Three Catholic priests are also members of the Freemasons, the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Ireland has revealed in an interview in the Irish News today.
Eric Waller, the current grand master, offers anecdotal evidence that the members who fill Dublin's 37 masonic lodges include three Catholic priests.
However, Mr Waller said he was unaware of whether any members of the Irish government were members of the secret organisation.
The freemasons have long been regarded by nationalists in the north as a predominantly Protestant and unionist-linked organisation.
The RUC was said to have had a masonic lodge known as the 'Harp and Shamrock', with elements of the local legal profession joining the 'good counsel" lodge.
When former RUC chief constable Sir Ronnie Flanagan took the force's top job in 1996, he announced that he was not a member of the freemasons or any loyal order.
He subsequently confirmed he had been a mason earlier in his police career, but had left "some years ago".
Mr Waller also confirmed that 80% of the 30,000 freemason members are based in the 'northern parts' of the island.
This has led to suspicions amongst nationalists of a link, albeit informal, between the Orange Order and the Masonic order.
But according to the grand master this perception does not correspond with the reality inside the grand lodge.
"We are not (linked to the Orange Order). We quite possibly have some common members," Mr Waller said.
"I would be very surprised if any of our lodges would be predominantly made up of members with dual membership. I have no means of quantifying this, I honestly do not.
"Undoubtedly there might be a minority of members who might be members of the Orange Order."
He insisted that the freemasons are a "non-political, non-sectarian organisation", with "no interest in knowing" how many members are Catholics.
Along with deputy grand master George Dunlop and Adam McKinley, Provincial Grand Master for Antrim, Mr Waller has been taking part in press interviews aimed at opening up the organisation to the public.
To this end the clandestine organisation has opened its Co Antrim headquarters on Rosemary Street, in Belfast city centre, to the media.
