*** Welcome to piglix ***

Des O'Malley

Desmond O'Malley
Leader of the Progressive Democrats
In office
21 December 1985 – 12 October 1993
Deputy Michael Keating
Pearse Wyse
Preceded by New position
Succeeded by Mary Harney
Minister for Industry and Commerce
In office
12 July 1989 – 4 November 1992
Taoiseach Charles Haughey
Albert Reynolds
Preceded by Ray Burke
Succeeded by Pádraig Flynn
In office
5 July 1977 – 30 June 1981
Taoiseach Jack Lynch
Charles Haughey
Preceded by Justin Keating
Succeeded by John Kelly
Minister for Trade, Commerce and Tourism
In office
9 March 1982 – 7 October 1982
Taoiseach Charles Haughey
Preceded by John Kelly
Succeeded by Paddy Power
Minister for Justice
In office
5 May 1970 – 14 March 1973
Taoiseach Jack Lynch
Preceded by Micheál Ó Móráin
Succeeded by Patrick Cooney
Government Chief Whip
In office
2 July 1969 – 5 May 1970
Taoiseach Jack Lynch
Preceded by Michael Carty
Succeeded by David Andrews
Teachta Dála
In office
May 1968 – April 2002
Constituency Limerick East
Personal details
Born Desmond Joseph O'Malley
(1939-02-02) 2 February 1939 (age 78)
Limerick, Ireland
Nationality Irish
Political party Independent
Other political
affiliations
Fianna Fáil (1968-1985)
Progressive Democrats (1985-2008)
Spouse(s) Pat O'Malley (m. 1961; d. 2017)
Children 2
Alma mater University College Dublin

Desmond Joseph O'Malley (born 2 February 1939) is an Irish former politician. Once prominent as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála (TD) and government minister in the 1970s and 1980s, he went on to found the Progressive Democrats and serve as the party's first leader from 1985 until 1993. He retired from politics at the 2002 general election.

O'Malley was born in Limerick in 1939. His family had long been involved in politics: His maternal grandfather, Denis O'Donovan, was murdered during the War of Independence by the Black and Tans, two of his uncles and his father held the office of Mayor of Limerick, and his uncle Donogh O'Malley was a Minister for Education.

O'Malley was educated at the Jesuit Crescent College and at University College Dublin, from which he graduated with a degree in law in 1962. In 1968, after Donogh O'Malley died suddenly, Desmond O'Malley was elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála (TD) in the subsequent by-election for the Limerick East constituency. At the time it was believed that this by-election victory was partly due to Neil Blaney and his "Donegal Mafia". Blaney would subsequently regret aiding O'Malley in his election.

Following the 1969 general election O'Malley was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Taoiseach, Jack Lynch, and also Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence, Jim Gibbons. O'Malley had a central role in the prosecutions that arose from the Arms Crisis of 1970. The case against the accused government ministers Charles Haughey and Neil Blaney was dismissed in the Supreme Court, and both ministers were acquitted.


...
Wikipedia

...