He was educated at St Columbas Comprehensive in Glenties.[7] As a ten-year-old he wrote in a scrapbook of his wish to play for Donegal and win an All-Ireland medal.[8]
Playing career
Club
Molloy has had great success with his club Naomh Conaill, winning Championships at under-age level and then the Donegal Senior Football Championship.
He first encountered McGuinness while with his club and first played under him in 2009, a year in which reached the final of the Donegal Senior Football Championship, but lost.[9]
He captained the Naomh Conaill team that won the Under-21 Football Championship in 2012. He also played in five consecutive Under-21 Football Championship finals, winning three from those five.[citation needed]
He made a substitute appearance for his club in the final of the 2019 Donegal Senior Football Championship. After the first two games finished level, his club won the third game and, with that, the title, Molloy appearing as a substitute in all three games, scoring two points in the second game and no points in the other first and third games.[12]
Molloy played minor inter-county football for Donegal in 2008 and 2009.
Under-21
Molloy played for the under-21 footballers in 2010, 2011 and 2012, and captained the team in 2012.[citation needed]
He played for Donegal in the 2010 Ulster Under-21 Football Championship campaign, contributing six points (including three frees) to the team's three-point quarter-final victory over Armagh, three points (all frees) to the team's four-point semi-final victory over Derry and either 1–3[9] or 1–2 (including 1 free)[22][clarification needed] to the team's comprehensive final victory over Cavan, with all three games played at neutral Brewster Park.[9][22]
Following the 2010 All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship final loss, and while returning home to Galway (where he lived with Leo McLoone at the time), Molloy received word that he had been called into the senior county team.[9]
^ abc"Donegal still hopeful for Molloy". Irish Examiner. 25 July 2011. Retrieved 25 July 2011. Molloy, who is nicknamed 'Brick', has been used mostly as an impact substitute this summer. The 20-year-old scored the clinching goal in Donegal's win over Tyrone last month, and was also used as a second half substitute in their Ulster final victory over Derry.
^ ab"Dermot Molloy withdraws from Donegal panel". Donegal News. 28 January 2015. Retrieved 28 January 2015. Molloy's last game for Donegal was the McKenna Cup win over Fermanagh in Ballyshannon where he came off the bench in the second half to make his 50th appearance for the county…
^Ferry, Ryan (5 May 2022). "Naomh Conaill land senior title". Donegal News. p. 62. Naomh Conaill claimed the bragging rights over their neighbours Ard and Rátha when they won the Donegal Senior Gaeltacht title in Portsalon on Monday… Naomh Conaill saw off Na Dunaibh in their semi-final, and they were short Antóin Mac Tomáis, Caoimhin Mac Eiteagáin and Leo Mac Giolla Bhain due to a stag party on Sunday.
^"Ó Ríagáin pleased with another Gaeltacht title". Donegal News. 5 May 2022. p. 62. Mairtín Ó Ríagáin didn't have his full hand to select from but they saw off Na Dúnaibh in the semi-final and then Ard an Rátha in a low-scoring decider… 'Brick's (Dermot Ó Ludhóg) stag was on and there was a good few on that. Eunan and Odhran (Ó Dochartaigh) had a wedding on Saturday when their sister got married. We didn't have our county men and there were other boys injured so there was a lot going on. Brendy (Mac Daire) and Keelan Mac Giolla Choille got injured yesterday (Saturday) as well'.
Above is the Donegal team that defeated Derry in the Ulster SFC final.
The 2011 Donegal football team progressed to the 2011 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship semi-finals, where they lost narrowly to eventual title-winners Dublin. Donegal defeated Kildare after extra-time in the All-Ireland quarter-final.