Tony O'Reilly
Encyclopedia
Sir Anthony Joseph Francis O'Reilly (born 7 May 1936, Dublin, Ireland
) is an Irish businessman and former international rugby union
player. He is known for his involvement the Independent News & Media Group, which he led from 1973 to 2009, and as former CEO and Chairman of the H.J. Heinz Company. He was the leading shareholder of Waterford Wedgwood
. Perhaps Ireland's first billionaire, he remains one of Ireland's richest citizens.
As a rugby player he represented Ireland
, the British and Irish Lions
and the Barbarians
. With six children and 19 grandchildren, and married to a Greek shipping heiress and horse breeder, he lives primarily in Lyford Cay
in the Bahamas, and Kilcullen
in Ireland
, with frequent stays at Glandore
.
-born father, eventually an inspector-general of customs, was born "Reilly" and added the O when he applied to join the Irish Civil Service. Previously married with four older children, but estranged from his first wife, John O'Reilly married Aileen O'Connor in 1973, after the death of his wife and only a little time after he had told his son of his other family. O'Reilly had been told about the situation by a Jesuit when he was 15, but kept it secret. He arranged for the John and Aileen O'Reilly Library at Dublin City University
to be named after his parents, and the O'Reilly Institute at Trinity College Dublin to be named for his father, who had studied there.
O'Reilly, named "Tony" after his mother's favourite brother, grew up on Griffith Avenue, a broad middle-class street, in the Drumcondra
/Glasnevin
area of Dublin. He had prominent red hair. He holidayed with family, including an aunt in Balbriggan
, cousins in Sligo
and others in Drogheda
. In 1951, the family moved to a bungalow in Santry
.
from the age of six, O'Reilly was known for sporting proficiency in soccer, cricket
and tennis
and rugby union
. As a youth he played soccer for Home Farm
. In cricket he was a member of the Junior Cup-winning team in 1950; in tennis, he was in a Leinster Schools Cup-winning team, and reached the under-15 national semi-finals. He was also noted for his acting skills (notably in Gilbert and Sullivan
operettas such as Iolanthe, and Dunsany's A Night at an Inn). He was an altar boy, and a regular attender at chapel, and during his time there spent a summer in the Gaeltacht
to improve his Irish language
skills. He passed the Leaving Certificate
at 17, and with four school mates, studied philosophy, still at Belvedere, for a year after this, while developing his rugby. He was a prefect for his last two years at the school, and a senior member of a key sodality.
O'Reilly went on to study law simultaneously with University College, Dublin and the then Incorporated Law Society of Ireland
, in practice with Gerry Quinn. He came fifth in Ireland in intermediate exams in 1956, and first and third in the country in final examinations in 1958, and was enrolled as a solicitor
in November 1958. He never practised after training, but later became chairman of major Dublin solicitors' firm, Matheson Ormsby Prentice.
O'Reilly holds an earned PhD
in agricultural marketing from the University of Bradford
, in addition to at least one honorary doctorate.
and 1970
O'Reilly won 29 caps for Ireland
. His Five Nations
career of 15 years, 23 days is the longest in history, a record shared with fellow Ireland great Mike Gibson. He made his senior international debut, aged just 18, against France
on 22 January 1955. He scored his four tries for Ireland against France on 28 January 1956
; against Scotland
in 25 February 1956; against Wales
in 1959
; and against France in 1963
. He made his final appearance for Ireland on 14 February 1970, after a six-year absence from the national team, against England
. This final appearance was an 11th-hour replacement, denying Frank O'Driscoll—father of Brian
, Ireland's most-capped player—what would prove to be his only chance at a Test cap.
, on their 1955 tour to South Africa
and their 1959 tour to Australia and New Zealand
. He made his debut for the Lions on 26 June 1955, scoring two tries against a Northern Universities XV. He played 15 games during the 1955 tour, scoring 16 tries. This included hat-tricks against a North Eastern Districts XV on 20 July and Transvaal
on 23 July. He also played in all four Tests against South Africa
, making his Test debut on the right wing before a crowd of 95,000 at Ellis Park
on 6 August. He scored a try in the Lions 23-22 victory. He scored another try in the fourth Test on 24 September.
On the 1959 tour he played a further 21 games and scored 21 tries. This included a hat-trick against King Country
/Counties
on 19 August. He played in all six tests, two against Australia
and four against New Zealand. He scored tries in the two test wins against Australia and in the first and fourth tests against New Zealand. His total of 37 tries for the Lions on two tours remains a record.
. He made his debut on 9 April 1955 in a 6-3 win against Cardiff
, and his final appearance against Swansea
on 15 April 1963. On the Barbarians' 1958 tour of South Africa, O'Reilly scored 12 tries, seven of them in the game against East Africa
. He remains the Barbarians record holder for both appearances and tries.
Commercial Committee. He was in the first class of inductees into the International Rugby Hall of Fame
in 1997, and was inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame
in 2009.
, Leicestershire
, at 200 pounds annually, a very good salary by then Irish standards. While there, he continued his rugby career, with Leicester. His work included cost accounting and time and motion studies, in industries ranging from shoe-making to pottery.
He then moved to Sutton's of Cork, selling agricultural products, coal and oil.
In February 1963, O'Reilly was involved in an accident between Urlingford
and Johnstown, when his car struck a cyclist, who was injured. Locals testified that the injured man was careless, and he had no lights or reflector, and had been on the wrong side of the road. O'Reilly was convicted of driving with undue care, and fined 4 pounds, and since then he has rarely driven, especially at night.
, who offered him a post such as Minister for Agriculture if he would stay, O'Reilly joined Heinz. There he made his name in international business, becoming MD of the Heinz subsidiary in the UK, its largest non-US holding and the source of half of the group profit.
He moved to the company HQ in Pittsburgh
in 1971 when he was promoted to Senior Vice President for the North America and Pacific region. In 1973, R. Burt Gookin and Jack Heinz made him COO and President. He became CEO in 1979 when Mr. Gookin then Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer retired.
O'Reilly earned his Ph.D.
in 1980, with a thesis on agricultural incomes and marketing in Ireland. Though he was proud of his work with Bord Bainne, Irish Sugar and the Erin - Heinz JV, he concluded that Irish farmers were benefiting much more from price-boosting subsidies than from commercial development.
He became Chairman of Heinz in 1987, succeeding HJ Heinz II
, becoming the first non-Heinz family member to hold that post. His guidance was seen as having helped transform the company into a major international competitor, its value increasing twelvefold (from $908 million to $11 billion). O'Reilly left Heinz in 1998 after several years during which analysts questioned the company's performance, and after challenges from corporate governance groups, major pension funds including CalPERS
and Business Week magazine; he was succeeded by his deputy, William R. Johnson. It is reported that O'Reilly still owns a shareholding of 1.5 to 2% in Heinz.
(1995–2009) and Independent News & Media
, and of a major partnership of solicitors, Matheson Ormsby Prentice, in Dublin. Provision for him to do this was written into his contract before he went to the US. After he left Heinz, he focused on three of these: Independent News & Media; Waterford Wedgwood; and Fitzwilton; and later, for a brief time, eircom. He was the main shareholder in Arcon, the Irish base-metal mining company that developed the Galmoy lead-zinc deposit, the company being co-founded with Richard Conroy, and later sold to Lundin Mining in 2005. He also retained a 40% stake in Providence Resources Plc, the Irish based oil and gas exploration and development company.
and Prisa
. The company has over 200 national and regional newspaper and magazine titles in total, revenues of €1.9 billion and profits of €110.7 million. The group has assets of around €4.7 billion and debts in the region of €1.3 billion.
On Friday 13 March 2009, it was announced that on O'Reilly's 73rd birthday, 7 May, he would resign as both CEO and a member of the Board of INM, to be succeeded by his son, Gavin. Further, the often-criticised large size of the board would be reduced from 17 to 10, and would include three nominess of Denis O'Brien
. These announcements were actioned, and O'Reilly became President Emeritus of the group. The markets reacted positively to the news, especially to the explicit truce between the O'Reilly and O'Brien shareholder blocs, with Denis O'Brien
voicing public support for Gavin O'Reilly as CEO-designate.
s, and went on to become one of the largest independent advsiory companies in the United States before being sold to Bank of New York in 2001. At the time, assets under management were estimated to be in excess of $11 billion.
, the former Irish state phone company, in November 2001, for €2.8 billion, beating a rival offer of €3 billion. In 2004 the company was partly refloated, and in 2005 sold at profit to Babcock and Brown
of Australia.
Sir Anthony O’Reilly was honoured with the Media Person of the Year Award at the 55th Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival in May 2008.
. He has shown a particular interest in naming rights, where a contribution to a project, generally of 5% to 20%, allows a donor to add a name to the project, and has received at least one such "name" as a gift.
Interpretative Park. A presentation in recognition of this was made mid-2009.
is a charity set up by O'Reilly with a Board of Trustees composed of family members, chaired by his wife, and a Scholarship Board headed by Professor Emeritus John Kelly of UCD, succeeding Ken Whitaker. With an office address at a family home in Dublin, and Amanda Hopkins as Executive Secretary, it contributes to various projects, with an emphasis on the education sector, primarily running an annual scholarship programme, awarding 2-3 advanced, usually multi-year, third-level scholarships, each for over €25,000 per annum.
Both through the Foundation and before its inception, O'Reilly has contributed to a range of University projects in Ireland, with notable examples at Dublin City University
, University College Dublin
, Trinity College Dublin and Queen's University Belfast.
O'Reilly also paid for the construction of the state-of-the-art 600-seater O'Reilly Theatre in Belvedere College, and has regularly funded projects in the college. The family also contributed to the construction of the O'Reilly Theatre in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
, was established in Boston
by O'Reilly and his friend, Pittsburgh businessman Dan Rooney
, in 1976, and for many years this and later similar initiatives in other countries, took up a considerable amount of his time. The funds, now a network with more than ten national entities, have raised over $300 million to date. O'Reilly is the Chairman. Rooney became US Ambassador to Ireland in July 2009.
O'Reilly met his first wife, Australian secretary and pianist Susan M. Cameron, the daughter of a wealthy Australian mining figure in whose name he endowed a professorship at UCD for at least a decade, in 1959 in Australia, after she was suggested as a social contact when he was touring for rugby. After courting her when she moved to London, they married in 1962. He had six children by her, born 1963-66: Susan Wildman, Anthony Cameron O'Reilly
(generally "Cameron"), Justine O'Reilly, Gavin O'Reilly
, Caroline Dempsey, and St John Anthony ("Tony Junior")
; the last three are triplets. All three boys are involved in family business interests, while the daughters are not known to be, the eldest being a qualified pilot, the second a lawyer and the third a full-time mother. The eldest daughter took a Bachelor's degree at Yale, and a Master's in History at Oxford.
All the O'Reilly children married and O'Reilly has 19 grandchildren. Youngest daughter Caroline was married at the restored Church of St. Mary
at Castlemartin Estate
on 1 June 1991, while eldest child Susan O'Reilly married investment banker Tarik C. Wildman (1959-) on 14 August 1993 before an Episcopal dean at the same church. Gavin O'Reilly married Alison Doody
there some years later.
The O'Reillys separated in the late 1980s, having remained together through years of many rumours of O'Reilly affairs but apparently going their separate ways over O'Reilly's hectic social life, and Susan O'Reilly settled in London, where she remains, in a house bought for her by O'Reilly. They divorced very discreetly in 1989 or 1990 but remained in contact, attending family events, and with more than one public occasion where the current and former wives sat either side of O'Reilly.
O'Reilly shortly after married Chryss Goulandris
(sometimes "Chryssanthi(n)e" or Christina), a Greek shipping heiress some years his junior, who breeds and races thoroughbred horses, and whom he first met in New York, when she accompanied her brother to a business meeting. Their acquaintance developed at horse races, and in further meetings in the Bahamas and in Ireland.
The wedding took place in the Bahamas on 4 September 1991. Chryss O'Reilly, who breeds and races as "Skymarc Farms" and under other names, and who owns stud farms in Normandy and other locations, is well-known on the racecourses of Ireland, Britain and France as Lady O'Reilly and is very knowledgeable on all aspects of the equine industry. She was reputedly worth more than O'Reilly when they met, as the tabloids and even some mainstream news media pointed out. Chryss made a naming gift in her husband's honour in 1999 with the O'Reilly Theater
in Pittsburgh
, and he bought her a famous Jackie Onassis diamond ring for over $US2 million. The second Mrs O'Reilly's brother has been a close business ally of O'Reilly for many years since around the time of the marriage.
Lyford Cay
near Nassau in the Bahamas. Still a major base, and for many years his principal residence, is Castlemartin
, a "big house" dating in current form from the 18th century, at Kilcullen
, County Kildare
(which has associated stud farm and cattle breeding premises on the large estate lands). O'Reilly purchased Castlemartin in 1972 from the Earl of Gowrie, and spent millions on improvements to the house and on restoration of the 15th century Church of St Mary
in the grounds. On 15 February 2008 permission was granted for developments of two ancillary houses on a remote part of the estate, adjoining Kilcullen (Bridge) village's main street, incorporating residential, restaurant and retail space. In October 2007, O'Reilly paid a record €125,000 per acre for 60 acres (242,811.6 m²) Hollyhill Stud in Carnalway near Brannockstown, under 3 kilometres from Kilcullen. The stud farm on the banks of the Liffey, with a 10-room house and a cottage, was thought to have been intended for one of his daughters.
In late 1995, he and his wife purchased a former solicitor's office, a four-storey Georgian house on Fitzwilliam Square, Dublin, with a courtyard and coachhouse with separate entrance. The IRP1 million house, formerly owned by railway pioneer William Dargan
, was a base when travel to Castlemartin was not feasible, and a place for meetings and his private office. O'Reilly also has a holiday compound, Shorecliffe, comprising several houses, garden areas and two swimming pools, by the sea in Glandore
, County Cork
.
The O'Reillys also own a chateau "built on the ruins of the castle where William the Conqueror plotted his 1066 invasion of England" at Deauville
in France.
For many years a key O'Reilly residence was a 34-room mock Tudor house of 8000 square feet (743.2 m²) at Fox Chapel, Pittsburgh, with 7 acres (28,328 m²) of grounds. This property, his second home in that area, with eight bedrooms and bathrooms, an "Irish bar" in the basement, tennis courts, Japanese and English themed gardens and swimming and tennis facilities, was sold for around $US2.4 million in 2000
, aiming to bring the Olympic Games
to Dublin in 2004.
and Jack Yeats, and bronzes and statues. In June 2008 it was reported that O'Reilly had commissioned a bound catalogue of his art collection, 15 cm thick, at a cost of €125,000 for 500 copies, edited by Suzanne Macdougald and with notes by, among others, Bruce Arnold. Copies were said to have been given to the President of Ireland and the Queen of the United Kingdom.
He made contacts at high levels, which sometimes included becoming friendly with controversial figures such as Henry Kissinger
and Robert Mugabe
. He has hosted Nelson Mandela
more than once, and knows a range of Irish and American politicians.
Today his primary assistants are his personal assistant, Sabina Vidunas, who travels with him and his INM executive secretary in Dublin, Mandy Scott.
In 1988, he was appointed an Honorary Officer of the Order of Australia
(AO) for services to Irish-Australian relationships.
O'Reilly was knighted, as a Knight Bachelor
by Queen Elizabeth II
in the 2001 New Year's Honours, "for services to Northern Ireland" - including in recognition for his work as head of The Ireland Funds
charity. O'Reilly, who describes himself as a constitutional nationalist, sought the approval of the Irish Government
in relation to the award, because it is a requirement of the Irish constitution (Bunreacht na hEireann) that "No title of nobility or of honour may be accepted by any citizen except with the prior approval of the Government". As O'Reilly is also a British subject
, in part due to his pre-1949 Irish birth, he holds a substantive and not just an honorary knighthood, and can validly style himself Sir
, as he has done; see British honours system
.
, John Dorrance (one of the Campbell Soup heirs), Dermot Desmond
, and an arrival from India, and much less than the richest two (Sean Quinn
and Hilary Weston
). O'Reilly was noted as being in the majority (five out of six) not paying tax in Ireland.
Fallon insisted in the foreword that he had complete discretion on what to include and how to tell it, excluding only some private family matters. While giving great detail on some business matters, the book says almost nothing about O'Reilly's children and little of his second wife. It gives considerable detail on business matters, and does question some of O'Reilly's assertions, notably about his Irish business interests. It also gives much detail on O'Reilly's parents' situations and especially his father's family, detail which the author notes even O'Reilly did not have until the book gathered it, and includes some fine detail about his residences.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
) is an Irish businessman and former international rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player. He is known for his involvement the Independent News & Media Group, which he led from 1973 to 2009, and as former CEO and Chairman of the H.J. Heinz Company. He was the leading shareholder of Waterford Wedgwood
Waterford Wedgwood
Waterford Wedgwood plc is the former holding entity for a group of companies headquartered in Ireland, which specialised in the manufacture of high quality china, porcelain and glass. The group was dominated by Tony O'Reilly and his immediate family, and the family of Mr. O'Reilly's second wife,...
. Perhaps Ireland's first billionaire, he remains one of Ireland's richest citizens.
As a rugby player he represented Ireland
Ireland national rugby union team
The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
, the British and Irish Lions
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
and the Barbarians
Barbarian F.C.
The Barbarian Football Club, usually referred to as the Barbarians and nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", is an invitational rugby union team based in Britain...
. With six children and 19 grandchildren, and married to a Greek shipping heiress and horse breeder, he lives primarily in Lyford Cay
Lyford Cay
Lyford Cay is a private gated community located on the western tip of New Providence Island, Bahamas. Considered one of the world's wealthiest and most exclusive neighborhoods, the Lyford Cay Club was built during the latter part of the 1950s by prominent Canadian businessman Edward Plunkett Taylor...
in the Bahamas, and Kilcullen
Kilcullen
Kilcullen , formally Kilcullen Bridge, is a small town on the River Liffey in County Kildare, Ireland. Its population of 2,985 makes it the 12th largest settlement in County Kildare and the fastest growing in the county, having doubled in population from 1,483 in the census of 2002...
in Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, with frequent stays at Glandore
Glandore
Glandore |Cork]] city.The village has several pubs, with traditional music. It is a very popular holiday destination for Irish holiday makers in particular. Famous homeowners include Margaret Jay, former leader of the House of Lords, and Tony O'Reilly. The village yacht club's official headquarters...
.
Parents
O'Reilly was born in Dublin, the only child of a civil servant, John O'Reilly (1906–1976), and Aileen O'Connor (1914–1989). O'Reilly's DroghedaDrogheda
Drogheda is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, 56 km north of Dublin. It is the last bridging point on the River Boyne before it enters the Irish Sea....
-born father, eventually an inspector-general of customs, was born "Reilly" and added the O when he applied to join the Irish Civil Service. Previously married with four older children, but estranged from his first wife, John O'Reilly married Aileen O'Connor in 1973, after the death of his wife and only a little time after he had told his son of his other family. O'Reilly had been told about the situation by a Jesuit when he was 15, but kept it secret. He arranged for the John and Aileen O'Reilly Library at Dublin City University
Dublin City University
Dublin City University is a university situated between Glasnevin, Santry, Ballymun and Whitehall on the Northside of Dublin in Ireland...
to be named after his parents, and the O'Reilly Institute at Trinity College Dublin to be named for his father, who had studied there.
O'Reilly, named "Tony" after his mother's favourite brother, grew up on Griffith Avenue, a broad middle-class street, in the Drumcondra
Drumcondra, Dublin
Drumcondra is a residential area and inner suburb on the Northside of Dublin, Ireland. It is administered by Dublin City Council.The River Tolka and the Royal Canal flow through the area.-History:...
/Glasnevin
Glasnevin
Glasnevin is a largely residential neighbourhood of Dublin, Ireland.-Geography:A mainly residential neighbourhood, it is located on the Northside of the city of Dublin . It was originally established on the northern bank of the River Tolka...
area of Dublin. He had prominent red hair. He holidayed with family, including an aunt in Balbriggan
Balbriggan
Balbriggan is a town in the northern part of the administrative county of Fingal, within County Dublin, Ireland. The 2006 census population was 15,559 for Balbriggan and its environs.- Name :...
, cousins in Sligo
Sligo
Sligo is the county town of County Sligo in Ireland. The town is a borough and has a charter and a town mayor. It is sometimes referred to as a city, and sometimes as a town, and is the second largest urban area in Connacht...
and others in Drogheda
Drogheda
Drogheda is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, 56 km north of Dublin. It is the last bridging point on the River Boyne before it enters the Irish Sea....
. In 1951, the family moved to a bungalow in Santry
Santry
Santry is a suburb on the Northside of Dublin, Ireland, bordering Coolock, Glasnevin and Ballymun. Today it straddles the boundary of Dublin City and Fingal County Council area....
.
Education
Educated at Belvedere CollegeBelvedere College
Belvedere College SJ is a private secondary school for boys located on Great Denmark Street, Dublin, Ireland. It is also known as St. Francis Xavier's College....
from the age of six, O'Reilly was known for sporting proficiency in soccer, cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
and tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
and rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
. As a youth he played soccer for Home Farm
Home Farm F.C.
Home Farm Football Club is an Irish football club based in Whitehall, Dublin. Originally founded in 1928, the club joined the League of Ireland in 1972 after merging with Drumcondra. Following this merger they were briefly known as Home Farm Drumcondra...
. In cricket he was a member of the Junior Cup-winning team in 1950; in tennis, he was in a Leinster Schools Cup-winning team, and reached the under-15 national semi-finals. He was also noted for his acting skills (notably in Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the librettist W. S. Gilbert and the composer Arthur Sullivan . The two men collaborated on fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which H.M.S...
operettas such as Iolanthe, and Dunsany's A Night at an Inn). He was an altar boy, and a regular attender at chapel, and during his time there spent a summer in the Gaeltacht
Gaeltacht
is the Irish language word meaning an Irish-speaking region. In Ireland, the Gaeltacht, or an Ghaeltacht, refers individually to any, or collectively to all, of the districts where the government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant language, that is, the vernacular spoken at home...
to improve his Irish language
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
skills. He passed the Leaving Certificate
Leaving Certificate
The Leaving Certificate Examinations , commonly referred to as the Leaving Cert is the final examination in the Irish secondary school system. It takes a minimum of two years preparation, but an optional Transition Year means that for those students it takes place three years after the Junior...
at 17, and with four school mates, studied philosophy, still at Belvedere, for a year after this, while developing his rugby. He was a prefect for his last two years at the school, and a senior member of a key sodality.
O'Reilly went on to study law simultaneously with University College, Dublin and the then Incorporated Law Society of Ireland
Law Society of Ireland
The Law Society of Ireland is the educational, representative and regulatory body of the solicitors' profession in the Republic of Ireland...
, in practice with Gerry Quinn. He came fifth in Ireland in intermediate exams in 1956, and first and third in the country in final examinations in 1958, and was enrolled as a solicitor
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
in November 1958. He never practised after training, but later became chairman of major Dublin solicitors' firm, Matheson Ormsby Prentice.
O'Reilly holds an earned PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in agricultural marketing from the University of Bradford
University of Bradford
The University of Bradford is a British university located in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. The University received its Royal Charter in 1966, making it the 40th University to be created in Britain, but its origins date back to the early 1800s...
, in addition to at least one honorary doctorate.
Ireland
Between 19551955 Five Nations Championship
The 1955 Five Nations Championship was the twenty-sixth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the sixty-first series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played between...
and 1970
1970 Five Nations Championship
The 1970 Five Nations Championship was the forty-first series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the seventy-sixth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played...
O'Reilly won 29 caps for Ireland
Ireland national rugby union team
The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
. His Five Nations
Six Nations Championship
The Six Nations Championship is an annual international rugby union competition involving six European sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
career of 15 years, 23 days is the longest in history, a record shared with fellow Ireland great Mike Gibson. He made his senior international debut, aged just 18, against France
France national rugby union team
The France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
on 22 January 1955. He scored his four tries for Ireland against France on 28 January 1956
1956 Five Nations Championship
The 1956 Five Nations Championship was the twenty-seventh series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the sixty-second series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played...
; against Scotland
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
in 25 February 1956; against Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
in 1959
1959 Five Nations Championship
The 1959 Five Nations Championship was the thirtieth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the sixty-fifth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played between 10...
; and against France in 1963
1963 Five Nations Championship
The 1963 Five Nations Championship was the thirty-fourth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the sixty-ninth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played...
. He made his final appearance for Ireland on 14 February 1970, after a six-year absence from the national team, against England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
. This final appearance was an 11th-hour replacement, denying Frank O'Driscoll—father of Brian
Brian O'Driscoll
Brian O'Driscoll is an Irish professional rugby union player. He is the current captain of the Ireland Rugby team and captained Leinster Rugby until the start of 2008 season. He also captained the British and Irish Lions for their 2005 tour of New Zealand...
, Ireland's most-capped player—what would prove to be his only chance at a Test cap.
British Lions
O'Reilly toured twice with the British LionsBritish and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
, on their 1955 tour to South Africa
1955 British Lions tour to South Africa
In 1955 the British Lions rugby union team toured Southern and Eastern Africa. The Lions drew the test series against , each team winning two of the four matches. They won the first test by a single point and the third by three points and lost the second and fourth matches by wider margins...
and their 1959 tour to Australia and New Zealand
1959 British Lions tour to Australia and New Zealand
In 1959 the British Lions rugby union team toured Australia and New Zealand. The Lions won the two test matches against but lost the international series against the All Blacks by three matches to one. They also played two matches in Canada, on the return leg of the journey.Although New Zealand...
. He made his debut for the Lions on 26 June 1955, scoring two tries against a Northern Universities XV. He played 15 games during the 1955 tour, scoring 16 tries. This included hat-tricks against a North Eastern Districts XV on 20 July and Transvaal
Golden Lions
The Golden Lions is a provincial rugby team based in Johannesburg, South Africa. The team was originally known as Transvaal, before changes to the political landscape in South Africa forced a name change to the Gauteng Lions, before again being changed to the Golden Lions. For sponsorship reason...
on 23 July. He also played in all four Tests against South Africa
South Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
, making his Test debut on the right wing before a crowd of 95,000 at Ellis Park
Ellis Park Stadium
Ellis Park Stadium, also known because of its sponsorship by The Coca-Cola Company as Coca-Cola Park, is a rugby union and association football stadium in the city of Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, South Africa. It hosted the final of the 1995 Rugby World Cup, which was won by the country's...
on 6 August. He scored a try in the Lions 23-22 victory. He scored another try in the fourth Test on 24 September.
On the 1959 tour he played a further 21 games and scored 21 tries. This included a hat-trick against King Country
King Country Rugby Football Union
The King Country Rugby Football Union is a constituent union in the New Zealand Rugby Union. It is located in the central North Island of New Zealand...
/Counties
Counties Manukau Rugby Union
The Counties Manukau Rugby Football Union is the governing body of rugby union in the Franklin district of New Zealand. The Steelers colours are red, white, and black horizontal bands. The 'Steelers' moniker is a reference to the nearby Glenbrook steel factory...
on 19 August. He played in all six tests, two against Australia
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
and four against New Zealand. He scored tries in the two test wins against Australia and in the first and fourth tests against New Zealand. His total of 37 tries for the Lions on two tours remains a record.
Barbarians
Between 1955 and 1963 O’Reilly also made 30 appearances and scored 38 tries for the BarbariansBarbarian F.C.
The Barbarian Football Club, usually referred to as the Barbarians and nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", is an invitational rugby union team based in Britain...
. He made his debut on 9 April 1955 in a 6-3 win against Cardiff
Cardiff RFC
Cardiff Rugby Football Club is a rugby union football club based in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The club was founded in 1876 and played their first few matches at Sophia Gardens, but soon relocated to Cardiff Arms Park where they have been based ever since...
, and his final appearance against Swansea
Swansea RFC
Swansea Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team which plays in the Welsh Premier Division. Its home ground is St Helens Rugby and Cricket Ground in Swansea. The team is sometimes known as The Whites because of the primary colour of the team strip...
on 15 April 1963. On the Barbarians' 1958 tour of South Africa, O'Reilly scored 12 tries, seven of them in the game against East Africa
East Africa rugby union team
Established in 1950, The East Africa rugby union team is a multi-national rugby union team drawing players from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, though the vast majority of these came from Kenya which has traditionally been the strongest rugby playing nation in this part of the world...
. He remains the Barbarians record holder for both appearances and tries.
Later rugby involvement
O'Reilly was a member of the IRFUIrish Rugby Football Union
The Irish Rugby Football Union is the body managing rugby union in Ireland. The IRFU has its head office at 10/12 Lansdowne Road and home ground at Aviva Stadium, where Irish rugby union international matches are played...
Commercial Committee. He was in the first class of inductees into the International Rugby Hall of Fame
International Rugby Hall of Fame
The International Rugby Hall of Fame is a hall of fame for rugby union. It was created in 1997 in New Zealand and is run as a charitable trust with an address at Chiswick in London. Most of the trustees are also inductees. IRHOF accepts new inductees every two years...
in 1997, and was inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame
IRB Hall of Fame
The IRB Hall of Fame is a hall of fame operated by the International Rugby Board that recognises special achievement and contribution to the sport of rugby union. The IRB Hall of Fame covers players, coaches, administrators, match officials, institutions and other individuals...
in 2009.
Business career
O'Reilly went from college to work as a management consultant for Weston-Evans in Ashby-de-la-ZouchAshby-de-la-Zouch
Ashby-de-la-Zouch, — Zouch being pronounced "Zoosh" — often shortened to Ashby, is a small market town and civil parish in North West Leicestershire, England, within the National Forest. It is twinned with Pithiviers in north-central France....
, Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
, at 200 pounds annually, a very good salary by then Irish standards. While there, he continued his rugby career, with Leicester. His work included cost accounting and time and motion studies, in industries ranging from shoe-making to pottery.
He then moved to Sutton's of Cork, selling agricultural products, coal and oil.
Irish Semi-State sector
He joined An Bord Bainne, the Irish Dairy Board, in 1962 as General Manager, developing the successful Kerrygold "umbrella brand" for Irish export butter. In 1966 he became Managing Director of the Irish Sugar Company. He soon developed a joint venture for freeze-drying food with the H. J. Heinz Co.In February 1963, O'Reilly was involved in an accident between Urlingford
Urlingford
Urlingford is a town in the barony of Galmoy, County Kilkenny, Ireland.The town lies on the R639. The M8 motorway runs just west of the town, from which both Urlingford and nearby Johnstown are accessed via junction four. Urlingford is a bus hub, with major operator JJ Kavanagh and Sons based there...
and Johnstown, when his car struck a cyclist, who was injured. Locals testified that the injured man was careless, and he had no lights or reflector, and had been on the wrong side of the road. O'Reilly was convicted of driving with undue care, and fined 4 pounds, and since then he has rarely driven, especially at night.
Heinz
In 1969, after discussion with Taoiseach Jack LynchJack Lynch
John Mary "Jack" Lynch was the Taoiseach of Ireland, serving two terms in office; from 1966 to 1973 and 1977 to 1979....
, who offered him a post such as Minister for Agriculture if he would stay, O'Reilly joined Heinz. There he made his name in international business, becoming MD of the Heinz subsidiary in the UK, its largest non-US holding and the source of half of the group profit.
He moved to the company HQ in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
in 1971 when he was promoted to Senior Vice President for the North America and Pacific region. In 1973, R. Burt Gookin and Jack Heinz made him COO and President. He became CEO in 1979 when Mr. Gookin then Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer retired.
O'Reilly earned his Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in 1980, with a thesis on agricultural incomes and marketing in Ireland. Though he was proud of his work with Bord Bainne, Irish Sugar and the Erin - Heinz JV, he concluded that Irish farmers were benefiting much more from price-boosting subsidies than from commercial development.
He became Chairman of Heinz in 1987, succeeding HJ Heinz II
H. J. Heinz II
Henry John Heinz II , best known as Jack Heinz, was an American business executive and CEO of the H. J. Heinz Company based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA....
, becoming the first non-Heinz family member to hold that post. His guidance was seen as having helped transform the company into a major international competitor, its value increasing twelvefold (from $908 million to $11 billion). O'Reilly left Heinz in 1998 after several years during which analysts questioned the company's performance, and after challenges from corporate governance groups, major pension funds including CalPERS
CalPERS
The California Public Employees' Retirement System or CalPERS is an agency in the California executive branch that "manages pension and health benefits for more than 1.6 million California public employees, retirees, and their families"...
and Business Week magazine; he was succeeded by his deputy, William R. Johnson. It is reported that O'Reilly still owns a shareholding of 1.5 to 2% in Heinz.
Other business interests
During his time at Heinz, O'Reilly held roles as major shareholder and chairman of several companies, including Waterford WedgwoodWaterford Wedgwood
Waterford Wedgwood plc is the former holding entity for a group of companies headquartered in Ireland, which specialised in the manufacture of high quality china, porcelain and glass. The group was dominated by Tony O'Reilly and his immediate family, and the family of Mr. O'Reilly's second wife,...
(1995–2009) and Independent News & Media
Independent News & Media
Independent News & Media plc , is a media organisation based in Dublin, Ireland, with interests in 22 countries on 4 continents worldwide. The company owns over 200 print titles, more than 130 radio stations, over 100 commercial websites and many billboard locations, and is a leading press player...
, and of a major partnership of solicitors, Matheson Ormsby Prentice, in Dublin. Provision for him to do this was written into his contract before he went to the US. After he left Heinz, he focused on three of these: Independent News & Media; Waterford Wedgwood; and Fitzwilton; and later, for a brief time, eircom. He was the main shareholder in Arcon, the Irish base-metal mining company that developed the Galmoy lead-zinc deposit, the company being co-founded with Richard Conroy, and later sold to Lundin Mining in 2005. He also retained a 40% stake in Providence Resources Plc, the Irish based oil and gas exploration and development company.
Independent News & Media
O'Reilly bought into Independent News & Media, a Dublin-based company, in 1973; he currently holds a stake of over 28%, with leverage over more than 29.5% with family and other connected parties. He pushed the company to expand into other national markets and to increase its reach in Ireland. In the 1990s INM bought into South Africa (from 1994), Australia (from 1988) and New Zealand (from 1995), acquiring 38 newspaper titles, over 70 radio stations, cable and telecoms interests at a cost of around €1.3 billion. In the United Kingdom, INM took control of the national broadsheet The Independent in 1995, edging out MGNTrinity Mirror
Trinity Mirror plc is a large British newspaper and magazine publisher. It is Britain's biggest newspaper group, publishing 240 regional papers as well as the national Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and People, and the Scottish Sunday Mail and Daily Record. Its headquarters are at Canary Wharf in...
and Prisa
PRISA
Promotora de Informaciones, S.A is a Spanish media conglomerate. The PRISA group was founded in 1972 by Jesús de Polanco.-Newspapers:* El País, daily newspaper* Diario AS sports newspaper* Cinco Días economic newspaper-Magazines:...
. The company has over 200 national and regional newspaper and magazine titles in total, revenues of €1.9 billion and profits of €110.7 million. The group has assets of around €4.7 billion and debts in the region of €1.3 billion.
On Friday 13 March 2009, it was announced that on O'Reilly's 73rd birthday, 7 May, he would resign as both CEO and a member of the Board of INM, to be succeeded by his son, Gavin. Further, the often-criticised large size of the board would be reduced from 17 to 10, and would include three nominess of Denis O'Brien
Denis O'Brien
Denis O'Brien is an Irish businessman with international connections. An Arts graduate of University College Dublin, O'Brien has received a MBA in corporate finance from Boston College in 1982, and was later given an honorary doctorate by University College Dublin.O'Brien has involvement with...
. These announcements were actioned, and O'Reilly became President Emeritus of the group. The markets reacted positively to the news, especially to the explicit truce between the O'Reilly and O'Brien shareholder blocs, with Denis O'Brien
Denis O'Brien
Denis O'Brien is an Irish businessman with international connections. An Arts graduate of University College Dublin, O'Brien has received a MBA in corporate finance from Boston College in 1982, and was later given an honorary doctorate by University College Dublin.O'Brien has involvement with...
voicing public support for Gavin O'Reilly as CEO-designate.
Current interests beyond IN&M
Among other investments, O'Reilly has interests in:- FitzwiltonFitzwiltonFitzwilton is a privately held investment company, today owned by Sir Anthony O'Reilly and Peter Goulandris through Stoneworth Investment Ltd. It has been involved with many businesses in Ireland, and has been loss-making for much of its history....
, an industrial holding and investment company established with friends (Ferguson and Leonard) in the early 1970s. Over the years, the Company has been involved in numerous business activities ranging from textiles, to house construction, to fertilser manufacturing, to bottling, to oil and gas investments, to supermarkets to light manufactirug. Taken private in the late 1990s in conjunction with his brother-in-law, the company is now involved in light manufacturing, property investments, financial services and architectural signage - Waterford Wedgwood PlcWaterford WedgwoodWaterford Wedgwood plc is the former holding entity for a group of companies headquartered in Ireland, which specialised in the manufacture of high quality china, porcelain and glass. The group was dominated by Tony O'Reilly and his immediate family, and the family of Mr. O'Reilly's second wife,...
, the majority of which was placed in administration on 5 January 2009, and of which he was chairman until that date - Providence Resources Plc, an Irish based oil and gas exploration and production company, in which he holds a stake of at least 40%. The company has interests in Ireland, the UK, the US and Nigeria
- Landis+GyrLandis+GyrLandis+Gyr, until early 2008 The Bayard Group, is a company focused on metering and other technologies which deal with management of scarce resources. Founded by Cameron O'Reilly, who is currently CEO, it has a revenue in excess of 1.25 billion USD per annum...
, one of the world's largest smart metering companies, in which he holds a 7% stake
Lockwood / E-mat
In conjunction with his brother in law, in 1996, he backed a management team that created Lockwood Financial Partners (and its sister company E-mat). Lockwood, based in Malvern Pennsylvania, specialised in providing independent financial investment advice services to brokers of high net worth individualHigh net worth individual
A high-net-worth individual is a person with a high net worth. In the private banking business, these individuals typically are defined as having investable assets in excess of US$1 million. As explained below, the U.S...
s, and went on to become one of the largest independent advsiory companies in the United States before being sold to Bank of New York in 2001. At the time, assets under management were estimated to be in excess of $11 billion.
Eircom / Valentia
He was part of the Valentia consortium that bought into EircomEircom
Eircom Group LTD is a telecommunications company in the Republic of Ireland, and a former state-owned incumbent. It is currently the largest telecommunications operator in the Republic of Ireland and operates primarily on the island of Ireland, with a point of presence in Great Britain.As Bord...
, the former Irish state phone company, in November 2001, for €2.8 billion, beating a rival offer of €3 billion. In 2004 the company was partly refloated, and in 2005 sold at profit to Babcock and Brown
Babcock and Brown
Babcock & Brown was a global investment and advisory firm based in Sydney, Australia that went into liquidation in 2009. It was best known in financial markets for structured finance deals. The company had at its peak 28 offices and over 1,500 employees worldwide. Although headquartered in Sydney,...
of Australia.
Commentary
O'Reilly draws salaries, share options and benefits from many companies, in addition to capital gains on shareholdings, an article in The Village Magazine suggesting he has earned €110 million since 2000 just from Independent News and Media. On the other hand, he and his families have sustained the historic Waterford Glass operations, which would certainly have closed much earlier without their funding.Sir Anthony O’Reilly was honoured with the Media Person of the Year Award at the 55th Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival in May 2008.
Charitable works
O'Reilly has sponsored and supported a wide range of charitable activities, and continues to do so. Many of these, such as the many-year support of a Professorship in Australian Studies at UCD, were together with his first wife, and likewise today, he and his current wife will jointly support an activity, such as sponsorship of a gallery at the National Science Historical Museum adjacent to Birr CastleBirr Castle
Birr Castle is a large castle in the town of Birr in County Offaly, Ireland. It is the home of the seventh Earl of Rosse, and as such the residential areas of the castle are not open to the public, though the grounds and gardens of the demesne are publicly accessible.-Ireland's Historic Science...
. He has shown a particular interest in naming rights, where a contribution to a project, generally of 5% to 20%, allows a donor to add a name to the project, and has received at least one such "name" as a gift.
Kilcullen
O'Reilly has supported many local initiatives, from floral street displays and signage for local nature walks in Kilcullen to commissioning, with his wife, a piece of music for the launch of the Dun AilinneDún Ailinne
Dún Ailinne, on the hill called Knockaulin, is a large enclosed archaeological site in County Kildare, Ireland. It lies close to the modern N78 road to Athy, south-west of Kilcullen , and immediately adjacent to the lower rise on which sits Old Kilcullen. The site comprises 13 hectares surrounded...
Interpretative Park. A presentation in recognition of this was made mid-2009.
The O'Reilly Foundation
The O'Reilly FoundationO'Reilly Foundation
The O'Reilly Foundation is a personal charitable trust set up in 1998 by media magnate, and former CEO of Heinz, Sir Anthony "Tony" O'Reilly. Its function is the funding of educational projects; the two main work areas are capital developments at Irish colleges and an annual post-graduate...
is a charity set up by O'Reilly with a Board of Trustees composed of family members, chaired by his wife, and a Scholarship Board headed by Professor Emeritus John Kelly of UCD, succeeding Ken Whitaker. With an office address at a family home in Dublin, and Amanda Hopkins as Executive Secretary, it contributes to various projects, with an emphasis on the education sector, primarily running an annual scholarship programme, awarding 2-3 advanced, usually multi-year, third-level scholarships, each for over €25,000 per annum.
Both through the Foundation and before its inception, O'Reilly has contributed to a range of University projects in Ireland, with notable examples at Dublin City University
Dublin City University
Dublin City University is a university situated between Glasnevin, Santry, Ballymun and Whitehall on the Northside of Dublin in Ireland...
, University College Dublin
University College Dublin
University College Dublin ) - formally known as University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's largest, and Ireland's second largest, university, with over 1,300 faculty and 17,000 students...
, Trinity College Dublin and Queen's University Belfast.
O'Reilly also paid for the construction of the state-of-the-art 600-seater O'Reilly Theatre in Belvedere College, and has regularly funded projects in the college. The family also contributed to the construction of the O'Reilly Theatre in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Trinity College, Dublin
O'Reilly has contributed towards the O’Reilly Institute, backed the development of Jewish Studies, and supported the Chair in Neuroscience. He was a Pro-Chancellor of the University of Dublin from 1994 until retiring on age grounds at the end of the 2010/2011 academic year, and was also a member of the board of the Trinity Foundation.University College Dublin
O'Reilly supported his Alma Mater, UCD, by funding the O'Reilly Hall, named in honour of his parents. This building is a major focal point of the UCD campus and in addition to its use for exams, the hall is now a leading venue for large events in Dublin.Dublin City University
The John and Aileen O`Reilly Library at Dublin City University was named in honour of his parents, as the O`Reilly Foundation contributed a substantial sum to the library's capital costs in 2000.Queen's University Belfast
The new library currently((when)) under construction at Queen's University of Belfast was to be named the Sir Anthony O'Reilly Library, in recognition of support for the University, including a pledge of £4 million (of a £44 million cost for the library), £2 million from his personal charity, The O'Reilly Foundation and £2 million from Independent News and Media / The Belfast Telegraph and the Ireland Funds. The new library will now be known as either "The New Library" or "The Library at Queen's" after a request by O'Reilly in April 2009.The Ireland Funds
The American Ireland Fund, now the central entity in the The Ireland FundsThe Ireland Funds
The Ireland Funds are a global fundraising network for people of Irish ancestry and friends of Ireland, dedicated to raising funds to support programs of peace and reconciliation, arts and culture, education and community development throughout the island of Ireland...
, was established in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
by O'Reilly and his friend, Pittsburgh businessman Dan Rooney
Dan Rooney
Daniel Milton "Dan" Rooney is the United States Ambassador to Ireland. He is chairman emeritus of the Pittsburgh Steelers football team in the National Football League , which was founded by his father, Art Rooney. Rooney was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000 for his contributions...
, in 1976, and for many years this and later similar initiatives in other countries, took up a considerable amount of his time. The funds, now a network with more than ten national entities, have raised over $300 million to date. O'Reilly is the Chairman. Rooney became US Ambassador to Ireland in July 2009.
Family
O'Reilly was first engaged in 1958, to Dorothy Collins, whom he met in 1954, with the marriage planned for 1959.O'Reilly met his first wife, Australian secretary and pianist Susan M. Cameron, the daughter of a wealthy Australian mining figure in whose name he endowed a professorship at UCD for at least a decade, in 1959 in Australia, after she was suggested as a social contact when he was touring for rugby. After courting her when she moved to London, they married in 1962. He had six children by her, born 1963-66: Susan Wildman, Anthony Cameron O'Reilly
Cameron O'Reilly
Anthony Cameron O'Reilly, generally known as Cameron O'Reilly, is a Dublin-born businessman with Irish and Australian citizenship, the son of Irish media magnate Tony O'Reilly and Australian Susan Cameron...
(generally "Cameron"), Justine O'Reilly, Gavin O'Reilly
Gavin O'Reilly
Gavin Karl O'Reilly is a Dublin-born businessman with Irish and Australian citizenship, the second son and fourth child of Irish media magnate Tony O'Reilly and Australian Susan Cameron...
, Caroline Dempsey, and St John Anthony ("Tony Junior")
Tony O'Reilly, Junior
St. John Anthony O'Reilly, generally Tony O'Reilly, Junior is a businessman with Irish and Australian citizenship, the third son and sixth child of Irish media magnate Tony O'Reilly and Australian Susan Cameron. He is currently CEO of the Irish mineral exploration company Providence Resources...
; the last three are triplets. All three boys are involved in family business interests, while the daughters are not known to be, the eldest being a qualified pilot, the second a lawyer and the third a full-time mother. The eldest daughter took a Bachelor's degree at Yale, and a Master's in History at Oxford.
All the O'Reilly children married and O'Reilly has 19 grandchildren. Youngest daughter Caroline was married at the restored Church of St. Mary
St. Mary's Church, Castlemartin
St. Mary’s Church, Castlemartin, located in the broad Kilcullen area of County Kildare, Ireland, is the first medieval church in Ireland to have been restored to full working order...
at Castlemartin Estate
Castlemartin House and Estate
Castlemartin is the name of a historic house and estate, and the townland in which they sit, on the banks of the River Liffey in Kilcullen, County Kildare, Ireland...
on 1 June 1991, while eldest child Susan O'Reilly married investment banker Tarik C. Wildman (1959-) on 14 August 1993 before an Episcopal dean at the same church. Gavin O'Reilly married Alison Doody
Alison Doody
-Early life:The youngest of three children, she was born in Dublin, Ireland. Her mother, Joan, was a beauty therapist, and her father, Patrick, worked in the property business and farmed...
there some years later.
The O'Reillys separated in the late 1980s, having remained together through years of many rumours of O'Reilly affairs but apparently going their separate ways over O'Reilly's hectic social life, and Susan O'Reilly settled in London, where she remains, in a house bought for her by O'Reilly. They divorced very discreetly in 1989 or 1990 but remained in contact, attending family events, and with more than one public occasion where the current and former wives sat either side of O'Reilly.
O'Reilly shortly after married Chryss Goulandris
Chryss Goulandris
Chryss Goulandris, Lady O'Reilly , also known as Christina or Chryssanthie, is one of the richest women associated with Ireland, and holds both USA and Greek citizenship, she owns a major horse breeding operation located in Ireland, France and other countries and has been Chairperson of the Irish...
(sometimes "Chryssanthi(n)e" or Christina), a Greek shipping heiress some years his junior, who breeds and races thoroughbred horses, and whom he first met in New York, when she accompanied her brother to a business meeting. Their acquaintance developed at horse races, and in further meetings in the Bahamas and in Ireland.
The wedding took place in the Bahamas on 4 September 1991. Chryss O'Reilly, who breeds and races as "Skymarc Farms" and under other names, and who owns stud farms in Normandy and other locations, is well-known on the racecourses of Ireland, Britain and France as Lady O'Reilly and is very knowledgeable on all aspects of the equine industry. She was reputedly worth more than O'Reilly when they met, as the tabloids and even some mainstream news media pointed out. Chryss made a naming gift in her husband's honour in 1999 with the O'Reilly Theater
O'Reilly Theater
The O'Reilly Theater is a 650-seat theater building, opened on December 11, 1999, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Located at 621 Penn Avenue in downtown Pittsburgh's Cultural District, the O'Reilly Theater is actually a three-part building: The theater , a large parking garage called Theater Square,...
in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, and he bought her a famous Jackie Onassis diamond ring for over $US2 million. The second Mrs O'Reilly's brother has been a close business ally of O'Reilly for many years since around the time of the marriage.
Residences
A number of homes are associated with O'Reilly, including his current official main residence, Lissadell, with a beach within private gated communityGated community
In its modern form, a gated community is a form of residential community or housing estate containing strictly-controlled entrances for pedestrians, bicycles, and automobiles, and often characterized by a closed perimeter of walls and fences. Gated communities usually consist of small residential...
Lyford Cay
Lyford Cay
Lyford Cay is a private gated community located on the western tip of New Providence Island, Bahamas. Considered one of the world's wealthiest and most exclusive neighborhoods, the Lyford Cay Club was built during the latter part of the 1950s by prominent Canadian businessman Edward Plunkett Taylor...
near Nassau in the Bahamas. Still a major base, and for many years his principal residence, is Castlemartin
Castlemartin House and Estate
Castlemartin is the name of a historic house and estate, and the townland in which they sit, on the banks of the River Liffey in Kilcullen, County Kildare, Ireland...
, a "big house" dating in current form from the 18th century, at Kilcullen
Kilcullen
Kilcullen , formally Kilcullen Bridge, is a small town on the River Liffey in County Kildare, Ireland. Its population of 2,985 makes it the 12th largest settlement in County Kildare and the fastest growing in the county, having doubled in population from 1,483 in the census of 2002...
, County Kildare
County Kildare
County Kildare is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county...
(which has associated stud farm and cattle breeding premises on the large estate lands). O'Reilly purchased Castlemartin in 1972 from the Earl of Gowrie, and spent millions on improvements to the house and on restoration of the 15th century Church of St Mary
St. Mary's Church, Castlemartin
St. Mary’s Church, Castlemartin, located in the broad Kilcullen area of County Kildare, Ireland, is the first medieval church in Ireland to have been restored to full working order...
in the grounds. On 15 February 2008 permission was granted for developments of two ancillary houses on a remote part of the estate, adjoining Kilcullen (Bridge) village's main street, incorporating residential, restaurant and retail space. In October 2007, O'Reilly paid a record €125,000 per acre for 60 acres (242,811.6 m²) Hollyhill Stud in Carnalway near Brannockstown, under 3 kilometres from Kilcullen. The stud farm on the banks of the Liffey, with a 10-room house and a cottage, was thought to have been intended for one of his daughters.
In late 1995, he and his wife purchased a former solicitor's office, a four-storey Georgian house on Fitzwilliam Square, Dublin, with a courtyard and coachhouse with separate entrance. The IRP1 million house, formerly owned by railway pioneer William Dargan
William Dargan
William Dargan , an engineer, often seen as the father of Irish railways, came from Killeshin, County Laois, Ireland. Born in 1799, he constructed Ireland's first railway from Dublin to Dún Laoghaire in 1833. He constructed over of railway to important urban centres of Ireland...
, was a base when travel to Castlemartin was not feasible, and a place for meetings and his private office. O'Reilly also has a holiday compound, Shorecliffe, comprising several houses, garden areas and two swimming pools, by the sea in Glandore
Glandore
Glandore |Cork]] city.The village has several pubs, with traditional music. It is a very popular holiday destination for Irish holiday makers in particular. Famous homeowners include Margaret Jay, former leader of the House of Lords, and Tony O'Reilly. The village yacht club's official headquarters...
, County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
.
The O'Reillys also own a chateau "built on the ruins of the castle where William the Conqueror plotted his 1066 invasion of England" at Deauville
Deauville
Deauville is a commune in the Calvados département in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.With its racecourse, harbour, international film festival, marinas, conference centre, villas, Grand Casino and sumptuous hotels, Deauville is regarded as the "queen of the Norman beaches" and...
in France.
For many years a key O'Reilly residence was a 34-room mock Tudor house of 8000 square feet (743.2 m²) at Fox Chapel, Pittsburgh, with 7 acres (28,328 m²) of grounds. This property, his second home in that area, with eight bedrooms and bathrooms, an "Irish bar" in the basement, tennis courts, Japanese and English themed gardens and swimming and tennis facilities, was sold for around $US2.4 million in 2000
Sporting interests
O'Reilly's sons have noted that he is still a keen player of tennis. For a period in the 1990s O'Reilly chaired a committee set up by the then Lord Mayor of Dublin, Gay MitchellGay Mitchell
Gabriel "Gay" Mitchell is an Irish politician and Member of the European Parliament for the Dublin constituency since 2004. He is a member of Fine Gael, part of the European People's Party, and a former Teachta Dála for the Dublin South Central constituency from 1981–2007. He was defeated by...
, aiming to bring the Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
to Dublin in 2004.
Art collection
The O'Reillys have been significant art collectors for many years, with the biggest known acquisition being Monet's Le Portail (Soleil), bought in 2000, at Sotheby's of London, for $US24 million, and others including works by William OrpenWilliam Orpen
Major Sir William Newenham Montague Orpen, KBE, RA, RHA was an Irish portrait painter, who worked mainly in London...
and Jack Yeats, and bronzes and statues. In June 2008 it was reported that O'Reilly had commissioned a bound catalogue of his art collection, 15 cm thick, at a cost of €125,000 for 500 copies, edited by Suzanne Macdougald and with notes by, among others, Bruce Arnold. Copies were said to have been given to the President of Ireland and the Queen of the United Kingdom.
Friends
O'Reilly is an enthusiastic networker, and from early developed a wide range of acquaintances and friends. Among the closest were Kevin McGoran and Jim McCarthy.He made contacts at high levels, which sometimes included becoming friendly with controversial figures such as Henry Kissinger
Henry Kissinger
Heinz Alfred "Henry" Kissinger is a German-born American academic, political scientist, diplomat, and businessman. He is a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He served as National Security Advisor and later concurrently as Secretary of State in the administrations of Presidents Richard Nixon and...
and Robert Mugabe
Robert Mugabe
Robert Gabriel Mugabe is the President of Zimbabwe. As one of the leaders of the liberation movement against white-minority rule, he was elected into power in 1980...
. He has hosted Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
more than once, and knows a range of Irish and American politicians.
Staff
For over 47 years, from his time at Suttons of Cork, O'Reilly had a strong executive secretary, Olive Deasy (1932–2007), who managed aspects of his work and personal lives, living with his family for much of this time Also important was his driver, Arthur Whelan.Today his primary assistants are his personal assistant, Sabina Vidunas, who travels with him and his INM executive secretary in Dublin, Mandy Scott.
Awards and honours
In 1978, O'Reilly was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Laws (LLD) by Trinity College Dublin.In 1988, he was appointed an Honorary Officer of the Order of Australia
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
(AO) for services to Irish-Australian relationships.
O'Reilly was knighted, as a Knight Bachelor
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
by Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
in the 2001 New Year's Honours, "for services to Northern Ireland" - including in recognition for his work as head of The Ireland Funds
The Ireland Funds
The Ireland Funds are a global fundraising network for people of Irish ancestry and friends of Ireland, dedicated to raising funds to support programs of peace and reconciliation, arts and culture, education and community development throughout the island of Ireland...
charity. O'Reilly, who describes himself as a constitutional nationalist, sought the approval of the Irish Government
Irish Government
The Government of Ireland is the cabinet that exercises executive authority in Ireland.-Members of the Government:Membership of the Government is regulated fundamentally by the Constitution of Ireland. The Government is headed by a prime minister called the Taoiseach...
in relation to the award, because it is a requirement of the Irish constitution (Bunreacht na hEireann) that "No title of nobility or of honour may be accepted by any citizen except with the prior approval of the Government". As O'Reilly is also a British subject
British subject
In British nationality law, the term British subject has at different times had different meanings. The current definition of the term British subject is contained in the British Nationality Act 1981.- Prior to 1949 :...
, in part due to his pre-1949 Irish birth, he holds a substantive and not just an honorary knighthood, and can validly style himself Sir
Sir
Sir is an honorific used as a title , or as a courtesy title to address a man without using his given or family name in many English speaking cultures...
, as he has done; see British honours system
British honours system
The British honours system is a means of rewarding individuals' personal bravery, achievement, or service to the United Kingdom and the British Overseas Territories...
.
Wealth
In March 2008, Forbes Magazine reported that O'Reilly was the 677th richest person in the world, with a net worth of $US1.8 billion, excluding his wife's hundreds of millions, reported that O'Reilly was the sixth richest Irish citizen, worth a little less than Denis O'BrienDenis O'Brien
Denis O'Brien is an Irish businessman with international connections. An Arts graduate of University College Dublin, O'Brien has received a MBA in corporate finance from Boston College in 1982, and was later given an honorary doctorate by University College Dublin.O'Brien has involvement with...
, John Dorrance (one of the Campbell Soup heirs), Dermot Desmond
Dermot Desmond
Dermot Desmond is an Irish businessman and financier. He is estimated to be worth €1.45billion and is ranked by the Sunday Independent as the sixth-richest person in Ireland.-Background and education:...
, and an arrival from India, and much less than the richest two (Sean Quinn
Seán Quinn
Seán Quinn is an Irish businessman and conglomerateur, now bankrupt. In 2008 he was the richest person in Ireland, but he now has debts...
and Hilary Weston
Hilary Weston
Hilary M. Weston , CM, O.Ont was the 26th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, serving from 1997 to 2002. During her five year tenure, Mrs...
). O'Reilly was noted as being in the majority (five out of six) not paying tax in Ireland.
Biography
An authorised biography, The Player: The Life of Tony O'Reilly, was produced by Ivan Fallon, a journalist and biographer in the early 1990s, now a senior executive at one of O'Reilly's companies, and is the only study of any length. O'Reilly facilitated the project, and the author was given access to family members, including past and current wives, and to staff and business colleagues.Fallon insisted in the foreword that he had complete discretion on what to include and how to tell it, excluding only some private family matters. While giving great detail on some business matters, the book says almost nothing about O'Reilly's children and little of his second wife. It gives considerable detail on business matters, and does question some of O'Reilly's assertions, notably about his Irish business interests. It also gives much detail on O'Reilly's parents' situations and especially his father's family, detail which the author notes even O'Reilly did not have until the book gathered it, and includes some fine detail about his residences.
Sources
- London, UK, 1994: Hodder & Staughton; Fallon, Ivan: "The Player, The Life of Tony O'Reilly" (HB, 1995, Coronet Books paperback edition) - The authorised biography