The story of this larger-than-life character is remarkable and it is no surprise that the Boston City Council felt it necessary to honour him in this way. O'Reilly was born in Ireland, and enlisted in the British Army but was Court Martialed for activities regarding the Fenians — a part of the Irish Brotherhood. He was deported to Fremantle in Australia but escaped and made his way to America and Boston. There he was active in trying to assimilate the Irish migrants into American life and became a much-loved figure.
