Biography
Dermot O'Reilly
Dermot O'Reilly was born 1942 in Dublin, Ireland, and educated at Inchicore, County Dublin. In March 1968, he emigrated to Toronto where he met future bandmates Fergus O'Byrne and Denis Ryan. He was one of the founding members of The Sons of Erin and helped form the band Sullivan's Gypsies in 1970.
In 1971, O'Reilly, O'Byrne and Ryan moved to St. John's and began performing as Ryan's Fancy. Ryan's Fancy became a popular Irish group that released 12 albums and hosted a successful television program for several seasons. O'Reilly wrote and produced many Irish songs as a member of Ryan's Fancy, as a solo artist and later as a member of the group Brishney.
In 2004, Ryan's Fancy was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the East Coast Music Association. After Ryan's Fancy disbanded, O'Reilly founded Piperstock Productions, a video production and marketing company based in Torbay, Newfoundland and Labrador.
O'Reilly died February 17, 2007, in St. John's.
In 1971, O'Reilly, O'Byrne and Ryan moved to St. John's and began performing as Ryan's Fancy. Ryan's Fancy became a popular Irish group that released 12 albums and hosted a successful television program for several seasons. O'Reilly wrote and produced many Irish songs as a member of Ryan's Fancy, as a solo artist and later as a member of the group Brishney.
In 2004, Ryan's Fancy was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the East Coast Music Association. After Ryan's Fancy disbanded, O'Reilly founded Piperstock Productions, a video production and marketing company based in Torbay, Newfoundland and Labrador.
O'Reilly died February 17, 2007, in St. John's.