Ed Moloney

Edmund "Ed" Moloney (born 1948/49) is an Irish journalist and author best known for his coverage of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, and the activities of the Provisional IRA, in particular.

He worked for the Hibernia magazine and Magill before going on to serve as Northern Ireland editor for The Irish Times and subsequently for the Sunday Tribune. He is currently living and working in New York City. His first book, Paisley, was a biography of Unionist leader Ian Paisley, co-authored by Andy Pollak, and published in 1986.

In 2002, he published a best selling history of the Provisional IRA, A Secret History of the IRA.[1] A second edition of the book was published in July 2007. This was followed, in 2008, by a new edition of Paisley: From Demagogue to Democrat?, of which Moloney is the single author.[2]

In 1999, he was voted Irish Journalist of the Year.[3]

Moloney directed Boston College's Belfast Project, which collected interviews with republican and loyalist militants.[4] In March 2010, the book Voices from the Grave was published, which featured interviews with Brendan Hughes and David Ervine, compiled by researchers from the project. He based the book on the interviews given by Hughes and Ervine. Excerpts from the book published by The Sunday Times relate to Hughes discussing his role and that of Gerry Adams in the PIRA.

Events recorded in the book include both men's actions in regard to the disappearance of Jean McConville and others, Bloody Friday, and the sourcing of IRA weapons, among other details of Hughes' IRA career.[5] In October 2010, Irish broadcaster RTÉ aired an 83-minute television documentary co-produced by Moloney based on Voices from the Grave. In February 2011, Voices From the Grave won the best television documentary prize at the annual Irish Film and Television Awards (IFTAs).

  1. ^ Ed Moloney, A Secret History of the IRA, W.W. Norton & Company; reprinted 2003; ISBN 978-0-393-32502-7
  2. ^ Ed Moloney, Paisley: From Demagogue to Democrat?, Dublin: Poolbeg Press Ltd. (2008); ISBN 978-1-84223-324-5
  3. ^ Moloney, A Secret History of the IRA, last page of the second edition.
  4. ^ Boston tapes: Q&A on secret Troubles confessions. BBC. 7 October 2019.
  5. ^ "Gerry Adams and me".