Thomas Moles

Thomas Moles (November 1871 – 3 February 1937) was an Ulster Unionist politician. Born in Belfast, Ireland in 1871, he was educated at the Collegiate School, Ballymena.

Moles was MP for Belfast Ormeau 1918-1922 and Belfast South at Westminster from 1922 until he retired in 1929. He was also an MP in the Northern Ireland House of Commons from 1921 to 1929 for South Belfast and for Belfast, Ballynafeigh from 1929 to his death in 1937, and Deputy Speaker there from 7th June 1921 until his death. He was the first ever member declared elected to the Northern Ireland House of Commons.

A journalist by profession, he was Leader Writer for the "Belfast Telegraph" from 1909 until 1924 and managing editor for that newspaper from 1924-1937. Irish representative on the British Press visit to Canada in 1911. Member of the Secretariat to the Irish Convention from 1917 to 1918. Chairman of the Ways and Means and Deputy Speaker of the Northern Ireland House of Commons from the 7th June 1921 until his death. Member of the Privy Council of Northern Ireland in 1923.

He was also a motorcycle enthusiast and helped to push through parliament the first Road Races Act, which made it legal for the roads on the Clady Course to be closed for the first Ulster Grand Prix motorcycle road race on 14 October 1922. [cite news | author=Eddie McIlwaine | title= 10 things you didn't know about the big event | work=Belfast Telegraph | page=15 | date= 17 August 2008]

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