James Molyneaux, Baron Molyneaux of Killead
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The Right Honourable The Lord Molyneaux of Killead KBE PC |
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| Lord Temporal | |
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In office 10 June 1997 – 9 March 2015 |
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| Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party | |
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In office 7 September 1979 – 8 September 1995 |
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| Preceded by | Harry West |
| Succeeded by | David Trimble |
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Member of Parliament for Lagan Valley |
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In office 9 June 1983 – 1 May 1997 |
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| Preceded by | Constituency created |
| Succeeded by | Jeffrey Donaldson |
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Member of Parliament for South Antrim |
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In office 18 June 1970 – 9 June 1983 |
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| Preceded by | Knox Cunningham |
| Succeeded by | Clifford Forsythe |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
James Henry Molyneaux 27 August 1920 Killead, Northern Ireland |
| Died | 9 March 2015 (aged 94) Antrim, Northern Ireland |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Ulster Unionist Party |
| Spouse(s) | Never married |
| Children | None |
| Residence | Killead, County Antrim |
| Religion | Anglican |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom
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| Service/branch |
 Royal Air Force
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| Years of service | 1941–1946 |
| Rank | Flying Officer |
| Battles/wars | World War Two |
James Henry Molyneaux, Baron Molyneaux of Killead, KBE, PC (27 August 1920 – 9 March 2015), often known as Jim Molyneaux, was a Northern Irish unionist politician and leader of the Ulster Unionist Party from 1979 to 1995. He was a leading member and sometime Vice-President of the Conservative Monday Club. An Orangeman, he was also Sovereign Grand Master of the Royal Black Institution from 1971 to 1995.
Born in Killead, County Antrim to William Molyneaux and Sarah Gilmore, Molyneaux was educated at nearby Aldergrove School. Although he was raised an Anglican, as a child he briefly attended a local Catholic primary school and is alleged to have expressed the view that the Catholic Church made a mistake in abandoning the Tridentine Rite. When a Catholic church near his home was burnt down by Ulster loyalist arsonists in the late 1990s, Molyneaux helped to raise funds for its rebuilding.
In World War II Molyneaux served in the Royal Air Force between 1941 and 1946. He participated in the liberation of the Belsen concentration camp, and occasionally gave interviews about what he saw there. On 1 April 1947, he was promoted to flying officer.
During the 1960s and 1970s, Molyneaux served on Antrim County Council, as well as a number of committees concerning local healthcare, and in 1970 was elected UUP Member of Parliament for South Antrim. In October 1974, Molyneaux became leader of the Ulster Unionists in the House of Commons. Between 1982 and 1986 he sat as a UUP member for South Antrim in the failed 1982 Northern Ireland Assembly. Molyneaux was admitted to the Privy Council in 1982. Following boundary changes that divided South Antrim, Molyneaux became member for the new seat of Lagan Valley in 1983. In 1985, Molyneaux resigned his seat, along with his unionist colleagues in the House of Commons, in protest at the Anglo-Irish Agreement. He was re-elected in the subsequent by-election.
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