CLARA — 1985 · Unsolved Case
The Death of Father Niall Molloy
Father Niall Molloy, a Catholic priest from Roscommon, was found dead on 8 July 1985 at the home of close family friends in Clara, County Offaly, the day after a family wedding. There were signs of violence in the room. At the 1986 trial the sole defendant was acquitted in under four hours on the judge's direction; the judge's closeness to the family later raised questions of a conflict of interest. The coroner found the cause of death was a serious head injury. A 2011 medical review indicated the priest may have lived for up to six hours after the assault and might have survived had help been called. The re-examined file was sent to the prosecutor in 2013, who decided against bringing new charges.
- Date
- 1985
- Place
- Offaly, Ireland, Clara, IE
- Category
- Unsolved Case
- Case Status
- Unsolved
- Coordinates
- 53.3400, -7.6100 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 7 July 1985A family wedding took place at the house in Clara.
- 8 July 1985Father Niall Molloy was found dead at the house.
- 1986The sole defendant was acquitted on the judge's direction.
- 2011A medical review showed the priest may have lived for hours.
- 21 August 2013The prosecutor decided against new charges.
Sources
- The Irish Times — Savcılık Molloy davasında suçlamayı reddetti (2013) irishtimes.com ↗
- Wikipedia — Death of Niall Molloy en.wikipedia.org ↗
- The Irish Times
- Wikipedia
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.