‘Cocaine and garda taunt’ floral tributes at funeral of violent midlands criminal

Reilly, of 9 Beech Park West, Athlone, Co Westmeath and formerly of Greystones, Dublin, and who was in his 30s, died following a single vehicle road crash in Offaly last Monday.

The father-of-one was regarded as being one of the midlands’ most violent and dangerous criminals with a string of previous convictions to his name.

He had also been closely aligned to a feared Longford-based Organised Crime Gang (OCG) and was due before a number of courts across the midlands for serious alleged offences.

“He was an extremely violent individual,” a source told the Irish Independent.

“From an early age, he got involved in burglaries in and around Athlone and was suspected of hiding firearms and drugs for a notorious midlands based crime gang.”

A number of sympathisers lined out to pay their respects at Our Lady Queen of Peace Church in Coosan, Athlone on Saturday where an elaborate array of opulent floral tributes were laid out in honour of the slain gangster.

One of those displayed a portrait of Reilly showing off his ripped physique with the brazen epitaph: ‘The real Pablo….The one and only gangster Reilly’.

Another equally elaborate and brash tribute carried an illustration of a container full of white powder accompanied underneath with the words: ‘No comment’.

The reference to Reilly’s criminal past was an image that was likewise carried in a further grandiose and equally crass tribute, this time directed at a named garda.

In the decorative and bordered display, the crude tribute read: ‘Detective….0 Reilly 1’ below a bottle of black pepper.

The Irish Independent website also obtained video footage taken in the aftermath of the funeral during which a man can be seen lying face down on the ground shortly after being arrested by gardaí.

“Gardaí arrested and charged a male (30s) in Athlone, County Westmeath on Saturday, 25th May 2024 for road traffic offences,” said a garda spokesperson.

“As this matter is currently before the courts, An Garda Síochána is not in a position to comment further.”