Sir Anthony O’Reilly, who has died aged 88, achieved fame first as an Irish rugby international and British Lion; second, as the creator of Kerrygold butter; and third, as a charismatic international business leader and newspaper tycoon who was often described as Ireland’s first billionaire – until he was overwhelmed by financial difficulties.

Tony O’Reilly was the beau idéal of modern Ireland two decades before his native country reinvented itself as the “Celtic Tiger”. His style was princely and his ambition insatiable; the drive and stamina that enabled him to run complex businesses simultaneously on both sides of the Atlantic, for himself and for his long-time employer HJ Heinz, were extraordinary.

The Telegraph London