Sir Tony O’Reilly, one of Ireland’s leading business figures, has died at the age of 88.
Mr O’Reilly, who was also known as a media magnate and international rugby player for Ireland and the British and Irish Lions, died in St Vincent’s Hospital in Dublin on Saturday.
Ireland’s Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Simon Harris described Sir Tony as a “trailblazer”.
Mr Harris said: “It is with great sadness that I have learned of the death of Tony O’Reilly. Mr O’Reilly was a giant of sport, business and media and left permanent legacies in all three. He was a trailblazer who aimed big on the international business scene.
“Through his work in the UK, US and Ireland he forged a path that many other international business figures from Ireland would follow.
“Modern-day Ireland likes to see itself as an island in the centre of the world – Tony O’Reilly was one of the first Irish businesspeople to truly believe that.”
Born in Dublin in 1936, Sir Tony made his international debut for Ireland in rugby in 1955 and soon became the youngest player to be selected for the Lions.
In his business career he pioneered the dairy brand Kerrygold, turning it into one of Ireland’s most well-known global consumer brands.
He later became the chairman of the food giant Heinz and in 1973 took control of Independent Newspapers, publisher of the Irish Independent, Sunday Independent and Evening Herald.
RIP
