John De Lacy O`Reilly Print Page 
The monument erected by ex-students of St Ignatious College commemorates John De Lacy O`Reilly, a former teacher at the school who died of typhoid fever at the age of 28.
In our last issue there was a brief record of the death of John de Lacy O'Reilly, son of Mr. Peter O'Reilly, head master of the Superior Public school, Camdenville. The deceased, a brilliant young Catholic native, was for four years one of the most successful members of the teaching staff of St. Ignatius' College, Riverview. He fell a victim to typhoid fever in his 28th year. Mr. O'Reilly had only been called to the Bar in October, and on the very day he was stricken down by the illness which carried him off he was to have appeared in Court with his first brief. During the four years Mr. O'Reilly was connected with St. Ignatius' College he enjoyed a remarkable popularity, both with the Jesuit Fathers and the boys, and all were very sorry when the hardworking and good-hearted master left Riverview to study for the Bar. In St. Joseph's Church, Newtown, the Sunday after the funeral, the Very Rev. Dean Slattery spoke in very sympathetic terms of the sad closing of the bright young life. The Dean said the deceased was a man of admirable moral character, and great intellectual strength, and had he been spared, he would, in all probability have proved a worthy successor to Edward Butler at the Bar.
Freeman's Journal (Sydney), 12 January 1895.
On Sunday afternoon a large number of the students and ex-students of St. Ignatius' College, Riverview, assembled in the Catholic cemetery at Rookwood to witness the unveiling of the handsome monument erected over the grave of the late John DeLacy O'Reilly, B. L. Mr J. Carloss, B.A., Lecturer at St. John's College, said : - We are here to unveil this monument which has been erected by you and your fellow-students' in memory of a kind, a generous, and a noble master. The monument itself, as you will see by its chaste and simple design, is symbolic of the life of the man whose mortal remains are here beneath it.
"Of your charity pray for the repose of the soul of John DeLacy O'Reilly. Died 24th December, 1894. Aged 28 years. Erected by Ex-students of Riverview College, in loving remembrance of a kind friend."
Excerpt from Freeman's Journal (Sydney), 15 June 1895.
Location
| Address: | Hawthorne Avenue, Old Catholic Section, Rookwood Necropolis, Rookwood, 2141 |
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| State: | NSW |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -33.874722 Long: 151.058333 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Grave |
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| Monument Theme: | People |
| Sub-Theme: | Education |
| Designer: | Mr Polin (Tidswell & Polin), architect |
| Monument Manufacturer: | Mr. A. Larcombe (Rookwood, NSW) |
Dedication
| Actual Monument Dedication Date: | Sunday 9th June, 1895 |
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Of your charity pray for the repose of the soul of John DeLacy O'Reilly.
Died 24th December, 1894. Aged 28 years.
Erected by ex-students of Riverview College, in loving remembrance of a kind friend.
