The O’Reilly family name comes from the Gaelic O’Raghailligh, meaning descendants of Raghaillach.
The O’Reillys were the most powerful sept of the old Gaelic Kingdom of Breffny, and the family remains numerous in the area that made up this kingdom: Cavan and the surrounding counties. The name is frequently shortened to Reilly or Riley.
Members of the O’Reilly clan are prominent in many spheres, particularly in the military and religious fields. In the latter, five O’Reillys have served as archbishops of Armagh, and the Franciscan Abbey in Cavan, founded by Giolla Iosa O’Reilly, Gaelic king of East Breffny, had 39 O’Reilly abbots.
Among the military O’Reillys, Alexander O’Reilly (1722-1794), was born in County Meath and served in the Austrian, French, and Spanish armies, for a time, he served as field marshal in Havana to help restore the city to Spanish control and rebuild its defenses after British occupation. His name remains prominent in the city today via the historic Calle O’Reilly (O’Reilly Street) in Old Havana.
In 1769, O’Reilly was sent to Louisiana to put down a rebellion against Spanish rule. He was regarded as a brilliant general, but political changes following the death of King Charles III of Spain led to his forced retirement from the army.
In 1793, however, as Napoleon’s army approached, 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 served 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), born in Maryland, who joined the U.S. Army and spent much of his career as an Indian fighter in, for instance, the Black Hawk 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, Reilly 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. (Ashbel) 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 served in various Indian wars and rose to become surgeon general.
It’s worth mentioning Charles V. Riley (1843-1895), a prominent insect expert, known as a dedicated and precise worker in his field. It is rather ironic that, whereas most of his soldiering relatives died quietly in their beds, this Riley died by falling from his bicycle.
One of the most extraordinary O’Reillys is John Boyle O’Reilly (1844-1890), born in County Louth and the legendary editor of the Boston Pilot. 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 succeeded, and six of O’Reilly’s fellow Fenians were rescued.
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 17, he became assistant editor of the New York Patriot and later editor of the Rochester Daily Advertiser.
In modern times, Sir Anthony “Tony” O’Reilly (1936–2024) was a famous media tycoon and record-breaking international rugby union player who became CEO of the Heinz Corporation and head of the American Ireland Funds.
In entertainment, John C. Reilly is an acclaimed actor, comedian, and singer known for versatile roles in both intense dramas and major comedies, and Genevieve O’Reilly is an Irish actress known for playing Mon Mothma, the visionary leader of the Rebel Alliance in Star Wars.
In the financial arena, Tony Reilly is the founder and CEO of Ascend Advisory Group, a major wealth management practice in Dublin, Ohio.
Born in County Dublin, Ireland, Tony moved to the U.S. in 1986 on a soccer scholarship to Sterling College in Kansas, later earning degrees in finance and economics. You can read his story in this issue of Irish America.
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