Patrick O'Reilly

Patrick O'Reilly
Patrick O'Reilly
	Patrick O'Reilly.jpg Patrick O'Reilly in 1964
Born	May 19, 1900; Saint-Mihiel, Meuse, France
💀Died	August 6, 1988; 16th 17th 18th 19th 20th 12th 13th 5th 6th 7th 14th 15th 8th 2nd 3rd 4th 1st 9th 10th 11th , FranceAugust 6, 1988
💼 Occupation	Catholic priest, Marist religious, ethnologist
Known for	Organization of the Gauguin Museum in Tahiti

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Patrick O'Reilly (May 19, 1900 – August 6, 1988) was a French Catholic priest, Marist religious, and ethnologist, known for his role in organizing the Gauguin Museum in Tahiti.

Biography[edit]

Patrick O'Reilly was born in Saint-Mihiel, Meuse, France, to André Farell O'Reilly, a battalion chief, and Jeanne Gautier. He received his early education in religious institutions in Le Havre and Saintes.

He pursued higher education at the Sorbonne and later at the École pratique des hautes études. He graduated from the Institute of Ethnology in Paris.

In 1922, he joined the congregation of the Marist Fathers and was ordained as a priest in 1928. From 1930 to 1975, he served as the chaplain of the Catholic Students' Reunion (Réunion des étudiants catholiques). In this capacity, he mentored several promising students, including François Mitterrand, whom he remained close to throughout his life. He also attended courses at the École du Louvre.

Patrick O'Reilly conducted numerous ethnological missions, focusing on Oceania. From 1936 to 1937, he led a significant mission for the CNRS (followed by two more in 1949 and 1953, initiated individually). During one of these missions, he met Hermano Somuk on Bougainville Island, encouraging him to express himself through drawing. Upon returning to Paris, O'Reilly organized an exhibition of Somuk's drawings, which gained considerable success. Jean Dubuffet acquired some of these works. Somuk passed away in 1965 but was rediscovered when the Musée du Quai Branly dedicated an exhibition to him in 2020.

In the autumn of 1944, he was appointed the Secretary-General of the Société des océanistes with the approval of Maurice Leenhardt, a position he held until 1973.

In 1964, he was tasked with organizing the Gauguin Museum in Tahiti, an initiative he took with the support of the Singer-Polignac Foundation. In 1973, he organized the historical section of the Musée de Tahiti et des Îles. During this time, he developed a passion for the work of Vaiere Mara, a Tahitian sculptor born in Rurutu in 1936. O'Reilly dedicated his Sunday research efforts to Mara, leading to the publication of "Bois légendaires de Mara, sculpteur tahitien" in 1979.

Patrick O'Reilly, in declining health, retired and passed away on August 6, 1988, in the 14th arrondissement of Paris.

His correspondence with Odette Teissier du Cros, his friend and confidante, is now preserved in the archives of the Académie des Hauts Cantons.

Decorations and Distinctions[edit]

Légion d'honneur Knight
Member of the Société des océanistes (1945)
Member of the Académie des sciences d'outre-mer (1956)

Selected Works[edit]

"Mon ami Gilbert l'Africain" (1942)
"Pèlerin du ciel, François Luneau: soldat nantais et missionnaire calédonien, 1890-1950"
"Répertoire bio-bibliographique de la Nouvelle-Calédonie" (1953)
"Bibliographie méthodique, analytique et critique de la Nouvelle-Calédonie" (1955)
"Tahitiens: répertoire biographique de la Polynésie française" (1962 and 1975)
"Bibliographie méthodique, analytique et critique de Tahiti et de la Polynésie française" (1967)
"Centenaire de la carte postale (1871-1970): histoire de la carte postale administrative en France" (1970)
"Bibliographie des ouvrages publiés par la mission mariste des îles Salomon" (1972)
"Bibliographie de Rapa (Polynésie française)" (1973)
"Bois légendaires de Mara, sculpteur tahitien" (1979)
"Carnet de route océanien" (2012)

References[edit]

Bibliography[edit]

Sonia Faessel, "Le Père O'Reilly: océaniste et mariste," in Frédéric Angleviel (dir.), "Religion et sacré en Océanie: actes du douzième Colloque CORAIL," Éditions L'Harmattan, 2000.
Sonia Faessel, "Itinéraires insulaires: le Père O'Reilly, sm," Nouméa, Le Rocher-à-la-Voile, 2002, edited in collaboration with Haere Po, Papeete.

External links[edit]

Hommage à Patrick O'Reilly

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