Des O'Malley: Founder of Ireland's Progressive Democrats dies
- Published
Des O'Malley (standing) founded and led the Progressive Democrats
Des O'Malley, the founder and former leader of the Republic of Ireland's Progressive Democrats party, has died at the age of 82.
Mr O'Malley served as a TD (member of parliament) from 1968 until 2002.
Originally a member of Fianna Fáil, he held a number of ministerial posts over the course of his political career.
Mr O'Malley, then a solicitor, was first elected in a 1968 by-election to fill his late uncle Donogh O'Malley's Fianna Fáil seat in Limerick East.
In 1970, the 31-year-old was appointed minister for justice under Taoiseach Jack Lynch.
He took a tough line with the IRA, establishing the Special Criminal Court and introducing the Offences Against the State Act.
Allow Twitter content?
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
In 1985, he was expelled from Fianna Fáil and founded the Progressive Democrats after he abstained in a vote on a bill introduced by the Fine Gael-Labour government to repeal the ban on contraceptives for the unmarried.
Fianna Fáil opposed the bill.
The new party won 14 seats in its first election in 1987, making it the third biggest in the Dáil (parliament).
Two years later Mr O'Malley agreed to form a Fianna Fáil-PD coalition government with Charles Haughey, who he had opposed as leader while a member of Fianna Fáil.
The Progressive Democrats pulled out of government in 1993, after which Mr O'Malley retired as party leader.
Allow Twitter content?
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
He retired from public life in 2002.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin paid tribute to Mr O'Malley, saying he "loved his country and was fearless in challenging those who used violence to undermine it".
Tánaiste (deputy prime minister) and Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar described Mr O'Malley as a "giant of politics", who "left a lasting and positive legacy".