Galway Bay Fm newsroom-Former Minister and Galway West TD Bobby Molloy has passed away earlier today in his 80th year.
He was one of the most distinguished and long serving politicians in the Galway West constituency and held many cabinet post including Minister for Defense, Minister for Local Government and Minister for Energy.
First elected to the Dail in 1965 as a Fianna Fail TD the former Mayor of Galway was selected as Defense Minister by Taoiseach Jack Lynch in 1970.
In 1986 he was one of the most prominent Fianna Fail members to help in the formative stages of the Progressive Democrats and in 1989 when the PDs went into coalition with Fianna Fail he became Minister for Energy.
Having topped the poll in all the elections that he stood in for the Galway West constituency Bobby Molloy was again involved in the coalition Government with Fianna Fail in 1997 and became Minister of State at the Department of the Environment.
This much respected politician was held in high regard by all who knew him and he celebrated his 80 th birthday last July.
He retired from politics in 2002 and is survived by his wife Phylis and family. We will have tributes to the late Bobby Molloy in later bulletins here on Galway Bay Fm.