Fr Niall Molloy, 52, above, was found beaten to death at the home of this friends, Richard and Theresa Flynn, in Clara, Co. Offaly, a day after their daughter’s wedding in 1985.

Nobody has ever been convicted in relation to the death.

Earlier this week, it was reported that the DPP had finished its review of a Garda investigation into the killing, and ruled no charges will be brought.

Fr Molloy’s family are now seeking a commission of inquiry, to investigate all of the circumstances surrounding the priest’s death.

Colin Maher writes:

Niall was my granduncle, being the youngest brother of my grandmother, Eileen Maher. He was from a family of five girls and three boys who lived just outside Roscommon town.

Niall’s father, William J Molloy,was a successful businessman who had emigrated from Mayo to New York as a young man, and returned to Ireland to set up business with this brother in Roscommon town, and to raise his family there.

From a young age, Niall and my grandmother carried on their father’s interest in horses. Niall was a very accomplished horseman and involved himself in showjumping, gymkhanas, etc…He entered the priesthood and was ordained in the 1950s in Rome.

Niall worked in various parishes in the West, and also as an Army Chaplain in Athlone Army Barracks and on deployment in Cyprus. He always kept up his keen interest in horses. Prior to William Molloy’s death in 1965, he gifted Niall a sum of money in the region of £60,000 (not an inconsiderable amount at the time). Niall used some of this money to invest in horses, and it was in effect to be his retirement fund.

Niall had been a friend of Theresa Flynn, nee Brennan, for a long number of years. Their friendship was based on a mutual love of horses. Theresa was married to Richard Flynn, a businessman. In later years they lived with a family of several children in Tober, Westmeath on a large farm. The sold the land and retained the house presumably due to financial pressure. They then bought the property called Kilcoursey House on the outskirts of Clara, Offaly, with surrounding land.

Their son David Flynn resided in the house in Tober. Richard Flynn involved himself with various businesses including a small network of car accessory outlets. He was undoubtedly in financial difficulty at the time, and so the family was forced to sell the land at Tober, and downsize to Kilcoursey House.

At this time, Niall was a curate in Castlecoote, a small parish about five miles from Roscommon town. He had taken over the parish and lived in a caravan for a while, as the parish house was in such bad condition that it had to be demolished. He lived in the caravan adjoining the church and eventually built a small bungalow on the grounds. He was extremely popular with all age groups in the parish, and was very approachable but was a generally quiet and gentle type of person.

Niall Molloy and Theresa Flynn set up a business, jointly-owned, in which they dealt in horses and also purchased lands on the outskirts of Athlone town. Niall had a very good eye for horses and enjoyed the business. They bought and sold horses very successfully, and the horses were stables at Kilcoursey House. Niall very frequently visited Kilcoursey House to ride the horses, and they gave him his own room in the house, where he stayed if too tired to travel back to Castlecoote.Continue reading →