Irish Examiner view: Death of Des O'Malley — a towering force in Irish politics

He was a prominent Fianna Fáil TD and minister in the 1970s and 1980s, before he founded the Progressive Democrats and led the party from 1985 until 1993

While politics was dominated by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael for much of the 20th century, Des O’Malley played a significant part in breaking that mould and moving away from Civil War politics. Picture: Donal Sheehan 

The death of Des O’Malley is a reminder of an exciting and challenging time in modern Irish politics.

Mr O’Malley was a towering force in Irish politics across four decades.