The Irish athletics community has suffered a couple of blows recently with the deaths of former middle-distance runner Ciarán Ó Lionáird and 1988 Seoul Olympian Gerry O’Reilly.
Ciarán Ó Lionáird
On the morning of June 9, 2026, Ciarán Ó Lionáird was found dead in Vancouver, Canada, at the age of 38. His running career was over after several fits and starts. In fact, he thought he was well retired in 2016 and again when COVID-19 shut down the world. But post-pandemic, he decided to make a comeback.
As a 1500 metre specialist, he landed himself in the 2012 London Olympic Games, 2011 Daegu World Athletics Championships and the 2013 Indoor Track and Field Championships.
His personal bests were 3:34.46, 13:33.64 (5000m), 3:52.10 (mile), 3:36.85 (Indoor 1500m).
He did most of his best running from 2006 to 2014.
His career underwent many different changes in the US, beginning at the University of Michigan. Then moving to Florida State, then the Nike Oregon Project in Portland, Oregon, with Alberto Salazar and the Nike Oregon Track Club in Eugene with Mark Rowland. Later to Flagstaff, Arizona, with Stephen Haas. He just never seemed settled.
His cause of death has been kept quiet, there is speculation.
Tributes have been paid to the former Irish 1,500 metres champion and 1988 Seoul Olympian Gerry O’Reilly who has died in the US at the age of 61.
Gerry O’Reilly
Irishman Gerry O’Reilly was a standout junior runner in Ireland. In 1983, he earned a scholarship at Villanova University. He was following in the footsteps of Ronnie Delany and Eamonn Coghlan.
O’Reilly settled in the Chester Springs area of Pennsylvania, where he suffered a cardiac incident and died on Thursday.
His running career was strong at Villanova, and he was twice runner-up at the NCAA 3000m championships. O’Reilly also contributed to multiple Villanova victories at the Penn Relays along with teammate Marcus O’Sullivan. In 2009, he was inducted into the Villanova Track and Field Hall of Fame.
O’Reilly qualified for the 1500m at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and, despite running a personal best in his heat, narrowly missed out on the semi-finals. He also competed in the 1987 World Athletics Championships in Rome and the 1989 World Indoor Championships in Budapest over 3000m.
