Winter sport star has Cavan connection

Beretta-O’Reilly represents Ireland in both rollerblading and ice skating

Cavan eyes will no doubt be watching when Alexandre Beretta-O’Reilly (27) becomes Ireland sole competitor in next month’s all-terrain skate cross world championships.

Born in France to a French mother and a half French, half Irish father, Beretta-O’Reilly paternal family are understood to hail near Bunnoe, and the extreme skater is understood to have visited the Breffni county regularly right up until the pandemic hit.

Beretta-O’Reilly represents Ireland in both rollerblading and ice skating, and the upcoming World Championships, which start with two races in Judenburg, Austria on the 15-16 and 22-23 January will see the Irish sport star hurtle down a hill of ice at speeds of up to 80km per hour.

In his first season (2019) Beretta-O’Reilly ranked 310th in the world, and finished his second season (2020) ranked 123rd.

The 2021 World Tour, scheduled to be held across Austria, Italy, Finland and France, was postponed, with the championships to take up again in early 2022.

Its understood that Beretta-O’Reilly took up ice skating having become interested in transferring his skill-set while attending a rollerblading contest in Barcelona in June 2018.

He registered for his first race the following January, and due to his dual nationality, secured a place representing Ireland.

Beretta-O’Reilly, a talented artist also, now has his mind set on representing the county at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan.