Francie Molloy

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix =

| name = Francie Molloy

| honorific-suffix =

| image = Francie Molloy Mid Ulster.jpg

| imagesize =

| alt =

| caption = Official portrait, 2014

| office = Member of Parliament
for Mid Ulster

| term_start = 7 March 2013

| term_end = 30 May 2024

| predecessor = Martin McGuinness

| successor = Cathal Mallaghan

| majority =

| office1 = Principal Deputy Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly

| term_start1 = 28 June 2011

| term_end1 = 15 April 2013

| predecessor1 = Office established

| successor1 = Mitchel McLaughlin

| term_label2 = (As Deputy speaker)

| term_start2 = 7 May 2007

| term_end2 = 28 June 2011

| predecessor2 = Himself (Interim)

| successor2 = Office abolished

| term_label3 = (Interim Deputy speaker)

| term_start3 = 11 May 2006

| term_end3 = 30 January 2007

| predecessor3 = Jane Morrice (2003)

| successor3 = Himself

| office4 = Member of the Legislative Assembly
for Mid Ulster

| assembly4 =

| term_start4 = 25 June 1998

| term_end4 = 8 April 2013{{cite web|url=http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/|title=The Northern Ireland Assembly|access-date=17 January 2007|archive-date=2 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170502054602/http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/|url-status=live}}

| predecessor4 = Office created

| successor4 = Ian Milne

| birth_name = Francis Joseph Molloy

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1950|12|16}}

| birth_place = County Tyrone, Northern Ireland

| death_date =

| death_place =

| nationality = Irish

| party = Sinn Féin

| website = [https://www.sinnfein.ie/francie-molloy Official website]

}}

Francis Joseph Molloy{{Belfast Gazette |date=23 December 2019 |issue=8218 |page=1002}} ({{langx|ga|Proinsias Ó Maolmhuaidh}}; born 16 December 1950){{Cite web|title=MLA Details: Mr Francie Molloy|url=http://aims.niassembly.gov.uk/mlas/details.aspx?&aff=2476&per=77&sel=1&ind=11&prv=1|url-status=live|access-date=1 May 2021|website=Northern Ireland Assembly|archive-date=1 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501122449/http://aims.niassembly.gov.uk/mlas/details.aspx?&aff=2476&per=77&sel=1&ind=11&prv=1}} is an Irish Sinn Féin politician who was the abstentionist Member of Parliament (MP) for Mid Ulster from 2013 to 2024. He was a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) for Mid Ulster from 1998 to 2013.{{cite news|author=Gareth Gordon|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-21692865|title=Sinn Féin's Francie Molloy wins Mid Ulster by-election|work=BBC News|date=1 January 1970|access-date=8 March 2013|archive-date=7 March 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130307170935/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-21692865|url-status=live}}

Background

He first stood for Sinn Féin in Fermanagh and South Tyrone in the 1982 Assembly Elections, finishing sixth in the five-seat constituency.{{cite web|url=http://www.eoni.org.uk/ni_assembly_election_results_1982.pdf|title=1982 Assembly election count details|access-date=7 March 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120216052001/http://www.eoni.org.uk/ni_assembly_election_results_1982.pdf|archive-date=16 February 2012|url-status=dead}} He was then elected to Dungannon council in 1985[http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/85-89lgdungannon.htm 1985 Dungannon council results] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120829051633/http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/85-89lgdungannon.htm |date=29 August 2012 }}, ARK, accessed 3 January 2013. representing the Torrent electoral area, centred on Coalisland. He retired from the council in 1989 but was re-elected in 1993.

Molloy stood unsuccessfully for Sinn Féin in the 1994 European Parliament election.[http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/fe94.htm 1994 European election result] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130318012520/http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/fe94.htm |date=18 March 2013 }}, ARK, accessed 3 January 2013.

Molloy was elected to the Northern Ireland Forum in 1996 representing Mid Ulster and then for the same constituency to the Northern Ireland Assembly in 1998, 2003 and 2007. In 2005, Molloy was temporarily suspended from Sinn Féin after publicly disagreeing with the party policy on eliminating many district councils, including the Dungannon Council of which he was a member.[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/4460636.stm Suspension for contradicting SF policy] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060528124918/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/4460636.stm |date=28 May 2006 }}, BBC News; accessed 16 May 2016.

In December 2012, he was selected as the Sinn Féin candidate for the UK parliamentary constituency of Mid Ulster, which had been held by his party colleague Martin McGuinness since the 1997 general election.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-20706189 Molloy to contest Mid Ulster when McGuiness steps down] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200729022725/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-20706189 |date=29 July 2020 }} BBC News The Mid Ulster by-election took place on 7 March 2013, with Molloy winning with 46.9% of the vote.[https://web.archive.org/web/20160206081606/http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge10/byelec/midulster.htm 2013 By-election] Politics Resources

In the run-up to the by-election, media attention focussed on past allegations about Molloy and how they related to the DUP/UUP-supported independent candidate Nigel Lutton. In 2007, DUP MP David Simpson had claimed during a debate in the Westminster parliament that Molloy had been a member of the IRA and was suspected by police of being involved in the fatal shooting of Lutton's father, Frederick Lutton, on 1 May 1979. The IRA had taken responsibility for it on the basis he was an RUC reservist. The investigation came to nothing, and Simpson claimed this was because Molloy was subsequently coerced into becoming a police informant, providing information that helped break up the IRA's East Tyrone Brigade.{{cite news|author=Megan|url=http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/informer-molloy-is-linked-to-ira-killing-28069163.html|title='Informer' Molloy is linked to IRA killing|work=Belfast Telegraph|date=22 November 2007|access-date=8 March 2013|archive-date=14 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131214003521/http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/informer-molloy-is-linked-to-ira-killing-28069163.html|url-status=live}} Molloy denied the allegations and challenged anyone to repeat them outside Parliament so he could take legal action (the original speech being subject to parliamentary privilege and thus not actionable).{{citation needed|date=May 2016}} UUP leader Mike Nesbitt said he had been unaware of the speech and that it had played no part in Lutton's selection.{{cite news|url=http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/headlines/i-didn-t-know-about-molloy-allegations-nesbitt-1-4806698|title='I didn't know about Molloy allegations'|work=Belfast Newsletter|date=20 February 2013|access-date=8 March 2013}} Lutton denied the claims were behind his decision to stand.{{cite news|url=http://www.portadowntimes.co.uk/news/local/this-is-not-about-me-and-molloy-says-town-undertaker-1-4819191|title=This is not about me and Molloy, says town undertaker|work=Portadown Times|date=22 February 2013|access-date=8 March 2013|archive-date=27 April 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130427142401/http://www.portadowntimes.co.uk/news/local/this-is-not-about-me-and-molloy-says-town-undertaker-1-4819191|url-status=live}}

Molloy held his seat at the 2015, 2017 and 2019 general elections.{{cite web |title=2015 General Election - Mid Ulster |url=https://api.parliament.uk/uk-general-elections/elections/26112 |website=Parliament.uk}}{{cite web |title=2017 General Election - Mid Ulster |url=https://api.parliament.uk/uk-general-elections/elections/26762 |website=Parliament.uk}}{{cite web |title=2019 General Election - Mid Ulster |url=https://api.parliament.uk/uk-general-elections/elections/27412 |website=Parliament.uk}} He announced in February 2024 that he would step down at the 2024 general election.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-politics-68282955|title= Sinn Féin MP Francie Molloy not seeking re-election |website=BBC News |date=13 February 2024|access-date=13 February 2024}}

References

External links

[https://www.sinnfein.ie/francie-molloy Official Website]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20070309232525/http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/members/biogs_03/molloy_f.htm Profile from Northern Ireland Assembly website]

{{s-ttl

| title = Member for Mid Ulster

| years = 1996–1998

}}

{{s-new

| Assembly

| reason = Good Friday Agreement

}}

{{s-ttl

| title = MLA for Mid Ulster

| years = 1998–2013

}}