David Molony

{{Short description|Irish politician (1950–2002)}}

{{for|the New Zealand cricketer|David Molony (cricketer)}}

{{Use Hiberno-English|date=June 2024}}

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{{Infobox officeholder

| image =

| office = Teachta Dála

| term_start = June 1981

| term_end = February 1987

| constituency = Tipperary North

| office1 = Senator

| term_start1 = 27 October 1977

| term_end1 = 8 October 1981

| constituency1 = Cultural and Educational Panel

| birth_date = {{birth date|1950|8|23|df=y}}

| birth_place = County Tipperary, Ireland

| death_date = {{death date and age|2002|9|4|1950|8|23|df=y}}

| death_place = County Tipperary, Ireland

| nationality = Irish

| party = Fine Gael

| education =

| alma_mater = University College Dublin

| spouse = Eve Molony

| children = 2

|}}

David Molony (23 August 1950 – 4 September 2002) was an Irish Fine Gael politician who served as both a Senator and a Teachta Dála (TD).{{cite web|url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/member/David-Molony.S.1977-10-27/|title=David Molony|work=Oireachtas Members Database|access-date=11 February 2013}}

Born in Thurles, County Tipperary, he was educated at CBS Thurles, Coláiste na Rinne in Waterford, Copsewood College in Limerick, University College Dublin and the Law School of the Incorporated Law Society.{{cite web|url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/2002-10-09/17/|title=Death of Former Member: Expressions of Sympathy |work=Dáil Éireann – Volume 554|publisher=Houses of the Oireachtas|date=9 October 2002}} 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 on the Cultural and Educational Panel. 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 for the Fine Gael nomination.{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/gene-kerrigan-the-salesman-versus-the-idealist-and-the-rest-is-history-29179192.html|title=The salesman versus the idealist and the rest is history|work=Sunday Independent|date=7 April 2013|access-date=14 April 2013}} He was re-elected at the February 1982 and November 1982 general elections.{{cite web|url=http://electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?ID=3397|title=David Molony|work=ElectionsIreland.org|access-date=11 February 2013}} He supported the 1986 referendum to amend the Constitution of Ireland to remove the prohibition on divorce, and was denounced by priests in his constituency.{{cite web|url=http://www.oireachtas-debates.gov.ie:80/S/0170/S.0170.200209120005.html |title=Death of Former Members: Expressions of Sympathy |work=Seanad Éireann – Volume 170 |publisher=Houses of the Oireachtas |date=12 September 2002 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070821131257/http://oireachtas-debates.gov.ie/S/0170/S.0170.200209120005.html |archive-date=21 August 2007 |df=dmy }}

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.