Lions great Tony O'Reilly dies aged 88
Tony O'Reilly in 2008.
TONY O’REILLY, the businessman, has died aged 88.
Before O’Reilly became prominent for his involvement with Heinz and Independent News and Media, he was a rugby player of renown.
The Glasnevin native went to school at Belvedere College where his talent for the game became apparent. O’Reilly was just 18 when he made his international debut as a centre against France in 1955.
The same year, he became the youngest ever player to be selected for the British and Irish Lions. His deeds in the famous red shirt echo through the decades.
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The winger played 38 games across the 1955 and 1959 tours. He scored 16 tries in 15 games during the South Africa tour of 55, which still stands as a post-war record. His tally included two tries on his debut, before appearing in all four Test matches against the Springboks, scoring a try in the first and last Tests as the series finished 2-2.
On the 1959 Tour to Australia and New Zealand, O’Reilly played 23 games, including all six Tests. He scored 17 tries in New Zealand – a record that was equalled by John Bevan in 1971 – while his 21 tries from the 1959 Tour in Australia, New Zealand and Canada remains a post-war record.
His 37 tries is the highest tally by a Lions player, while his six tries in ten Tests during the 1950s is also another long-standing Lions record.
O’Reilly won 29 Ireland caps between 1955-70. He scored four tries for Ireland, which came against France in 1956, Scotland the same year, 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, against England.
Only JJ Williams has come close to matching his Lions record of six tries in 10 tests, with five tries in his two tours in 1974 and 1977.
“I can remember watching Tony O’Reilly on the TV when I was just a kid,” said Williams in 2017.
“Even back then I knew I wanted to play for the Lions and Tony was the complete package, he was everything you could want from a winger.
“On the pitch he was big, he was flamboyant and he could score tries out of absolutely nothing – that was more than enough to make him a legend.”