The Killing of Fr Niall Molloy

cap.in.hand.

I wonder what Therese flynns input was in the financial partnership....fr Molloy seemed to be the most knowledgeable with the horsey part of the partnership as regards show jumping competitions participation as can be seen from media pictures of him and maybe ... That included breeding, foaling,sales,stud fees..... obviously her/Richards home and her/Richards stables and her/Richards 60 acres of land around kilcoursey house for grazing/feed being the 'headquarters' was being used and would form a partnership as such but he seemed the boss and brains of it and HE was creating the profits for the partnership..... so in reality HE was the only one really investing the whole £24000 of the profits HE made for the 'partnership' on buying their land which in theory would then be his own land for his continuing equine hobby.... His own stud farm .... but on paper looks like he only invested £12000 based on the 'partnership' and this would be more critical for him if that full amount of his £24000 wouldn't/couldn't be paid back as the sale didn't complete it's finality as he probably was trusted it would.

funkey_monkey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117902595#Comment_117902595

So Richard and the son laid into Fr Molloy then? As Richard had bruised knuckles then he was definitely punching someone. Why then? Then would have known about any affair between the two as they were involved for such a long time together.

I think the son was involved, but possibly it was over money and the son got handsy when his parents got riled up by argument.

Gadgetman496

I think she killed him and became hysterical when she realised what she had done. Richard gave her a few thumps to try bring here to her senses, eventually had her sedated and brought to hospital in a bid to stop her incriminating herself. He initially decided to take the fall for her when first interviewed so as to take out any chance of her becoming a person of interest. Son got rid of whatever implement his mother used to strike the priest.

Case solved 😁

cap.in.hand.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117916769#Comment_117916769

I'd say it was the kilcoursey lands and stables that fr molloy was interested in having a affair with.

funkey_monkey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117916884#Comment_117916884

Possibly, but she would have been seen by doctors and nurses who would have noticed and bruising due to Richard thumping her. She was a hard looking ticket, so I don't doubt it was in her but I still think the father/son done it and she freaked out watching it.

Gadgetman496

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117916998#Comment_117916998

A valid point too.

Spencer101

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117917068#Comment_117917068

They got rid of her because she would undermine the way the evidence was to be presented and the story they presented. She didn't do anything of substance in the melee. Once she was gone they couldn't control what she said and who visited her but where Richard was to fall on her sword it was easy to then dismiss anything she said about some alternate story: she had been drinking, she took a sleeping tablet & she was then sedated.

tipptom

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117914761#Comment_117914761

i think he would have been fairly secure moneywise without the pension but would have still wanted his money back from the Flynns

I think the priesthood at that time was pretty much like society in that people like Fr Molloy would hold powerful friends in it and be probably be able to sway a pension anyway and he was allowed to do his job in his home town

Talisman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117916998#Comment_117916998

Theresa claimed to have suffered memory loss and blacked out around the time of the assault taking place. It's not uncommon for people that commit violent acts that would be considered out of character to suffer amnesia regarding the events. In January 2020, Deirdre Morley killed her children and was found hours later in a distressed state, she had no recollection of the events. She was later found not guilty by reason of insanity.

Amnesia for Violent Offenses: Factors Underlying Memory Loss and Recovery

Amnesia for violent offenses is common, but little is known about underlying causes or whether memory can recover. In this study, 50 violent offenders were interviewed with neuropsychological and psychometric measures, to determine the factors that underlie amnesia and the recovery of memory in these cases. The results showed that amnesia for a violent offense was associated with crimes of passion and dissociative symptoms at the time, but not with impaired neuropsychological functioning. Long amnesic gaps were associated with a state of dissociation surrounding the offense and with previous blackouts (whether alcoholic or dissociative). Memory often recovered, either partially or completely, especially where there was a history of blackouts or a lengthy amnesic gap. Brief amnesic gaps were likely to persist, perhaps as a consequence of faulty encoding during a period of extreme emotional arousal (or red-out).

Theresa being punched by her husband could possibly have been part of the plan to give their story some authenticity - a couple of truths to hide the lie. When Theresa said her husband had punched her she would have been telling the truth. If Richard had also punched Fr. Molloy several times to mask the injuries the priest suffered from being struck by an implement such as a statuette of a horse he would have been truthful in saying he did so. Saying it was because of who was supposed to go down stairs to get a drink was a little white lie, they'd hardly condemn you to hell for something like that.

The supposed argument about getting a drink was a lie, Richard Flynn had also claimed it was an argument about politics. He later denied having said there was an argument about politics. I think they were trying those lies on for size to see what stuck. He didn't sign the original statement given to the garda so that left wiggle room to manoeuvre afterwards.

Spencer101

The General's theft of the DPP's file led to 2 stories which I am not sure have ever been backed up elsewhere:

(a) The judge wrote to the DPP saying he knew the main parties to case;

(b) Fr. Molloy was hit by a statuette of a horse

The first claim is just wrong; the then DPP contradicted it as per McGinn report. Do not believe he was lying, nor that all of his staff from that time who are still alive would help a 'cover up'. That leads me to believe (b) is a tall tale spread by the Cahill family for reasons of their own.

Talisman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117931566#Comment_117931566

The broken coffee table and missing statuette were reported to the gardai in a statement given by one of the staff after the murder.

The Flynn story was that the table was broken by a child on the day of the wedding, another version of their story was that the table was broken by a child in the week before the wedding. From what we know those stories were never investigated. There was another story that Fr. Molloy had been pushed into the coffee table some days before the wedding and that is how it came to be broken.

The missing statuette was never explained but it was known about before the theft of the files from the DPP's office in 1987.

Spencer101

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117932456#Comment_117932456

My mistake about the statuette- but is there any evidence Fr Molloy was struck with a statuette. Recent TV show is a few weeks ago now but tended to suggest he was kicked and punched only ?

lalababa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117893640#Comment_117893640

The simplest solution is nearest the truth.

cap.in.hand.

Primetime investigates has a fr Niall slot on next Tuesday evening

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119711200#Comment_119711200

They mentioned something about new evidence.

cap.in.hand.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119711215#Comment_119711215

They did...a book about his death has been recently published.

Seth Brundle

Very interesting! Looks like Richard Flynn did it out of jealousy/anger, if this is true...

https://www.independent.ie/news/new-evidence-uncovered-regarding-death-of-fr-niall-molloy-in-1985-42055618.html

the focus on that was all strange.

obviously yerman did it.

the rush to ensure that a lack of scandal was prioritised over a reasonable trial/investigation is surely more worthy of whether yerman thumped him three or six times.

cap.in.hand.

Mrs Flynn involvement in this story is as relevant as Richard flynn's...

Spencer101

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119729093#Comment_119729093

Was money & the fact Mrs Flynn was having a long running emotional (seemingly rather than sexual) affair not intertwined ? Mr Flynn is brought into a conversation about money and the 20 year resentment at the priest boils over ?

Chiparus

Was Theresa Flynn involved with Molloy prior to her marriage ? I heard that they were , and that she rejected his proposal of marriage , and he joined the priesthood subsequently ?

Spencer101

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119729206#Comment_119729206

General background material describes them as childhood friends. Fr Molloy presumably became a priest at the normal age - so there’s a few years where they may have been romantically involved

cap.in.hand.

Richard Flynn's situation regarding the fatal assualt and the background leading to it puts him in a better light following this programme piece on primetime

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119732568#Comment_119732568

Was the Indo story incorrect so?

cap.in.hand.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119732580#Comment_119732580

The indo had the same story I know... seeing it broadcast on TV has more of a impact I suppose

juno10353

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119732568#Comment_119732568

I must have watched different programme.

cap.in.hand.

While there is no doubt Richard flynn delivered the fatal blows and accepted he did ....he had to live with that for the rest of his life....but his relationship and marriage to Theresa Flynn must have been a sham to him as he wanted to end it numerous times... first time this was mentioned in documentary....those living arrangements must have made him feel like a spare tool in his own house.

Radio5

The legal advice to Richard Flynn was to say nothing more other than the initial 1-page statement and admit nothing else. They then went with self-defence at trial and there was no other witness to contradict it, Fr Molloy was dead and Mrs Flynn unable to remember what happened.

When the barrister, who was the top defence barrister in Ireland at the time, was questioning Dr Harbison, he was able to introduce uncertainty about the number of blows and a possibility of a heart condition and that muddied the waters just enough.

In the Ireland of 1985, Richard Flynn wasn't going to be advised by any lawyer to blacken the reputation of his wife and a dead Catholic priest in order to explain his anger and actions.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119734484#Comment_119734484

Its mad when you look at it today- Harbison had nailed the assessment of the damage to the body in his post mortem but how could he then admit that some of those blows could have happened via a “fall” - it really sounded like no one wanted this trial to go ahead - and as for the heart condition comment - I mean was none of this discussed with the prosecution pre trial ?

Xander10

Bottom line. The judge was friends with the family. Conflict of interest should never have been allowed

cap.in.hand.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119734735#Comment_119734735

It's not like that he was a danger to society whether convicted or not in a court of law...he was culpable in the priests untimely death more likely accidental and that will forever be associated with him

silliussoddius

Is it just me or does this case reek of the betters looking out for themselves?

Xander10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119734860#Comment_119734860

Manslaughter

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119734882#Comment_119734882

Assuming that the RTE story is correct then Flynn could have been portrayed as being angry and jealous that his wife was in a relationship with Molloy and sought and planned revenge. A murder charge surely could have been pursued (if there was any will to pursue it!).

Trigger Happy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119734881#Comment_119734881

Oh that's exactly what it was. The church wanting to avoid a scandal at any cost. And those in power circling the wagons to keep the Hoi Polloi tamed and ignorant.

I would like to think that we have moved on from those **** times but am not so sure.

cap.in.hand.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119734946#Comment_119734946

Theresa Flynn seemed to want to keep the respectable marriage image intact while maybe not honouring her commitment to their marriage vows and not to seperate as he seems to have requested them to do...he seemed to be doing the honourable course of action for his family ....she obviously wanted to be in the company of fr Niall a lot and for him to be living in their house made that possible and probably at her request more so than Richard Flynn's approval.

juno10353

Parochial Ireland. Man assaulted and dying, ring priest, later get doctor, later still call gardai. No one rang 999 to save the man. Surely that is murder.

juno10353

On a separate note, Patrick McEntee and Seamus Sorehan were renowned senior councils of their time. Irish Rumpole of the Baileys.

Is there anyone of their calibre now in the courts

Spencer101

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119735746#Comment_119735746

The ‘fame’ of barristers is not that long lasting. Sorehan died about 15 years ago and is less well remembered than McEntee who is still alive and I think stopped practising about 8-10 years ago. Sorehan was apparently quite theatrical which is not in keeping with recent fashions. By way Rumpole was a junior barrister, unlike Sorehan & McEntee who were/ are ‘silks’, also was not actually much interested in law. Whereas McEntee was a very good technical lawyer. At the time of the Molloy murder he was at the height of his powers. There’s some very good barristers in practice now and whilst it’s hard to compare generations would understand that there is no one quite as good as McEntee in practice in 2022.

maninasia

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119733222#Comment_119733222

We are supposed to feel sorry for him ?

What did his wife die of in the end?

Deeec

There are 2 motives for Richard Flynn murdering Fr Niall:

• The priests relationship with Therese Flynn - Richard Flynn must have known what was going on between the priest and Therese. Richard appears to have tolerated this and even facilitated this by allowing the priest his own room in their house. This was a very unusual situtation. It was a sham marriage by the looks of it and the Flynns wanted to keep an outer appearance of being a happy respectable couple. Marriage breakup was'nt acceptable back in the 1980's - you married for life. Marraige breakdown could lead to social and financial ruin so they simply had to keep up a pretence. Same situation for Fr Molloy - it would be ruin for him if he left the priesthood.
• The money owed by the Flynns to Fr Niall Molloy - In my opinion this is more likely to have caused tempers to flare and resulted in Richard Flynn murdering Fr Niall Molloy.

cap.in.hand.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119738775#Comment_119738775

Theresa Flynn claimed that fr Molloy had been paid his money back in cash and not a bank draft for the deal on the failed land sale... he paid them a bank draft ..so that must have been cashed already by the flynns...her story not credible..was Theresa Flynn hoping for fr Molloy to fall off a horse to take out a life insurance on him and claiming to be his sister to claim it...I think she also needed the money and probably as guilty as Richard Flynn in the cause of fr molloys financial worries re the land deal and his unexplained death.

Acosta

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119733222#Comment_119733222

He should have had to live with it in prison.

Spencer101

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119742011#Comment_119742011

Before the latest programme there was a school of thought that someone else in the house that night did the murder. Richard Flynn was seen as too calm afterwards. Belief he ‘ fell on his sword’ for someone else in group. As there was a cover up that night Richard Flynn was a liar. When someone is lying when are the lies on pause and the truth being told ? So without over complicating this it doesn’t follow that he told the truth in his book proposal or with psychiatrist. The psychiatrists report seemed to be held in reserve by defence in case he was convicted. It then offers an account that in circumstances makes you sympathise with Richard Flynn. I do (by the standards of 2022) find that Theresa Flynn’s childhood friend living with the couple 1/2 the week was more than a bit odd. On ‘ average’ think a lot of men would have been unhappy about three people being in marriage. That said this wasn’t a 3 bed semi in Athlone- it was a mansion. An aunt of Richard or Theresa also lived in house. Whilst there may have been some truth to the recent TV programme- still think the trigger to row was money.

Think Bill Maher’s non appearance on Prime Time was tactical to continue to try and control narrative. Don’t think Prime Time were really withholding info on him. Is he not quite used to giving interviews at this point ?

The 2021 TV programme said no evidence of a sexual relationship. But think McGinn report may have said they shared a hotel room in Dublin when going to horse show ? If not that far believe they certainly went on trips to Dublin together without Richard.

AndrewJRenko

Interesting angle

https://twitter.com/pigeonkeeper1/status/1579814838402191362?s=46&t=LP4YXijYL4RrT2zWkXesiQ

So Fr Molloys nephew has rejected the latest evidence and I can see his point of view- and no “but” here- it’s what went through my mind also when I saw the latest programme this week.

You’re guaranteed a long sentence if you killed someone over money- but not necessarily if you kill someone for a crime of passion, in good olde Catholic Ireland at the time - I treat the psychiatric report with major scepticism - Flynn was self serving and that obvious from the major delay in calling for medical attention for Fr Molloy- he murdered him, and likely over money - it was no crime of passion

https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/crime/fr-molloy-killed-in-row-over-money-and-rumours-of-affair-with-wife-of-suspect-are-completely-false-says-priests-nephew-42065778.html

cap.in.hand.

Just to correct my recent post...it was fr Niall Molloy himself who took life insurance out on himself and named Theresa Flynn as his sister as beneficiary....also it looked like a shotgun wedding maybe had to be organised quickly and was going to be a big cost to the flynns as the Flynn's daughter getting married to Ralph Parkes seemed to be already pregnant at the July 1985 marriage ceremony and had their baby in December 1985.

Galwayguy35

Flynn seems to have had suspicious that Molloy was having it off with his wife back in the 1960s based on what he said to the psychiatrist, that means there was over 20 years of rage building up in him and it looks like when he got a chance to give him a bit of a hiding that night he went all in.

Wonder what Flynns son meant when he said on camera back in 1986 something about knowing more than what others did, he's never going to talk at this stage though.

littlevillage

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119735736#Comment_119735736

Yeah, mad stuff. Bottom line here is that an innocent man was killed. (I don't think anyone believes the self defense nonsense, as the priest was absolutely battered and allowed to die).... and the well "connected" cute hoors from the local big house, got away with it

ernielove

does anyone know who lives in the house now or is it still even there?