He recalls her family tragedy and her quest for Justice

Frank provides an analysis of her Campaigning work

Today, Frank pays Tribute to a great Consumer Campaigner, Molly Maher, who sadly passed away yesterday, 

Molly came into the National Consciousness, following a devastating tragedy within her family. 

In 1985, her son Gary was killed and her daughter Sheree, was seriously injured, following exposure to Carbon Monoxide, from a faulty gas heater, whilst they were on Holiday in Tenerife. 

Whilst most parents would understandably retreat within their grief, Molly and her husband Peter, set about creating a Campaign to highlight what had happened to their Children, calling for action and Justice.

Molly became known not just by gas industry personnel, but by politicians and lawyers in this quest for Justice, but in doing so, she realised that many more families had been affected by carbon monoxide both abroad and within the UK, along with failures in holidays relating to swimming pools, fire safety and holiday illness. 

Molly subsequently created Consumer Safety International, to try and confront serious detriment suffered by Consumers. 

During this period, Molly became a colleague of Stephanie Trotter, the President of CO-Gas Safety, during which time, they coordinated their efforts on Carbon Monoxide and the failures of fuel, energy and gas appliance companies in the UK.

By the mid-1990’s, she had met and became firm friends with my late-colleague, Brenda Wall, who had created the Travel Consumer Group, HolidayTravelWatch. The two became firm friends, and engaged in joint Campaigns ranged against UK Tour Operators and Politicians, both in and outside the UK.

By Molly using her unique character, along with these two important colleagues, she had become an important force and indeed a voice for UK Consumers. Molly was a strong presence on the political stage both in Europe and at Westminster.

Frank first met Molly in the late-1990’s, whilst he was working as a Solicitor, and was both shocked by her Family’s story and impressed by this tour-de-force. In those early days of contact, he watched in awe and respect at how the simple power of words and experience of this family tragedy, could humble a room of professional Industry representatives and politicians.

When Frank became responsible for HolidayTravelWatch, he collaborated with Molly on Holiday Safety issues and offered his support to her Campaign to reduce death and injury from Carbon Monoxide both at home and abroad.

Frank was always impressed by Molly’s no-nonsense style of campaigning, which was sorely needed in what is an environment of political do-little and corporate speak. Despite these difficulties, she refused to give up her fight, not just for ordinary people but her search for Justice for her family.

Regrettably, Legal Justice evaded what had happened to her son and daughter and Frank recalls the extent of her work on this matter. No detail escaped Molly; she was fastidious. She pursued Justice through the Spanish and UK Courts and at one stage, this journey took her to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, during which, Frank was privileged to be part of that work. No legal representative or advocate escaped her scrutiny.

The same was true for any Industry representative, government body or department and politicians; everyone knew and was fully aware of Molly’s desire for safety for all and Justice for her Family.

Molly’s work revealed what Frank believes is being lost today, in a sea of apathy, that ordinary individuals can make a difference. Success is not always measured by grand gestures and achievements but by a simpler consistent determination and desire for Justice, against an Establishment that is strongly motivated to provide a minimal response to peoples concerns.

Frank Brehany states:

“It was my privilege to get to know and work with Molly for several years. In later years, our collaboration, objectives and campaigning issues diverged, but I never lost sight of the important work that she continued to do and the successes that stemmed from that work”

He adds:

“It is my view that there are very few people in UK Society, who can not only manage grief from personal tragedy, but become a force for good. Molly in many senses encapsulated a spirit that in many senses is lost today in a sea of apathy and media-hype; Molly was not certainly not apathetic - she was passionate, determined and engaging. Molly engaged the Establishment but she was not part of the Establishment; she was Independent and true to her ideals and that made her an adversary to be feared. Molly was kind and considerate, supportive and adversarial and above all, just an ordinary woman who loved every aspect of her family, who simply craved Justice for all. In the final analysis, I consider that within all of the glitzy media profiles of ‘Consumer Champions’, that we know of and see across various media-platforms, they can only really exist within the shadow of Molly and her brand-type of Campaigning, for that is where real honesty of action resides.”

He concludes:

“To Molly’s family, at this difficult time, I offer them my deepest respect and my most sincerest of sympathies to all of you; she may be gone, but her work, achievements and her legacy will not be forgotten by many many people”