'A giant of sport, business and media' - Tributes as Tony O'Reilly dies aged 88

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Tony O'Reilly

Former Taoiseach Albert Reynolds with Tony O'Reilly at the opening of the O'Reilly Hall at UCD's Belfield Campus, November 1994

From left: Rodney Murphy, Tony O'Reilly, and Bartle Pitcher at the extraordinary general meeting of Independent Newspapers in the Shelbourne hotel, Dublin, in 1973

Anthony Joseph Francis O'Reilly (born 7 May 1936, Dublin, Ireland) pictured in his Hatch St. office. Circa January 1986. (Part of the Independent Newspapers Ireland/NLI Collection). (Photo by Independent News And Media/Getty Images)

Dr AJF O'Reilly makes a speech at a ceremony in the atrium, Dublin, Ireland, March 3, 2000. (Part of the Independent Newspapers Ireland/NLI Collection) (Photo by Tony Gavin/Independent News and Media/Getty Images)

Tony O'Reilly

Tony O'Reilly with Nelson Mandela (Queen's University Belfast/PA)

Anthony O'Reilly has died aged 88 in St Vincent's Hospital in Dublin on Saturday morning. The former businessman, international rugby player and Chief Executive of Independent News & Media (INM) was brought to hospital suffering from pneumonia just over two weeks ago.

He had been living in a house near his former home in the 750-acre Castlemartin estate in Kildare in recent years. His family were informed of his death on Saturday and his funeral will be held in Dublin next week.

O'Reilly first bought into Independent Newspapers in 1973 and built it into an international media empire with publications in South Africa, Australia, the UK and New Zealand.

He lost control of the company in 2012 when Denis O'Brien became the largest shareholder in the company.

A statement from the O'Reilly family issued Saturday evening said: "In the coming days there will be many worthy tributes made to Tony O'Reilly's unique and extraordinary achievements in the fields of business and sport. As well as his extraordinary philanthropic vision which was best evidenced by the establishment of the Ireland Funds at a dark time in this island's history.

"But, for us, he was a dearly-loved dad and a granddad. He lived one of the great lives and we were fortunate to spend time with him in recent weeks as that great life drew to a close."

Anthony Joseph Francis O'Reilly (born 7 May 1936, Dublin, Ireland) pictured in his Hatch St. office. Circa January 1986. (Part of the Independent Newspapers Ireland/NLI Collection). (Photo by Independent News And Media/Getty Images)

As news of his death broke, Simon Harris, the Taoiseach 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.

"In a life so varied it is hard to focus on one area, however Tony O'Reilly's founding of the Ireland Funds with the late Dan Rooney had a transformative effect on the island of Ireland. The Ireland Funds is an example of peace and reconciliation done brilliantly from the ground up in communities. It has been one of the largest donors to our shared Ireland and the cause of peace and is still going strong. I know Mr O'Reilly was enormously proud of the funds.

"Tony O'Reilly was a giant and his passing will be felt by the many people he encountered in his long life. My thoughts are especially with his children and grandchildren at this sad time."

Tánaiste Micheál Martin said, "The Ireland Funds was among one of his great legacies. He changed the Irish American narrative on Northern Ireland. He lived a full life."

Former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar added: "There can be no doubt he was an impressive entrepreneur and one of the first of a generation to show Ireland could do business and succeed economically."

The IRFU posted on its X account: "A legend of the game has passed. Our deepest sympathies to his family and friends. First capped at 18 he won 29

@irishrugby caps and was a hero of the @lionsofficial".