Robert Molloy (9 July 1936 – 2 October 2016) was an Irish politician who served as
Minister of State for Housing and Urban Renewal and
Minister of State to the Government
The Minister of State to the Government was a Minister of State (Ireland), junior ministerial post of the Government of Ireland between 1994 and 2002. The Minister of State did not hold Cabinet (government), cabinet rank but sat in attendance at g ...
from 1997 to 2002,
Minister for Energy from 1989 to 1992,
Minister for Defence from 1977 to 1979,
Minister for Local Government from 1970 to 1973,
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education from 1969 to 1970 and
Mayor of Galway
The office of Mayor of Galway is an honorific title used by the of Galway City Council. The council has jurisdiction throughout its administrative area of the city of Galway which is the largest city in the province of Connacht, in Ireland. Th ...
from 1968 to 1969. He served as a
Teachta Dála
A Teachta Dála ( ; ; plural ), abbreviated as TD (plural ''TDanna'' in Irish language, Irish, TDs in English), is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas, the parliament of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The official Engli ...
(TD) for the
Galway West constituency from 1965 to 2002.
Early life
Molloy was born in
Galway
Galway ( ; , ) is a City status in Ireland, city in (and the county town of) County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lough Corrib and Galway Bay. It is the most populous settlement in the province of Connacht, the List of settleme ...
on July 6th, 1936. His father, Michael Edward Molloy, was originally from Ballyhaunis, County Mayo, and ran a successful wholesale drapery business in the city. His mother, Rita Stanley, hailed from Clifden, County Galway. Molloy was educated at
Coláiste Iognáid
Coláiste Iognáid SJ (), a bilingual secondary school, is located on Sea Road in Galway, Ireland. It was founded in 1645 and has had numerous locations over the years before its current home. The college is a co-educational, non-fee-paying sec ...
and
University College Galway
The University of Galway () is a public university, public research university located in the city of Galway, Republic of Ireland, Ireland.
The university was founded in 1845 as "Queen's College, Galway". It was known as "University College, Ga ...
. Before entering politics, Molloy worked for several years in printing, the clothing industry and his family's drapery firm.
Political career
Fianna Fáil
Molloy was first elected to
Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann ( ; , ) is the lower house and principal chamber of the Oireachtas, which also includes the president of Ireland and a senate called Seanad Éireann.Article 15.1.2° of the Constitution of Ireland reads: "The Oireachtas shall co ...
as a Fianna Fáil
TD for the
Galway West constituency at the
1965 general election.
In 1968, he was also elected
Mayor of Galway
The office of Mayor of Galway is an honorific title used by the of Galway City Council. The council has jurisdiction throughout its administrative area of the city of Galway which is the largest city in the province of Connacht, in Ireland. Th ...
. The following year he was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education.
Molloy's early political career was marked by his loyalty to Fianna Fáil’s leadership under
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach (, ) is the head of government or prime minister of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The office is appointed by the President of Ireland upon nomination by Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Oireachtas, Ireland's national legisl ...
Jack Lynch
John Mary Lynch (15 August 1917 – 20 October 1999) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as Taoiseach from 1966 to 1973 and 1977 to 1979. He was Leader of Fianna Fáil from 1966 to 1979, Leader of the Opposition from 1973 to 1977, ...
. He quickly rose through the ranks and was appointed Minister for Local Government in 1970, a position he held until 1973. His tenure as Minister for Local Government was characterised by his efforts to modernise and streamline local government structures in Ireland. Molloy’s tenure in Fianna Fáil saw him as a stalwart of the party’s establishment, though tensions with its leadership grew over the years, particularly with
Charlie Haughey
Charles James Haughey (; 16 September 1925 – 13 June 2006) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who led four governments as Taoiseach: December 1979 to June 1981, March to December 1982, March 1987 to June 1989, and June 1989 to February 1992 ...
.
In opposition from 1973, Molloy served as the frontbench spokesman, where he became involved in a high-profile dispute with
Jim Tully
Jim Tully (June 3, 1886 – June 22, 1947) was an American vagabond, pugilist, and writer. He enjoyed critical and commercial success as a writer in the 1920s and 1930s.
Biography
Born near St. Marys, Ohio, to James Dennis and Bridget Mari ...
, the Labour Minister for Local Government, over the controversial redrawing of constituencies, known as the "Tullymander". Molloy, along with fellow Fianna Fáil member
Brendan Crinion, used Dáil privilege to accuse Tully of having an improper commercial relationship with a builder in County Meath. The accusation was strongly denied by Tully and Molloy and Crinion later withdrew the charge. Despite this, Molloy faced severe repercussions, being forced to resign from his frontbench position. He was subsequently condemned by a judicial tribunal and censured by the Dáil for abusing parliamentary privilege.
[ ]
When Fianna Fáil returned to office in 1977, he became Minister for Defence in the final government of
Jack Lynch
John Mary Lynch (15 August 1917 – 20 October 1999) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as Taoiseach from 1966 to 1973 and 1977 to 1979. He was Leader of Fianna Fáil from 1966 to 1979, Leader of the Opposition from 1973 to 1977, ...
.
Molloy supported
George Colley
George Colley (18 October 1925 – 17 September 1983) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as Tánaiste from 1977 to 1981, Minister for Energy from 1980 to 1981, Minister for Tourism and Transport from 1979 to 1980, Minister for ...
in the
1979 Fianna Fáil leadership election
The 1979 Fianna Fáil leadership election began in December 1979, when Jack Lynch resigned as party leader and Taoiseach. Lynch had been party leader for thirteen years and Taoiseach for over nine years. His successor was elected by the members ...
.
Charles Haughey
Charles James Haughey (; 16 September 1925 – 13 June 2006) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who led four governments as Taoiseach: December 1979 to June 1981, March to December 1982, March 1987 to June 1989, and June 1989 to February 1992 ...
won the contest and dropped Molloy, alongside other opponents, from the cabinet. Thereafter Molloy became a member of the
Gang of 22
The Gang of 22 was a group of Fianna Fáil TDs (members of parliament) who were opposed to the leadership of Charles Haughey in the early 1980s. The very evident division within the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party left a deep split in the orga ...
who opposed Haughey's leadership of the party.
Progressive Democrats
In 1986 Molloy resigned from Fianna Fáil and joined the newly formed Progressive Democrats, spearheaded by Haughey's arch-rival
Desmond O'Malley
Desmond Joseph O'Malley (2 February 1939 – 21 July 2021) was an Irish politician who served as Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Minister for Industry and Commerce from 1977 to 1981 and 1989 to 1992, Progressive Democrats, Leader ...
. Molloy's move was seen as a major break from the political establishment, as the PDs advocated for low-tax, market-oriented economic policies and a more liberal economic agenda. Molloy’s decision was driven by his dissatisfaction with the direction of Fianna Fáil under Haughey’s leadership and his belief that the party had become increasingly alienating.
In 1989, Molloy contested the European Parliament elections but was unsuccessful in his attempt. Following the
1989 Irish general election
The 1989 Irish general election to the 26th Dáil was held on Thursday, 15 June, three weeks after the dissolution of the 25th Dáil on 25 May by President Patrick Hillery, on the request of Taoiseach Charles Haughey. The general election ...
Molloy, along with newly elected MEP for Munster
Pat Cox
Patrick Cox (born 28 November 1952) is an Irish former Fine Gael politician, journalist and television current affairs presenter who served as President of the European Parliament from 2002 to 2004 and Leader of the European Liberal Democrat ...
, represented the Progressive Democrats in the lengthy negotiations with Fianna Fáil to form a coalition government. Once the negotiations concluded, Molloy was reinstated in the Cabinet as Minister for Energy under Taoiseach Charles Haughey, who had previously caused Molloy’s political humiliation a decade earlier. Over the following three years, Molloy and his Progressive Democrat colleague Desmond O'Malley had a working relationship with their former Fianna Fáil colleagues, though tensions grew due to resentment over their presence in the Cabinet. The issue came to a head when Molloy and O'Malley made it clear they would not serve in a Cabinet that included
Brian Lenihan Snr
Brian Patrick Lenihan (17 November 1930 – 1 November 1995) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as Tánaiste from 1987 to 1990, Minister for Defence from 1989 to 1990, Minister for Agriculture from March 1982 to December 1982, ...
, following his controversial remarks during the
1990 Irish presidential election
The 1990 Irish presidential election was the tenth Irish presidential election, presidential election to be held in Republic of Ireland, Ireland, the fifth to be contested by more than one candidate, and the first to have a female candidate and ...
about alleged phone calls to President
Patrick Hillery
Patrick John Hillery (; 2 May 1923 – 12 April 2008) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as the sixth president of Ireland from December 1976 to December 1990. He also served as vice-president of the European Commission and Europea ...
from 1982.
In January 1992, Haughey faced further complications when
Seán Doherty revealed information about the phone tapping of journalists dating back to 1982. Despite this, the coalition government ended when
Albert Reynolds
Albert Martin Reynolds (3 November 1932 – 21 August 2014) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as Taoiseach and Leader of Fianna Fáil from 1992 to 1994. He held various cabinet positions between 1979 and 1991, including Ministe ...
, Haughey’s successor, called for a general election after accusing O'Malley of giving "dishonest" evidence to the Beef Tribunal. Molloy strongly denounced Reynolds’ accusation, describing it as "outrageous," and criticised him for what he perceived as a "lack of generosity" in recent North-South negotiations, in which Molloy had represented the Progressive Democrats in talks with British Unionists.
Molloy stood at the European Parliament elections again in 1994 but was again unsuccessful.
Following the
1997 general election, Molloy was part of the negotiations that led to the formation of a coalition government between the Progressive Democrats and Fianna Fáil. On that occasion, he was appointed as
Minister of State at the Department of the Environment and Local Government and sat at cabinet as
Minister of State to the Government
The Minister of State to the Government was a Minister of State (Ireland), junior ministerial post of the Government of Ireland between 1994 and 2002. The Minister of State did not hold Cabinet (government), cabinet rank but sat in attendance at g ...
.
Resignation and retirement
Molloy resigned as a minister and quit politics just before the
2002 Irish general election
The 2002 Irish general election to the 29th Dáil was held on Friday, 17 May, just over three weeks after the Dissolution of parliament, dissolution of the 28th Dáil on Thursday, 25 April by President Mary McAleese, at the request of the Taoise ...
amid controversy surrounding his involvement in the rape case of Barbara Naughton. The controversy stemmed from a letter Molloy had sent to then Minister for Justice, John O'Donoghue, on behalf of a constituent whose relative had been convicted of rape. The letter, which requested the temporary release of the individual pending an appeal, led to public criticism. The case was high-profile, involving a Connemara man sentenced to eleven years for the systematic abuse of his young daughter. During the trial, the judge, Philip O’Sullivan, noted that someone acting on Molloy’s behalf had tried to contact him in his chambers to clarify whether he had received certain correspondence from the victim’s sister, which the judge described as “quite improper.” In response to the backlash, Molloy resigned, describing the letter as a "human error of judgment," but insisting it was not intended to be dishonest. He retired from politics after the election.
Political views
Molloy was a member of Fianna Fáil for over 20 years, but his views were not always in line with the mainstream of the party, particularly under the leadership of Charles Haughey. His decision to leave Fianna Fáil in 1986 and join the Progressive Democrats was motivated by ideological differences, notably the party's move towards a more conservative, state-controlled economy. Molloy, on the other hand, embraced a platform of fiscal conservatism, with an emphasis on reducing taxes, deregulation, and the liberalisation of the economy.
In terms of social issues, Molloy was ahead of his time in advocating for progressive policies, particularly on women’s rights. In a survey conducted in 1976 by the Women's Political Association (WPA), Molloy scored among the highest of any member of the Dáil for his progressive stance on issues affecting women. He supported measures such as divorce, contraception, and family law reform, which were seen as highly controversial at the time. His responses to the WPA's questions revealed that he held views that were in stark contrast to many of his colleagues within Fianna Fáil. Molloy’s progressive views on women’s rights were notable, as he was the only member of Jack Lynch’s cabinet who consistently supported reformist policies on issues like family law and the role of women in public life.
[ ]
Personal life
In 1972, Molloy married Phyllis Barry, a Montessori teacher from Foxrock, County Dublin, whose father was a cousin of the executed revolutionary
Kevin Barry
Kevin Gerard Barry (20 January 1902 – 1 November 1920) was an Irish Republican Army (IRA) soldier and medical student who was executed by the British Government during the Irish War of Independence. He was sentenced to death for his part in a ...
. The couple met while campaigning in a by-election in mid-Cork. Together, they had four children: Sinead, Sorcha, Donnacha, and Dara.
References
Sources
*Henry, William (2002). ''Role of Honour: The Mayors of Galway City 1485-2001''. Galway: Galway City Council.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Molloy, Bobby
1936 births
2016 deaths
Alumni of the University of Galway
Fianna Fáil TDs
Mayors of Galway
Members of the 18th Dáil
Members of the 19th Dáil
Members of the 20th Dáil
Members of the 21st Dáil
Members of the 22nd Dáil
Members of the 23rd Dáil
Members of the 24th Dáil
Members of the 25th Dáil
Members of the 26th Dáil
Members of the 27th Dáil
Members of the 28th Dáil
Ministers for defence of Ireland
Ministers of State of the 28th Dáil
Parliamentary secretaries of the 19th Dáil
Members of Galway County Council
Members of Galway City Council
Politicians from County Galway
Progressive Democrats TDs
People educated at Coláiste Iognáid