Career
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 New York 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 Ireland Republican Army, A Secret History of the Ireland Republican Army. 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 In 1999, he was voted Irish Journalist of the Year.
In March 2010, the book Voices from the Grave was published, which featured interviews with Brendan Hughes and David Ervine, compiled by researchers for Boston College. 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 regards to the disappearance of Jean McConville and others, Bloody Friday, and the sourcing of Ireland Republican Army weapons, among other details of Hughes" Ireland Republican Army career.
In October 2010, Irish broadcaster RTÉ aired an 83-minute television documentary co-produced by Moloney based on Voices from the Grave. On 27 June 1999, Moloney published a story based on his 1990 interviews he had with UDA quartermaster Billy Stobie. Stobie claimed that, in a separate incident, the Special Branch had framed him by planting guns at his home.
He related his version of the circumstances of Pat Finucane"s death to be published as assurance should anything untoward happen to him.
The account was published when, as part of the Stevens Enquiry Stobie was arrested and charged with Finucane"s murder. Moloney refused to comply with a court order that he should give to the police notes he had made during the interviews.
He faced jail or heavy fines but, in October 1999, Lord Chief Justice Sir Robert Carswell ruled at the High Court in Belfast that the judge had been mistaken in ordering Moloney to turn over his notes to the police.
