Honoring Thomas Devin Reilly

Irish patriot Thomas Devin Reilly, a Young Irelander who was exiled after the failed 1848 Rising, was honored in a graveside re-dedication ceremony at Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Washington DC on December 1, 2018. Reilly emigrated to the United States and rose to become a confidant of President Franklin Pierce before dying tragically of a stroke at age 30. He was interred in Mt. Olivet in 1854. The Ancient Order of Hibernians raised funds to erect a new marker in front of Reilly’s monument, which had suffered badly from erosion over the years. The project was overseen by Jack O’Brien, a member of AOH and of the IAUC’s DC-Baltimore Chapter. The IAUC contributed to the project and National President Peter Kissel attended the ceremony and participated in unveiling the new marker. AOH National Historian Mike McCormack gave a compelling account of Reilly’s life in Ireland and in America, and Dennis Lynch provided a history of Mt. Olivet Cemetery, which is also the final resting place of IAUC member Sharon Murphy Kissel’s great-great grandfather William Murphy. After the dedication, participants enjoyed a buffet hosted by the AOH at the Dubliner Restaurant and Pub in Washington.

Thomas Devin Reilly Dedication from FedNet on Vimeo.

By iauc in Memoriams, News on December 7, 2018