The still shots are from several videos posted on Facebook showing the coffin of the father-of-one, regarded as being one of the midlands’ most violent and dangerous criminals, being ferried through the town ahead of his funeral.
In one scene mourners appear to struggle to carry the coffin into the garden of a house. The coffin is then lifted and passed through the front window to shouts of “go on Reilly”.
In another, young men remove the coffin from the hearse while the Tina Turner song ‘You’re Simply the Best’ is blasted in the background.
The gold coffin is taken from the hearse
Other scenes show the coffin being driven through the town while a high-powered motorbike roars down a narrow road behind the hearse.
“We got you home big man,” the post reads. “The best for the best, you always did make an entrance.”
In the comments section people applauded the spectacle with one writing: “What a beautiful way to bring him home. Rip to Reilly n’ condolences to all his family n’ friends.”
Another adds: “Rest in peace Reilly you were always a very good mate of mine and we done some amount of things together whenever we (were) free men and not locked up in 1 of the jails lol.
The gold coffin can be seen in the back of the hearse
“Many of sentences we have done and looked out for each other. I’m gonna miss you so much bro, life is a bitch at times, but it’s more of a bitch now that this happened to you. May god give you a good bed in heaven.
“I love you my brother from another mother, I’ll miss you always Reilly and I’ll never forget all the memories we had made true our life’s (sic). This is all for now my friend until we meet again love you brother.”
Another adds: “Absolutely doing him proud, rip Reilly, Courtney, Aoife stay strong your true love, bless you all xx.”
The coffin was paraded through the town before the funeral
“Shivers,” adds another. “Poor Aoife, would break your heart seeing her like this, can’t imagine how she’s feeling.. simply the best for one of the best rip Reilly.”
One other comment reads: “Rip Riley you legend of a man u will be sadly missed.”
Reilly, of Beech Park West, Athlone, Co Westmeath and formerly of Greystones, Dublin, died following a single vehicle road crash in Offaly last Monday week.
The dad who was in his 30s, had 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 Sunday World.
“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’.
Floral tributes left to Stephen Reilly (inset)
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 Sunday World 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.”
