Background
He was born at the Derries Upper, Killeshandra, County Cavan. His father was Big John O'Reilly who played as goalkeeper on the Cavan county team and his mother was Sarah Anne.
politician Deputy to the Dáil Gaelic football player
He was born at the Derries Upper, Killeshandra, County Cavan. His father was Big John O'Reilly who played as goalkeeper on the Cavan county team and his mother was Sarah Anne.
Gaelic football player
O'Reilly played for Cornafean and Cavan from the early 1930s until the mid-‘40’s, and was acclaimed as one of the country’s greatest midfielders for much of that period. His footballing ability and his large build earned him the name "Big Tom". Big Tom first played for Cornafean on the club's junior team which progressed to the Junior Championship semi-final in 1931.
Although only sixteen years old, he quickly made a big impression and was at centrefield a year later on the senior team which defeated Bailieboro in the county final. He continued to star as a midfielder for Cornafean until he retired in 1948. However, it was to be his contribution to the Cavan county team that earned him enduring national renown.
A star for the county minors and juniors in 1932, he made his debut for the Cavan seniors a year later, and played a key role at midfield when Cavan defeated Galway in the 1933 All-Ireland Football Final. He was also a regular on the Ulster teams for the Railway Cup in 1940s. O'Reilly was elected to Dáil Éireann as an independent Teachta Dála (TD) for the Cavan constituency at the 1944 general election.
In later life, he was a successful businessman.
He stood as a Fine Gael candidate at the 1948 general election, but was defeated by another independent candidate, and did not stand for the Dáil again.