Desmond Joseph (Des) O'Malley (Irish: Deasún Ó Máille; born 2 February 1939), was a senior Fianna Fáil politician, the founder of the Progressive Democrats and the party's first leader (1985-1993). He served as a TD for Limerick from 1968 to 2002 and as Minister at the Departments of Justice and Industry & Commerce. February 2 is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full year calendar). ... Fianna Fáil - The Republican Party (IPA ; traditionally translated by the party into English as Soldiers of Destiny, though the actual meaning is Soldiers [Fianna] of Ireland[1]), is currently the largest political party in the Republic of Ireland with 55,000 members. ... The Progressive Democrats (in Irish An Páirtí Daonlathach, literal back-translation: The Democratic Party) is a free market liberal party in the Republic of Ireland founded in 1985. ... A Teachta Dála (Irish for Dáil Deputy, pronounced chock-ta dawla) is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower chamber of the Irish Oireachtas or National Parliament. ...

Early life

O'Malley was born in Limerick City, Ireland in 1939. He was educated at the Jesuit Crescent College and at University College Dublin where he qualified with a degree in law in 1962. O’Malley’s family had been involved in politics for many decades. His grandfather was killed during the War of Independence by the Black and Tans. Two of his uncles and his father held the office of Mayor of Limerick. This article is about the city in Ireland. ... The Society of Jesus (Latin: Societas Iesu), commonly known as the Jesuits, is a Roman Catholic religious order. ... Crescent College Comprehensive SJ is a Jesuit secondary school located on a section of 40 acres (162,000 m²) of parkland at Dooradoyle, Limerick, Ireland. ... University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin - more commonly University College Dublin (UCD) - is Irelands largest university, with over 20,000 students. ... Combatants Irish Republic United Kingdom Commanders Michael Collins Richard Mulcahy Cathal Brugha Important local IRA leaders Henry Hugh Tudor Strength Irish Republican Army c. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 52. ...

O'Malley's uncle, Donagh O'Malley, as Minister for Education was a seminal figure in the development of Irish education. He died suddenly on his way to a function in Ennis, County Clare in 1968 while still in office. The young O'Malley was elected to Dáil Éireann for Fianna Fáil in the subsequent by-election in the Limerick East constituency. Much of the credit for O'Malley's by-election victory on 22 May was due to Neil Blaney and his "Donegal Mafia", who ensured O'Malley that won the election after a bitter and acrimonious selection convention. Donagh OMalley (1921-1968) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. ... The Minister for Education and Science is the senior minister at the Department of Education and Science (An Roinn Oideachais agus Eolaíochta) in the Irish Government. ... For people named Ennis, see Ennis (surname). ... County Clare (Contae an Chláir in Irish) is in the Irish province of Munster. ... The Dáil Chamber Dáil Éireann (pronounced ) is the lower house of the Oireachtas (parliament) of the Republic of Ireland. ... This is an incomplete list of Irish by-elections, with the names of the incumbent and victor and their respective parties. ... Limerick East is a constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. ... May 22 is the 142nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (143rd in leap years). ... Neil Blaney (October 1, 1922 - November 8, 1995), was a senior Irish politician. ...

Following the 1969 general election O'Malley was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Taoiseach, during which time he also acted as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence. The Taoiseach, Jack Lynch, noticed early on the ability and intelligence that lay in O'Malley. From an early stage he was singled out as a possible future leader of the Fianna Fáil Party and Taoiseach. As Parliamentary secretary to the Minister for Defence, Mr.James Gibbons, O'Malley had a central role in the Arms Trial of 1970. The case against the accused was dismissed in the Supreme Court and they were acquitted. It is a contesed point as to O'Malley's role in preparing this seminal case for the state. The missing files from Department of Justice and crucial missing trial notes is one aspect that sheds a curious light on O'Malley's claims of illuminating dark passages of Irish political life. Many questions remain,as the Arms Trial is widely seen as a show trial , more interested in manipulation of state machinery to save the ruling government party, Fianna Fáil, than any notion of justice or state terrorism. The trial was largely illuminated by the clear evidence of the Director of Military Intelligence, Colonel Michael Hefferon.It was his indisputed honesty and clarity which convinced the jury of the mendacity of government claims that the arms importation was "illegal". It is widely believed that the arms were in fact legally imported ,for political reasons, to bolster up a secret cabinet plan to rescue beleagured Nationalist in Northern Ireland,who wereprotected by the Northern Ireland police,the R.U.C., against rampaging Loyalist violence. Jack Lynch becomes Taoiseach after winning his first election as leader of Fianna Fáil The Irish general election of 1969 was held on June 18, 1969, just over four years after its predecessor. ... The Taoiseach ( or [1]) — plural: Taoisigh ( or [1]) — or, more formally, An Taoiseach[2], is the head of government of the Republic of Ireland and the leader of the Irish cabinet, the rough equivalent of a prime minister under the Westminster System. ... John (Jack) Mary Lynch (15 August 1917—20 October 1999), was the fourth Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland, serving two terms in office; 1966 to 1973 and 1977 to 1979. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Fianna Fáil - The Republican Party (IPA ; traditionally translated by the party into English as Soldiers of Destiny, though the actual meaning is Soldiers [Fianna] of Ireland[1]), is currently the largest political party in the Republic of Ireland with 55,000 members. ...

In the wake of the Arms Crisis in 1970 O'Malley succeeded Micheál Ó Móráin as Minister for Justice. During his tenure at Justice O'Malley started to tackle the problem of the Irish Republican Army. He wanted to introduce internment without trial for IRA suspects in the Republic but his plans were scrapped due to the controversial nature of this new legislation. Because of his hard-line on the IRA he was the subject of an ongoing assassination threat and was forced to carry a loaded pistol and was frequently moved from house to house. The Arms Crisis was a political scandal in the Republic of Ireland, in which two government ministers from the Fianna Fáil political party were accused of attempting to illegally import £100,000 worth of weapons for the Provisional Irish Republican Army. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... Micheál Ó Móráin (25th December 1912 – 6th May 1983) was a senior Irish Fianna Fáil politician. ... The Minister for Justice, Equality & Law Reform is the chief minister in charge of law and order in the Republic of Ireland. ... This article is about the historical army of the self-proclaimed Irish Republic (1919–1922) which fought in the Irish War of Independence 1919-21, and the Irish Civil War 1922-23. ...

Fianna Fáil Majority

In the 1977 general election Fianna Fáil received a 23 seat majority in Dáil Éireann. The major portfolios were all dominated by Jack Lynch's supporters - George Colley became Minister for Finance, Martin O'Donoghue was appointed Minister for Economic Planning & Development while O'Malley became Minister for Industry and Commerce. O'Malley worked well and was well suited to the challenge of his portfolio; the proposed Carnsore Point nuclear plant was, however, a low point. The Irish general election of 1977 was held on June 16, 1977. ... George Colley (18 October 1925 - 17 September 1983), was a senior Irish politician. ... Martin ODonoghue (b. ... The Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment is one of the most important economic ministeries in the Irish Cabinet. ... Carnsore Point in County Wexford, Ireland is famous for being the proposed location of the Nuclear Energy Board power plant which was to be built in the 1970s. ...

Two years later in 1979 Lynch resigned as Taoiseach and leader of Fianna Fáil. Two candidates emerged in the leadership contest, George Colley and Charles Haughey. O'Malley and O'Donoghue managed Colley's campaign; however, neither of them knew that most of the backbench TDs were going to vote for Haughey, who won. In the days after the ballot Colley, O'Malley and O'Donoghue considered whether they would even vote for Haughey's nomination as Taoiseach. However when it came to it all three voted for Haughey. Colley and O'Malley retained their positions in the government, however, Martin O'Donoghue's department was scrapped. The 1979 Fianna Fáil leadership election began in December 1979, when Jack Lynch resigned as party leader and Taoiseach. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Opposition to Haughey

Following the February 1982 general election Fianna Fáil, led by Haughey, failed to win an overall majority in the Dáil. The party met a few days later to discuss the issue of the leadership of the Party and the nomination for Taoiseach. Haughey was seen as the main reason for the election defeat. George Colley dropped his own claims to the succession and threw all of his support behind O'Malley who was seen as a more acceptable candidate to a deeply divided Party and electorate. When the meeting was held a vote on the leadership was not taken and O'Malley withdrew his challenge. Some of his key supporters, including Martin O'Donoghue, urged him to back out at the last minute. He had no choice but to concede. Haughey was elected Taoiseach and O'Malley was still appointed to the Cabinet as Minister for Trade, Commerce and Tourism. The Irish general election of February 1982 was held on February 18, 1982, three weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on January 27. ...

On 1 October 1982, another challenge to Haughey was initiated, this time by the Kildare TD, Charlie McCreevy. McCreevy although a supporter of Haughey grew disillusioned with his economic policies and put down a motion of no confidence in the leader. O'Malley was on holiday in Spain at the time but rushed back to join the campaign. He disagreed with the timing of the challenge but had no choice but to put his own name forward as a possible alternative to Haughey. On the morning of the vote O'Malley and his supporters resigned from the Cabinet due to the fact that they were going to vote against Haughey. After the meeting that went on all day and all night Haughey won an open vote by 58 votes to 22. The TDs who voted against Haughey eventually became known as the Gang of 22. October 1 is the 274th day of the year (275th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... In Irish political history, the Gang of 22 was a group of Fianna Fáil Teachta Dálaí who were opposed to the leadership of Charles J. Haughey in the early 1980s. ...

In 1983 a new Fine Gael-Labour Party government was in power. The Minister for Justice, Michael Noonan, revealed that the last government was involved in the tapping of certain journalists telephones. Haughey was implicated in the scandal because it occurred during his tenure as Taoiseach. This time it looked as if the game was up and that he would resign. The race to succeed him began with O'Malley, Gerard Collins, Michael O'Kennedy, Brian Lenihan and John P. Wilson all showing an interest in the post of Party leader, even while Haughey was still in power. On 7 February 1983, Fianna Fáil met to debate the issue. The report into the telephone tapping was read out and it cleared Haughey from any wrong-doing and put more blame on Martin O'Donoghue than the other TDs involved. His opponents were sceptical and were determined to push the issue to a secret ballot. A vote was taken however Haughey carried the day by winning 40 votes to 33. Fine Gael (IPA: , though often anglicized to (approximate English translation: Family of the Irish) and officially, Fine Gael - The United Ireland Party, is the second largest political party in Ireland, presently forming the largest opposition party in the Oireachtas (Irish Parliament), and claims a membership of over 34,000. ... Logo of the Irish Labour Party The Irish Labour Party (Irish: Páirti an Lucht Oibre) is the third largest political party in the Republic of Ireland. ... Michael Noonan (born 21 May 1943) is an Irish politician and was Leader of the Opposition and Leader of Fine Gael from February 2001 to June 2002. ... James Gerard Collins (born October, 1938) was a senior Irish politician. ... Michael OKennedy, (born February, 1936) was a senior Irish Fianna Fáil politician. ... Brian Lenihan (17 November 1930 - 1 November 1995) was a Irish Fianna Fáil politician. ... John P. Wilson (born 1923) was a senior Irish Fianna Fáil politician. ... February 7 is the 38th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

With Haughey now completely in control of the party, O'Malley and his supporters became disillusioned. George Colley died in 1983 and O'Donoghue was no longer a TD. O'Malley also became isolated within Fianna Fáil with many of his supporters giving up hope of ever beating Charlie Haughey.

Expulsion from Fianna Fáil

In May 1984 the New-Ireland Forum Report was published. Haughey was a key figure in the Forum and agreed to several possible solutions for solving the problem of Northern Ireland. However when the report became public Haughey backtracked and said the only possible solution was a United Ireland. This statement was criticised by the other leaders who forged the New-Ireland Forum, namely Garret FitzGerald, Dick Spring and John Hume. Northern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom lying in the northeast of the island of Ireland, covering 5,459 square miles (14,139 km², about a sixth of the islands total area). ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Dr. Garret FitzGerald (Irish name: Gearóid MacGearailt) (born February 9, 1926) was the seventh Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland, serving two terms in office; July 1981 to February 1982, and December 1982 to March 1987. ... Richard Spring (born August 29, 1950 in Tralee County Kerry), is a businessman and former senior Irish politician. ... John Hume. ...

O'Malley strongly criticised Haughey's position and accused him of stifling debate. At a meeting of the Fianna Fáil Parliamentary Party to discuss the report the whip was removed from O'Malley and he was no longer a Fianna Fáil TD, being forced to sit on the Independent TD benches along with another Fianna Fáil exile, the hard-line irredentist Neil Blaney.

In early 1985 a bill was introduced by the Fine Gael-Labour government to liberalise the sale of contraceptives in the country. Fianna Fáil opposed the bill. O'Malley considered it a matter of conscience over anything else and wanted to support it. On the day of the vote O'Malley delivered an electrifying speech in the Dáil chamber. He said:

The politics of this would be very easy. The politics would be to be one of the lads, the safest way in Ireland. But I do not believe that the interests of this State or our Constitution and of this Republic would be served by putting politics before conscience in regard to this. There is a choice of a kind that can only be answered by saying that I stand by the Republic and accordingly, I will not oppose this Bill. ([1])

O'Malley left his Fianna Fáil colleagues squirming in their seats as he completely dismantled their argument. When it came to a vote he abstained rather than cross the floor and vote with the government. Haughey wasn't going to let this slide. On 26 February 1985, O'Malley was summoned to a Party meeting and was charged with "conduct unbecoming". Following a roll-call vote O'Malley was expelled from the Fianna Fáil organisation by 73 votes to 9. After three attempts by O'Malley to oust Haughey, Haughey had finally won and was in complete control of the Party. At the age of 46 it looked as if O'Malley's political career was over. February 26 is the 57th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Progressive Democrats

Immediately after O'Malley's expulsion he was contacted by a young Fine Gael activist named Michael McDowell. He encouraged O'Malley to found a new political party and offered any help he could give. On 21 December 1985, O'Malley announced publicly for the first time the formation of the Progressive Democrats. Several Fianna Fáil TDs joined including Mary Harney and Bobby Molloy. Within a few weeks the Party numbers swelled and tens of thousands of pounds were collected in donations. Michael McDowell (Irish: [1]; born May, 1951) is an Irish politician who is leader of the Progressive Democrats political party. ... December 21 is the 355th day of the year (356th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Mary Harney (Irish: ; born 11 March 1953) is an Irish politician and was the leader of the Progressive Democrats (the sixth largest political party in Ireland) between 1993 and 2006. ... Bobby Molloy (born July 9, 1936), former Fianna Fáil & Progressive Democrats politician. ...

In the 1987 General Election the Progressive Democrats won 14 seats making it the third biggest party in the Dáil. Among the TDs elected were O'Malley and his cousin wife Pat, Anne Colley, daughter of George Colley, Jim Gibbons, son of the former Fianna Fáil Minister of the same name and Martin Cullen. Fianna Fáil returned to power with Haughey as head of a minority government. The Irish general election of 1987 was held on February 17, 1987, four weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on January 20. ... Martin Cullen (born 2 November 1954) is a senior Irish Fianna Fáil politician. ...

Coalition with Fianna Fáil

In May 1989 Haughey made one of his biggest political mistakes. He called an early general election in the hope of winning an overall majority. When the results came in Fianna Fáil actually lost seats. The Progressive Democrats lost 8 seats but they still held the balance of power. Haughey had failed to be elected Taoiseach in the Dáil vote with O'Malley's Progressive Democrats voting for Fine Gael leader Alan Dukes. After Haughey formally resigned he entered into negotiations with the Progressive Democrats about forming a coalition. The vast majority of Haughey's Cabinet was vehemently opposed to any coalition deal but Haughey was desperate for power. On 5 July 1989, Haughey and O'Malley agreed a deal for government. In the new cabinet O'Malley was appointed Minister for Industry & Commerce. The Irish general election of 1989 was held on Friday, June 15, 1989, three weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on May 25. ... Alan Dukes (born April 20, 1945) is an Irish politician, a former leader of the Fine Gael political party and former TD for Kildare South. ... July 5 is the 186th day of the year (187th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 179 days remaining. ...

In 1990 the Fianna Fáil nominee in the presidential election was Brian Lenihan, a hugely popular figure in politics. A few weeks before the election a scandal broke surrounding Lenihan and the accusation that he phoned President Hillery in 1982, asking him not to dissolve the Dáil following the fall of Garret FitzGerald's government. Lenihan had always denied this, but now new evidence had come to light. O'Malley was very concerned over this and the effect it would have on the coalition. He met with Haughey and told him that the Progressive Democrats would pull out of the coalition and support a no-confidence motion tabled by the opposition unless 1) Lenihan left the Government or 2) Haughey opened an investigation into the 1982 incident. Ultimately, Haughey sacked Lenihan. In the Irish presidential election in 1990 the Irish Labour Party let it be known that it would for the first time run a candidate. ... Brian Lenihan (17 November 1930 - 1 November 1995) was a Irish Fianna Fáil politician. ... Dr. Patrick John Hillery (born May 2, 1923) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician and the sixth President of Ireland from 1976 until 1990. ...

In early 1992 the programme for government was up for renewal by both parties. When it was revealed by Seán Doherty that Haughey had authorised the tapping of two journalists' telephones in 1982, O'Malley decided that the Progressive Democrats could no longer remain in a government led by Haughey. Haughey eventually resigned on 11 February 1992 and was replaced by Albert Reynolds. Seán Doherty (Irish: ; August 29, 1944 – June 7, 2005), was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. ... February 11 is the 42nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Albert Reynolds (born November 3, 1932), was the eighth Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland, serving one term in office from 1992 until 1994. ...

O'Malley and the Progressive Democrats continued in government until the Beef Tribunal. When Reynolds accused O'Malley of being 'dishonest' while giving evidence, the Progressive Democrats immediately withdrew from the government and a general election was called. Fianna Fáil returned to power in coalition with Labour. The Progressive Democrats were now confined to the Opposition benches. The Irish general election of 1992 was held on Wednesday, November 25, 1992, almost three weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on November 5. ...

Retirement

In October 1993 O'Malley retired as leader of the Progressive Democrats. He was succeeded by Mary Harney, one of the co-founders of the party. In 1994 O'Malley ran for the European Parliament but was defeated by his Pat Cox, a sitting MEP who left the PDs to run as an independent when O'Malley was selected as the candidate to replace him. He remained on as a TD until his complete retirement from politics at the 2002 General Election. His daughter, Fiona O'Malley, was elected to the Dáil as a Progressive Democrats candidate continuing the O'Malley dynasty that has lasted since 1954. Pat Cox during a discussion at the 2004 Karlspreis ceremonies Pat Cox (born 28 November 1952) is an Irish politician and former television current affairs presenter. ... A Member of the European Parliament (English abbreviation MEP) is a member of the European Unions directly-elected legislative body, the European Parliament. ... The Irish general election of 2002 was held on Friday 17 May 2002, just over three weeks after the dissolution of the 28th Dáil on Thursday 25 April by President Mary McAleese, at the request of the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern. ... Fiona OMalley (born January 19, 1968) is an Irish politician. ...

Vehemently opposed to Charles Haughey's leadership throughout his political career, Desmond O'Malley is regarded as a 'Taoiseach that never was' due largely to his position on the high moral ground where the national electorate rarely treads.

In 1999, Jack Lynch, the 1970s leader of Fianna Fáil died, and O'Malley was selected to give the graveside oration, a tradition at the burial of political leaders in Ireland. This was remarkable, because the orator is usually chosen for their fidelity to the political beliefs of the leader being buried, and O'Malley had led a damaging split from Fianna Fáil. The selection of O'Malley to give the oration suggested that Lynch's family believed that, in the great dispute with Haughey, it was Haughey, not O'Malley, who had betrayed Fianna Fáil ideals. John (Jack) Mary Lynch (15 August 1917—20 October 1999), was the fourth Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland, serving two terms in office; 1966 to 1973 and 1977 to 1979. ...

Political career

See also

• Families in the Oireachtas

This page incorporates information from the Oireachtas Members Database There is a tradition in Irish politics of having family members succeed each other in the same parliamentary seat. ...