The O`Reilly family featured in this website originate from Rhodesia (now called Zimbabwe). This website is dedicated to keeping them and their extended families in touch and together. After Rhodesia became Zimbabwe, the O`Reilly family split up and are scattered throughout South Africa, Zimbabwe and Ireland.
This website is owned and administered by Richard O`Reilly, and is open to all families that may be related either through descent or marriage. Our family extends to the Laurent's, Randal's, Hopkins, Knee's and many more. Please feel free to contact Richard at info@xtremezone.co.za if you would like any content for your part of the family to be displayed on the website.
The O`Reilly name has a very colourful history, once being the rulers of the area that is now called Cavan County in Ireland. After Ireland was invaded by the Normans, the O`Reilly clan were dispersed all over the world. Many armies, including the Spanish and the French, had troops led by O`Reilly Generals. The O`Reilly name has may pronunciations and spellings, for instance, Reilly, Riley an many more. One famous local was the John O`Reilly that found the Hope Diamond here in South Africa. Another was William "Bill" O`Reilly that led a platoon of Irish soldiers during the Boer war, fighting on the Boer side against the English. He was subsequently captured and tried as a deserter. When it came to light that he had never fought on the English side, and that he was, in fact, born in South Africa, he was sent to a prisoner of war camp in India for the remainder of the Boer War.
A colourful history of the O`Reilly family can be found at http://www.caer.connectfree.co.uk/history1.html