Tributes pour in for former Irish media executive Tony O'Reilly as news of his death spreads
Former Irish media mogul Tony O'Reilly has died in Dublin following a short illness.
O’Reilly, 88, was one of Ireland’s leading business figures, with a media group spanning all the way to India and South Africa.
In 1994 O'Reilly's Independent News & Media (INM) was hand-picked by the late former ANC President Nelson Mandela to purchase the Argus Group newspapers, according to his biographer Ivan Fallon in a 2009 article.
According to Business Report, INM agreed to sell its South African business, the country’s largest English-language newspaper group in 2013, for R2 billion to a consortium led by Dr Iqbal Survé.
He was also on the International Investment Council implemented by former president Thabo Mbeki in 2000.
The Irish tycoon rose to fame as a record-breaking British and Irish Lions rugby player. He made his Ireland debut against France in 1955 and went on to win 29 caps for his country.
In his 2009 article, Fallon writes that at the age of 37, O'Reilly was president of the HJ Heinz company, one of the biggest food companies at the time.
In a statement on Saturday night, his family 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."
In 2001, he was knighted by the late Queen Elizabeth II for his services to Northern Ireland.
According to the Financial Times, O’Reilly in 2009 lost a fierce battle for control of INM to Denis O’Brien, the Irish telecoms tycoon, costing him the dividend income his newspapers had once provided.
The business took a turn after O’Reilly handed over the reins to his son Gavin O'Reilly, who later resigned in 2012 bringing an end to the O'Reilly newspaper dynasty.
AFP reported that O'Reilly was declared bankrupt in the Bahamas in 2015, aged 79, following a debt judgment against him for €22.6 million (R446,745,048.00).
The Irish Times reported Saturday that O'Reilly had emerged from bankruptcy in January of this year.
Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris said Mr O'Reilly was "a giant of sport, business and media and his passing will be felt by the many people he encountered in his long life".
The Irish Rugby Football Union posted on X: "A legend of the game has passed. Our deepest sympathies to his family and friends."
O’Reilly was married twice. He had six children by his first wife, Susan His second wife, Chrys, died last year.
IOL