Myles William Patrick O'Reilly was a Catholic soldier, MP and publicist.
Occupation
politician
Position held
member of the 21st Parliament of the United Kingdom, member of the 20th Parliament of the United Kingdom, member of the 19th Parliament of the United Kingdom, member of the 18th Parliament of the United Kingdom
Born
1825
Died
1880
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Overview
Myles William Patrick O'Reilly (13 March 1825 in Balbriggan, Ireland – 6 February 1880 in Dublin, Ireland) was a Catholic soldier, MP and publicist.
He was the only son of William O'Reilly of Thomastown (Knock Abbey) Castle, County Louth and was educated at Ushaw College in County Durham and at London University. He entered the Middle Temple in 1848. He succeeded his father to Knock Abbey Castle in 1844 and was selected High Sheriff of Louth for 1848–49.
Career
He was commissioned a captain in the Louth Rifles in 1854, a British militia unit. When the Roman crisis arose he offered his services to Pope Pius IX against Giuseppe Garibaldi who had launched the "Expedition of the Thousand". Raising and leading an Irish battalion of 900 men, known as "The Battalion of St Patrick", he fought in the 18-day war until the surrender of Spoleto in September 1860. On the losing side at the Battle of Castelfidardo, the Papal States were soon reduced to the province of Lazio around Rome. Some of his men joined the "Papal Zouaves" after the war.
