Denis O'Reilly

  1. Home
  2. Wiki

Denis O'Reilly
Born1952 (age 72–73)
Occupation(s)New Zealand community organiser, activist, writer

Denis O'Reilly (born 1952) is a New Zealand community organiser, activist, gang advocate and writer. He was a national organiser for, and is a life member of, the Black Power gang. He has campaigned against methamphetamine. He has worked as a senior civil servant, and is chair of both the Waiohiki Community Charitable Trust and the Consultancy Advocacy and Research Trust.

Early life

[edit]

O'Reilly was born in Timaru in 1952. He was the youngest of six children in a Catholic family, with Laurie O'Reilly an older brother. He attended Roncalli College (then called St Patrick's High School).[1] He originally intended to become a priest, spending a year at Napier's Marist Fathers' Seminary.[2] After leaving the seminary, O'Reilly worked at a gas station and in 1972 he joined the Black Power gang, becoming a national organiser.[2][3]

Social activism

[edit]

In the 1980s O'Reilly met and became a friend of the former Prime Minister Rob Muldoon, and was mentored by him into social activism.[4] O'Reilly and his wife advocated against the gang practice of "blocking" (pack rape).[2] In 2004 he allied with members of rival gang the Mongrel Mob to run a campaign against methamphetamine.[5] O'Reilly arranged for 150 gang members to perform a haka at Muldoon's funeral in 1984.[2][4]

O'Reilly has worked as a civil servant, first as a director of the New Zealand Employment Service and later as chief executive of the Group Employment Liaison Service.[5] He is chair of both the Waiohiki Community Charitable Trust and the Consultancy Advocacy and Research Trust.[1][6][7][8]

In 2008 O'Reilly earned a Master's in Social Practice at Unitec Institute of Technology, with a thesis on processes for Māori whanau to use to envision futures for themselves.[9]

O'Reilly is a life member of Black Power, although he "put his patch down" in 2011.[10] He had laid his first patch on former primer minister Norman Kirk's coffin at his funeral in 1974.[10]

As an advocate for social justice, O'Reilly is asked for comment on gang issues.[11][2][12] When the government announced a crackdown on gangs and the establishment of the National Gang Unit in 2024, O'Reilly was supportive, although questioned whether society was ready to embrace former gang members.[13] A protest t-shirt designed by O'Reilly in response to a proposed ban on gang patches in 2009 is held at Te Papa Tongarewa.[14]

Personal life

[edit]

O'Reilly lives in Waiohiki, Hawke's Bay. He is married to Taape Tareha, with six children.[2][8]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Husband, Dale (11 November 2017). "Denis O'Reilly: The gangs have been convenient whipping boys". E-Tangata. Retrieved 7 August 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Who is Denis O'Reilly?". Stuff news. 22 August 2018. Retrieved 8 August 2025.
  3. ^ Vance, Andrea (8 February 2014). "Killing gangs with kindness". The Press. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
  4. ^ a b Brooke Donovan (8 April 2008). "Master's degree is former gang man's next step in battle to stamp out P use". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
  5. ^ a b "O'Reilly on point over killer P". Wairarapa Times-Age. 3 February 2011. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
  6. ^ "Denis O'Reilly: We can honour the Treaty by honouring each other". NZ Herald. Retrieved 7 August 2025.
  7. ^ O'Reilly, Denis (10 December 2022). "Putting power in the hands of whānau". E-Tangata. Retrieved 7 August 2025.
  8. ^ a b "Waitangi: 'Keep the deal' with Māori – tangata tiriti speaker". 1News. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
  9. ^ O'Reilly, Denis (2008), Mahi whanau (2) ‘Reflecting on the use of consensus cardsort as an effective process for whanau Maori to construct a future narrative’, Research Bank, hdl:10652/1383, Wikidata Q112877978
  10. ^ a b White, Mike (7 April 2024). "One gang, two patches, and a bitter three year battle. The case that shows why banning gang patches could be explosive". Stuff news. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
  11. ^ Husband, Dale (25 November 2024). "Denis O'Reilly: Black Power Life Member and Community Advocate". Waatea News. Retrieved 8 August 2025.
  12. ^ Denis O'Reilly (19 November 2024). "Gang Patch Law: Mark Mitchell's a great Emergency Response Minister but not sure about Police – Denis O'Reilly". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 8 August 2025.
  13. ^ Wells, Imogen (25 May 2024). "Newsable: What a Black Power life member thinks of the government's gang crackdown". Stuff news. Retrieved 8 August 2025.
  14. ^ "Manga Kahu / Maunga Kahu t-shirt". collections.tepapa.govt.nz. Retrieved 8 August 2025.
[edit]