David Molony (23 August 1950 – 4 September 2002) was an Irish

Fine Gael Fine Gael (, ; English: "Family (or Tribe) of the Irish") is a liberal-conservative and Christian-democratic political party in Ireland. Fine Gael is currently the third-largest party in the Republic of Ireland in terms of members of Dáil � ...

politician who served as both a

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

and a

Teachta Dála A Teachta Dála ( , ; plural ), abbreviated as TD (plural ''TDanna'' in Irish, TDs in English), is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas (the Irish Parliament). It is the equivalent of terms such as ''Member of Parli ...

(TD). Born in

Thurles Thurles (; ''Durlas Éile'') is a town in County Tipperary, Ireland. It is located in the civil parish of the same name in the barony of Eliogarty and in the ecclesiastical parish of Thurles (Roman Catholic parish), Thurles. The cathedral ch ...

County Tipperary County Tipperary ( ga, Contae Thiobraid Árann) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. The county is named after the town of Tipperary, and was established in the early 13th century, shortly after th ...

, he was educated in Thurles Christian Brothers' School, Coláiste na Rinne in Waterford, Copsewood College in Limerick,

University College Dublin University College Dublin (commonly referred to as UCD) ( ga, Coláiste na hOllscoile, Baile Átha Cliath) is a public research university in Dublin, Ireland, and a collegiate university, member institution of the National University of Ireland ...

and the Law School of the Incorporated Law Society. He qualified as a lawyer and in the 1970s he worked with the Free Legal Aid Centres (FLAC), a voluntary group providing free legal aid, eventually became the chairman of FLAC. In 1977 he was elected to the

14th Seanad Éireann This is a list of the members of the 14th Seanad Éireann, the upper house of the Oireachtas (legislature) of Ireland. These Senators were elected or appointed in 1977, after the 1977 general election and served until the close of poll for the ...

on the

Cultural and Educational Panel The Cultural and Educational Panel () is one of five vocational panels which together elect 43 of the 60 members of Seanad Éireann, the upper house of the Oireachtas (the legislature of Ireland). The Cultural and Educational Panel elects five s ...

. At the 1981 general election he was returned to the 22nd Dáil as a TD for the Tipperary North constituency, where during the selection of candidates he had beaten future TD and Minister

Michael Lowry Michael Lowry (born 13 March 1953) is an Irish Independent politician who has served as a Teachta Dála (TD) since 1987, currently for the Tipperary constituency. He previously served as Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications from 1 ...

for the Fine Gael nomination. He was re-elected at the February 1982 and November 1982 general elections. He supported the 1986 referendum to amend the

Constitution of Ireland The Constitution of Ireland ( ga, Bunreacht na hÉireann, ) is the constitution, fundamental law of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It asserts the national sovereignty of the Irish people. The constitution, based on a system of representative democra ...

to remove the prohibition on divorce, and was denounced by priests in his constituency. Molony did not contest the 1987 general election, and retired from political office to continue his law practice and to run his family's business in Thurles. However he remained involved in politics and was a director of elections for local Fine Gael candidates at the 2002 general election.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Molony, David 1950 births 2002 deaths Fine Gael TDs Members of the 14th Seanad Members of the 22nd Dáil Members of the 23rd Dáil Members of the 24th Dáil Irish solicitors People from Thurles Alumni of University College Dublin Fine Gael senators