The O’Reilly family name is derived from the Gaelic “O’Raghailligh,” which means descendants of Raghaillach. The O’Reillys were the most powerful sept of the old Gaelic Kingdom of Breffny, and the family is still very numerous in the area which made up this kingdom, i.e., Cavan and the surrounding counties. The name is frequently shortened to Reilly or Riley.
Members of the O’Reilly clan have become prominent in many spheres, particularly in the military and religious fields. In the latter field, it is noteworthy that five O’Reillys have served as archbishops of Armagh, and the Franciscan Abbey in Cavan was founded by Giolla Iosa O’Reilly and has had 39 O’Reilly abbots.
Among the military O’Reillys may be mentioned Alexander O’Reilly (1722-1794), who was born in County Meath but served in the Austrian, French and Spanish armies. Among his assignments in the last, where he served most of his career, was a period as Governor of Havana. In 1762 he was sent as Governor of Louisiana to put down a rebellion. He was regarded as a brilliant general, but political changes in Spain following the death of Charles III led to his enforced retirement from the army. However, on the approach of the invading army of Napoleon in 1793, he was once again called up to lead the Spanish forces, but he died on his way to take up this position.
Another Irish-born general was Andrew O’Reilly (1742-1832) who sewed in the Austrian army and fought with distinction against the Turks and the French. Other O’Reillys in the military include Myles O’Reilly M.P. (1825-1880), who commanded the Irish Brigade in the papal service; and Philip MacHugh O’Reilly (d.1657), who was largely responsible for organizing the rising of 1641 in his own county of Cavan, fought under Owen Roe O’Neill and died in exile.
Among American military members of the O’Reilly family is Bennet Riley (1787-1853), who was born in Maryland and joined the U.S. Army, where he spent much of his career as an Indian fighter in, for instance, the Blackhawk and Seminole wars. He also served with great distinction in the Mexican War where his actions at the battle of Contreras earned him lasting honors. After the war he was made provisional governor of California and in 1849 he convened the assembly which drew up the first California constitution and applied to join the Union.
Reillys also played their part in the War of Independence — 285 O’Reillys and Reillys are listed as soldiers in the revolutionary army. Among the American rebel officers are A. Riley, captain of the brig Ranger, and John Riley, captain of the sloop Hero, both of the Connecticut navy. In more modern times, Robert Maitland O’Reilly (1845-1912), born in Philadelphia, was an army surgeon, who sewed in various Indian wars and rose to become surgeon general.
It may be interesting to mention here Charles V. Riley (1843-1895), who was a prominent expert on insects, noted as a dedicated and precise worker in his gentle field. It is rather ironic that, whereas most of his soldiering kinsmen died quietly in their beds, this Riley died by falling from his bicycle.
One of the most extraordinary O’Reillys has to be John Boyle O’Reilly (1844-1890), who was born in County Louth, the legendary editor of the Boston Pilot newspaper. A Fenian who enlisted in the British army solely to stir up rebellion, O’Reilly was first sentenced to death, then banished to Australia, from where he escaped to the United States. O’Reilly did not forget his fellow Fenian prisoners, and in 1875 he masterminded a daring rescue effort. He and a small group of Irish Americans purchased a whaler and commissioned a Yankee sea captain to sail it to Western Australia. The ship, the Catalpa, set sail on April 29, 1875. Amazingly, the mission was a success and six of O’Reilly’s fellow Fenians were rescued. (For a copy of the Catalpa story write to Irish America and enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope).
Other O’Reillys in the newspaper world are: Thomas Devlin O’Reilly (1824-1854), who was on the staff of the Young Irelander newspaper, The Nation. When the leaders of this republican movement were arrested, he escaped to the U.S., where he became editor of the Democratic Review, and later of the Washington Union. Henry O’Reilly (1806-1886) was born in Monaghan but emigrated to the U.S. where, at the age of 17, he became assistant editor of the New York Patriot and later editor of the Rochester Daily Advertiser.
A current prominent O’Reilly is Tony O’Reilly, owner of Independent Newspapers. A former Irish International rugby player, he is CEO of the Heinz Corporation, and head of the American Ireland Fund.
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in the May/June 1997 of Irish America. ⬥
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