Tom O'Reilly (Cavan politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tom O'Reilly
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| Teachta Dála | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office May 1944 – February 1948 |
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| Constituency | Cavan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 6 August 1915 Killeshandra, County Cavan, Ireland |
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| Died | 12 February 1995 (aged 79) County Cavan, Ireland |
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| Political party | Independent | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Thomas P. O'Reilly (born August 6, 1915 – died February 12, 1995) was a famous Irish person. He was a talented Gaelic football player, a farmer, and a politician. He came from County Cavan in Ireland.
Tom was born in a place called Derries Upper, near Killeshandra, in County Cavan. His father, John O'Reilly, was also a Gaelic football player. He played as a goalkeeper for the Cavan team. His mother's name was Sarah Anne.
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Tom O'Reilly: Gaelic Football Star
Tom O'Reilly played Gaelic football for his local club, Cornafean. He also played for the Cavan county team. He played from the early 1930s to the mid-1940s. Many people thought he was one of the best midfielders in the country.
Because he was so good at football and had a strong build, people called him "Big Tom." His brother, John Joe O'Reilly, was also a well-known Cavan footballer.
Playing for Cornafean Club
Tom started playing for Cornafean's junior team in 1931. Even though he was only sixteen, he quickly became a key player. A year later, he was playing midfield for the senior team. They won the county final against Bailieboro.
Tom continued to be a star midfielder for Cornafean until he stopped playing in 1948. He won nine Cavan Senior Football Championship medals with his club. He was also the team captain seven times when they won.
Playing for County Cavan
Tom O'Reilly became famous across Ireland for playing with the Cavan county team. He was a star for the county's minor and junior teams in 1932. He then joined the senior team a year later.
He played a very important role in midfield when Cavan beat Galway in the 1933 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final. This was a huge win! He won another All-Ireland medal two years later.
Tom also played in the All-Ireland finals in 1937, 1943, and 1945, though Cavan lost those games. He was the captain of the county team from 1937 to 1945. He was still part of the Cavan team when they won the famous 1947 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final. This big game took place at the Polo Grounds in New York. Tom also regularly played for the Ulster teams in the Railway Cup during the 1940s.
Tom O'Reilly: His Political Life
Besides being a great footballer, Tom O'Reilly also became a politician. He was chosen to be a Teachta Dála (TD) in Dáil Éireann. A TD is like a member of parliament in Ireland.
He was elected as an Independent TD for the Cavan area. This happened in the 1944 general election.
In the 1948 general election, he ran as a candidate for the Fine Gael party. However, he was not elected that time. After that, he did not run for the Dáil again.
Later in his life, Tom O'Reilly became a successful businessman.
