Olympian Gerry O'Reilly dies in New York
Dunboyne AC member competed in 1,500m at Seoul 1988
Olympian Gerry O'Reilly, a member of Dunboyne Athletic Club, has died, the club said in a statement this morning.
Based in New York, he was a portfolio manager in Vanguard's Equity Index Group. He is understood to have suffered a serious cardiac arrest last Sunday while out cycling near his home in New York.
Gerry represented Ireland in the 1500m at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul. Less than a year ago, he returned to the track in Dunboyne for the unveiling of a commemorative wall plaque in his honour.
Gerry joined Dunboyne Athletic Club at the age of nine and remained a proud member for more than 50 years. In 1983, he moved to the United States on a track scholarship to Villanova University, where he studied economics and established himself as one of the leading Irish middle-distance athletes of his generation.
During his collegiate career, Gerry ran seven sub-four-minute miles, recording a personal best of 3:54.6 in his junior year. He finished runner-up at the NCAA 3,000m Championships twice and won six Big East titles. In recognition of these achievements, he was inducted into the Villanova Athletic Hall of Fame in 2009.
Tommy McDonnell, Club Captain, in a tribute, says: " I had the privilege of being his juvenile trainer, watching him grow from a talented young athlete into an exceptional senior competitor and Olympian. Less than 12 months ago, we were fortunate to have Gerry back on the track in Dunboyne for the unveiling of a commemorative wall plaque in his honour. It was a wonderful day celebrating his Olympic participation and his many other incredible achievements - little did we think then what lay ahead. Gerry and his family have always been a massive part of our club, supporting us at every turn - none more so than his father Larry and his late mother Marian. On behalf of everyone at Dunboyne AC, we send our deepest sympathies and prayers to Gerry’s family, his brother John, sister in law Emma, nieces Katie and Molly, and his many friends."
Athletics Ireland also stated it is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Olympian Gerry O’Reilly.