Cavan Gaels stalwart is new Reilly O’Reilly Clan Chieftain
Sean McMahon
The holder of three Cavan Senior Championship medals with Cavan Gaels, J.J. O’Reilly was the popular choice for Chieftain of the Reilly O’Reilly Clan in the Farnham Arms Hotel last week during the Life of Reilly Festival.
To celebrate JJ regaled the audience with his rousing rendition of ‘The Gallant John Joe’.
The Cavan Town man, who collected medals on the playing field in 1975, ’77 and ’78, received his chain of office at an inauguration ceremony in the Kilmore Hotel last Wednesday in the presence of the Mexican Ambassador. The ceremony remained as faithful as possible to a traditional chieftain inauguration.
Fr Kevin Donohoe, deputising for Bishop Leo O’Reilly, presented the chain of office.
Bronagh O’Reilly led a procession and the remainder of the committee flanked the new chief onto the sacred place of inauguration. Bearing a ‘Book of Kings’ detailing customs and laws of the kingdom, Vincent O’Reilly, ‘chronicler’, explained the traits needed in a chief such as having a good legal standing, being not guilty of theft and being be a man of property.
Quiet satisfaction
Asked how he felt as the chain was placed around his neck, J.J. said: “It gave me a quiet satisfaction and an awareness of my responsibility to the Clan and that you do justice to the position”.
“It is an honour in your hometown and an honour that people have faith in you... It is a different area for me – I’m more used to the football arena and managing successful minor and underage teams for the last 20-25 years.”
J.J., who has been reading up on the Clan, says:
“It was interesting to see so many Reilly O’Reilly’s there, and all so proud of the name. Now that they have a Clan Chieftain, it will act as a focal point and make them more aware of themselves as a unit. I think it could be the start of something bigger”.
Mexican ambassador
Following the inauguration and presentations to other candidates, the Roll of Honour to Colonel John Riley, the Irish leader of San Patricio Battalion in the Mexican/American War from 1846 to 1848, took place.
Guest of Honour, Mexican Ambassador, Carlos Garcia de Alba, paid tribute to the clan:
“You are all heirs of great Irish men, who have contributed in a very worthwhile way to what your great and beautiful country has become today,” he said.
“Nowadays the Reillys O’Reillys are all over the world. One of you has even been out of our planet – I’m talking about former astronaut James Ed Reilly, who flew on three space shuttle missions.”
He added that Colonel John Riley was a key figure in the history of Mexico and “a wonderful link between our countries and our peoples”.
Greatest honour
The chairman of the Reilly O’Reilly Clan committee thanked all the people, including the hard working committee for making the Clan gathering and Life of Reilly Festival such a great success.
“Tonight we are celebrating our Clan, our homeland, East Breiffne now County Cavan, all our friends in County Cavan and all our members and Diaspora spread throughout the world”, he said.
The chairman, Vincent O’Reilly, who visited Mexico this year, hopes to connect clan members in America.
“One of the aims of our O’Reilly Clan Committee is to provide a mechanism for reaching out to these [clan members]. Our website www.oreillyreillyclan.com is there to assist in all these areas and to enable those interested in learning and sharing in the genealogy, history and evolution of the clan and County Cavan, and to engage with the committee and with one another,” said Vincent.
He said the election of Chief was “the greatest honour that our clan can confer on a living person”.
“The O’Raghallaigh Chief 2013 was the popular choice of the electorate at the convention and he and our committee will continue to promote the clan and diaspora, our homeland, and the talent of Cavan for the benefit of all.”