142 Obituary — Professor J. P. O'Reilly. 



between him and all those who came in contact with his charming 

 personality. To none will the news of his death come with greater 

 feelino-s of regret, than to his former pupils, amongst whom the 

 writer is glad to be able to number himself. 



As a teacher, Professor O'Reilly possessed the comparatively 

 rare distinction of being able to make lectures on Mineralogy 

 interesting, as well as instructive. A strong advocate of the use of 

 the blackboard for demonstration purposes, he largely availed 

 himself of this method of teaching, for which indeed his really fine 

 draughtsmanship eminently fitted him. The beautiful perspective 

 representations of the more complicated crystal forms, which he 

 drew with surprising rapidity and accuracy on the blackboard, are 

 not likely to be ever forgotten by those who, under his asgis, were 

 -first introduced to the science of crystallography. His concern for 

 his students did not end with the lectures; he took a personal and 

 kindly interest in each, and was ever ready with his help and 

 advice both during and after their college career. 



The fifth son of the late Thomas Reilly, Taxing Master in Chancery 

 in Dublin, Professor O'Reilly was born in the town of Monaghan in 

 1829. Owing to the absence of facilities in Ireland, at that time, 

 for learning the science of civil engineering, he went to Paris and 

 studied for some years, at the Ecole Centrale des Arts et 

 Manufactures, obtaining the Engineering diploma of that institution 

 in 1855, and incidentally getting his first instruction in geology and 

 mineralogy. 



In 1856, he obtained the appointment of engineer to a French 

 mining company, then engaged in exploiting the newly discovered 

 zinc-mines of Santander in Spain. Later he was engaged by 

 a second French company, who were working the deposits of 

 sulphate of soda in the Jarama valley near Madrid. Returning to 

 Ireland in 1863, he published the results of his geological 

 investigations in the foregoing districts, in a series of papers written 

 in conjunction with the late Dr. W. K. Sullivan. He became 

 subsequently connected with the Mining Company of Ireland, at 

 the time when the Silvermines district in Tipperary was being 

 extensively worked. In 1868 he was appointed Professor of Mining 

 and Mineralogy at the Royal College of Science for Ireland, 

 a position which he held till the year 1899. In addition he held 

 the post of Secretary in the same college from 1881 to 1894. He 

 was also President of the Royal Geological Society of Ireland, in the 

 year 1885 ; Vice-President of the Royal Irish Academy from 1886 to 

 1889. and again from 1901 to 1904 ; and acted as extern examiner 

 in geology to the Royal University of Ireland, for several years. 



His published contributions to the literature of Irish geology, 

 mineralogy, and archseology were very numerous, altogether some 

 sixty in number. A full bibliography will be given in the Irisli 

 Naturnlist for March, and hence they need not be individually 

 mentioned here. His geological papers dealt mainly with earth- 

 quakes and volcanic phenomena, and also with rock-joints, and their 

 influence on the direction of coastlines. These papers, which were 



