficult and challenging time”.

Powerscourt Hotel Resort & Spa, which was due to host the conference, is a separate business located on the Powerscourt Estate and is owned and operated by the MHL Hotel Collection.

In a separate statement, the hotel confirmed that “a publicised event scheduled to take place in August will now not be taking place at the hotel”.

“We have no further comment,” a spokesperson for the hotel said.

The invitation-only gathering was expected to bring together more than 200 senior figures from politics, technology, defence and finance.

The event, co-founded by PayPal and Palantir co-founder Peter Thiel, drew criticism over the involvement of the controversial tech billionaire and Palantir’s links to the Israeli military.

Politicians, including Labour TD Duncan Smith, had also questioned whether Irish taxpayers would face security costs associated with hosting the conference.

“The public has a right to know whether ministers have been invited, whether State agencies are involved in facilitating the conference, and what costs, if any, will fall on the taxpayer,” Smith said in June.

Powerscourt Estate had previously stated that it would cancel the event if it could, but argued it was prevented from doing so because the Powerscourt Hotel operates as a separate business.

No reason has been given for the cancellation.