Anthony Molloy (Gaelic footballer)

Anthony Molloy

Personal information
Irish name	Antóin Ó Maolmhuaidh
Sport	Gaelic football
Position	Midfield
Born	(1962-05-28) 28 May 1962 (age 62) Ardara,^[citation needed] County Donegal
Occupation	Businessman, politician
Club(s)
Years	Club
1980s–1990s 1980s–1990s	Ard an Rátha Donegal New York
Club titles
Donegal titles	1
Inter-county(ies)
Years	County	Apps (scores)
1982–1994	Donegal	123[1]
Inter-county titles
Ulster titles	3
All-Irelands	1
All Stars	1

Anthony Molloy (born 28 May 1962) is an Irish former Gaelic footballer who played for Ard an Rátha and the Donegal county team.

He captained Donegal to the Sam Maguire Cup in 1992.

Early life and family

Molloy is from Leamagowra.^[2] This is a small townland on the way over Glengesh Pass on the way towards Glencolmcille.^[1] He was born on 28 May 1962.^[3] In 1992, he was living at 61 Conlin Road in Killybegs.^[4]

He is the uncle of C. J. Molloy.^[5]

In December 2019, a niece of his was killed while working as a nurse in the Royal Melbourne Hospital.^[6] She was also his goddaughter.^[7]

Playing career

Molloy won the Under-14 Championship with his club in 1976.^[8]

He played during the 1982 All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship, which Donegal won.^[1][9]

Molloy went on to play for his county at senior level for twelve years, amassing 123 appearances.^[1] He played senior football for Donegal from 1982 until 1994.^{[citation needed]}

Molloy played against Cavan in the 1983 Ulster final, won by Donegal.^[10]

He played against Armagh in the 1990 Ulster final, won by Donegal.^[11] He was the captain that year.^[12]

Molloy captained Donegal to the 1992 All-Ireland title.^[13] He famously exclaimed "Sam's for the hills" as he did so.^[14] His speech is still held in high regard within the sport nationally.^[15] He would win an All Star in 1992 as well.^[8]

Molloy also won two New York Senior Football Championships in 1986 and 1992, while playing for Donegal New York.^[8]

By the end of his playing days, Molloy had been left with a troublesome left knee. It had no joint left, simply bone on bone.^[16] Molloy described it, in the Sean Potts-edited book Voices from Croke Park: The Stories of 12 GAA heroes, as being "riddled with arthritis".^[16] County team doctor Austin O'Kennedy regarded it as being one of the worst knees he had ever seen.^[16] Molloy had surgery on "seven or eight" occasions, before having his knee replaced at the Mater Private in October 2008.^[16] He funded the earlier operations with his own insurance.^[16] However, the €22,000 owed for the replacement was nearly double the maximum allowed by his insurance and this led to Molloy receiving solicitors' letters from the hospital.^[16] He expressed disappointment at the lack of interest from the Donegal County Board in resolving the issue.^[16] Molloy contacted his former manager Brian McEniff; McEniff contacted GAA Director General Páraic Duffy and eventually the GAA paid "the outstanding amount".^[16]

Management career

Molloy managed the county minor team to an Ulster Minor Football Championship title in 1996.^[2] Molloy, assisted by Naomh Columba's Michael Oliver McIntyre and Paddy McBride of Downings, also led the team to the 1996 Ulster Minor Football League title.^[17]

Molloy was mentioned as a possible successor to P. J. McGowan as manager in 1997 in a dual role with Tom Conaghan.^[18] He withdrew and Declan Bonner became manager.^[19]

He was managing his local club in 2007.^[14] He has also been assistant manager.^[20]

Molloy has also managed the Naomh Columba club.^[2]

Immediately following Donegal's All-Ireland semi-final victory over Cork in 2012, manager Jim McGuinness had Molloy deliver a message to the players beneath the Hogan Stand in Croke Park. Captain Michael Murphy later described it: "'Seize the opportunity' was pretty much the message he gave us. We're still trying to live by those words now; in every game we play we're living in the present, trying to grab the chance. Molloy didn't beat around the bush when he came in. He warned us that there was no point in us living with the false hope that it would all be quiet, but that we needed to be ourselves. His big message was about seizing the opportunity and how they thought after '92 that they'd win more".^[2][21] When Donegal won the 2012 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final, Molloy raised the hand of Murphy at the local homecoming event, where Paddy McGrath and Pat Shovelin also featured.^[2]

Other ventures

Towards the end of 2009, Molloy joined the Gaelic Players Association but found it unpalatable.^[16] He was regarded as a leading candidate to replace P. J. McGowan as County Chairman when McGowan's five years came to an end in December 2012.^[2] In 2013, Molloy was one of six nominees for the position of vice-chairman of the Donegal County Board executive.^[22] He was critical of the selection process used to decide the new Donegal senior manager in 2017.^[23]

Molloy has spoken publicly of his struggles with alcoholism.^[24] He presented the documentary Deoch an Dorais (Name Your Poison), aired on TG4 on 28 December 2015.^[24] He has been involved in insurance, property, sales and with pubs.^[14] He stood for the Fianna Fáil political party in the Glenties Electoral Area at the 2019 Donegal County Council election and won a seat.^[25][26][27] He was re-elected for the Fianna Fáil political party in the Glenties Electoral Area at the 2024 Donegal County Council election.^[28]

His autobiography, titled Life, Glory and Demons, was published by Hero Books in 2022.^[29]

Honours

Player

• All-Ireland Senior Football Championship: 1992 (c.)^[14]
• Ulster Senior Football Championship: 1983,^[10] 1990,^[1][11] 1992 (c.)^[1]
• All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship: 1982^[1]
• Ulster Under-21 Football Championship: 1982^[8]
• Donegal Senior Football Championship: 19??^{[citation needed]}
• New York Senior Football Championship: 1986,^[8] 1992^[8]

Manager

• Ulster Minor Football Championship: 1996^[2]

Individual

• All Star: 1992^[8]
• Donegal Player of the Year: 1988,^[8] 1990^[8]
• In May 2012, the Irish Independent named him in its selection of Donegal's "greatest team" spanning the previous 50 years.^[30]
• Silver Jubilee Football Team of the Ulster GAA Writers Association (UGAAWA) nomination: 2012^[31][32]
• In June 2016, Molloy was given the Freedom of County Donegal, the seventh recipient of the honour; he followed others such as Packie Bonner, Shay Given and Daniel O'Donnell.^[8][33] He was the first GAA figure to receive the honour.^[34]

References

1. McNulty, Chris (7 June 2016). "Anthony Molloy: 'The man from the mist' gets Freedom of Donegal". Retrieved 7 June 2016.
2. McNulty, Chris (19 October 2012). "Molloy considers the top job". Donegal News. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
3. "Anthony Molloy celebrates his birthday and election in the same week". 29 May 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2019. Anthony Molloy, 57, celebrated his birthday on Tuesday, May 28.
4. "1992 All-Ireland Senior Football Final: Dublin v Donegal". YouTube. 21 March 2020. Archived from the original on 20 December 2021.
5. "A day in the life: New York's CJ Molloy". Hogan Stand. 2 May 2013. Archived from the original on 18 December 2015. Retrieved 2 May 2013.
6. Maguire, Stephen (21 December 2019). "Young Donegal nurse (26) killed when 'tree fell on car' in Melbourne". Irish Independent. Independent News & Media. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
7. Cadogan, Stephen (23 December 2019). "'Christmas will never be the same again' - Uncle of tragic nurse Mary Ellen Molloy pays tribute to 'caring' niece". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 23 December 2019. Anthony, who was also Mary Ellen's Godfather, said there is just a numbness which has embraced the family and the community since word of Mary Ellen's tragic death broke on Friday last around 5.30pm.
8. Walsh, Harry (7 June 2016). "Anthony takes another title back to 'the hills'". Donegal News. Retrieved 7 June 2016.
9. McNulty, Chris (20 July 2018). "Declan Bonner yearning for repeat of the long-term rewards from the golden age". Retrieved 20 July 2018.
10. Campbell, Peter (15 July 2008). "Donegal heroes of 1983". Donegal Democrat. Archived from the original on 18 December 2015. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
11. McNulty, Chris (18 July 2015). "Donegal's 1990 Ulster winners will be honoured tomorrow — here is their story". Retrieved 18 July 2015.
12. "A look back at previous finals" (PDF). 2020 Ulster Final programme. p. 45. Manus Boyle scored two late points to secure their first title since 1983 as Anthony Molloy collected the Anglo Celt for his first of two as team captain.
13. "Interview with Anthony Molloy". Hogan Stand. 17 July 1992. Retrieved 4 October 2009.
14. Foley, Alan (8 January 2009). "The heroes of '92 — Where are they now?". Donegal Democrat. Archived from the original on 18 December 2015. Retrieved 2 July 2012.
15. "Anthony Molloy's 1992 All-Ireland-winning speech". RTÉ Sport. 3 May 2020. Retrieved 3 May 2020. This week in our series of 'Great GAA Speeches', Anthony Molloy joins Jacqui Hurley on RTÉ Radio 1's Sunday Sport…
16. "Won't someone think of the players?". Donegal News. 28 February 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
17. Foley, Alan; Campbell, Peter (30 July 2021). "When Donegal minors lit up the summer of 1996. Their story and 'where are they now?'". Retrieved 30 July 2021.
18. Moran, Sean (9 July 1997). "McGowan calls it a day with Donegal". The Irish Times.
19. McNulty, Chris (22 September 2017). "Declan Bonner: It'll be 'all or nothing' for Donegal's 'half mad' new manager". Retrieved 22 September 2017. Anthony Molloy, Tom Connaghan[sic] and Pauric McShea all withdrew from the race and Pat Conaghan, the then county Chairman, informed Bonner at 9.29pm that he was the new Donegal manager.
20. "Molloy hopes Ardara can win relegation four-pointer". Donegal News. 10 September 2016. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
21. McNulty, Chris (19 July 2013). "Ulster final: Murphy aims to sieze[sic] the day". Donegal News. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
22. "Molloy for Donegal top table?". Hogan Stand. 21 November 2013. Archived from the original on 18 December 2015. Retrieved 21 November 2013.
23. Craig, Frank (2 September 2017). "Managerial process needs to be fair and transparent – Molloy". Donegal News. Retrieved 2 September 2017.
24. "Former Donegal All-Ireland captain presents documentary on "Rasputin of the Bronx"". Donegal Now. 18 December 2015. Archived from the original on 18 December 2015. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
25. Maguire, Stephen (25 May 2019). "Donegal County Council: All-Ireland winning captain Anthony Molloy elected". The Irish Times. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
26. "Cllr Anthony Molloy". Fianna Fáil. Archived from the original on 9 October 2019. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
27. "Anthony Molloy". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
28. "Glenties: Anthony Molloy elected after eighth count". 9 June 2024.
29. Craig, Frank (29 October 2022). "Alcohol abuse, depression and loss of marriage – how winning All-Ireland threatened to engulf Donegal captain". Irish Independent. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
30. "GAA: Donegal's greatest team of the past 50 years named". 14 May 2012. Retrieved 14 May 2012.
31. McNulty, Chris (4 December 2012). "Ulster GAA Writers to hold landmark bash in Donegal". Donegal News. Retrieved 4 December 2012. Current All-Stars Karl Lacey, the 2012 Footballer of the Year, and Michael Murphy have been short-listed, as have 1992 All-Ireland winners Martin McHugh, Anthony Molloy, Matt Gallagher and Tony Boyle.
32. McNulty, Chris (12 December 2012). "Donegal take the top writers' awards". Donegal News. Retrieved 12 December 2012. Lacey, meanwhile, was named on the UGAAWA Jubilee Team, a selection which caused widespread debate, with some surprise in Donegal that neither of Martin McHugh or Tony Boyle were named.
33. "GAA legend awarded Freedom of Donegal". Inishowen News. 9 June 2016. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
34. Forker, Mark (8 June 2016). "Picture special: GAA great Anthony Molloy given Freedom of Donegal". Retrieved 8 June 2016.

External links

• Anthony Molloy at gaainfo.com

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Paddy O'Rourke (Down)	All-Ireland SFC winning captain 1992	Succeeded by Henry Downey (Derry)

Sporting positions
Preceded by	Donegal Senior Football Captain 1990	Succeeded by
Preceded by	Donegal Senior Football Captain 1992	Succeeded by