Richard Rahilly (1839–1896), was a grocer, entrepreneur, justice of the peace and nationalist public representative in Ballylongford, County Kerry, in the latter part of the 19th century.
[1] He was appointed a Justice of the Peace in 1890[2] and was a member of the Board of Guardians of Listowel Poor Law Union.
As a grocer[3] and entrepreneur he was innovative and was said to be the first person in Ireland with a domestic fridge,[4] as well as to have had the first cash register in Munster.
[5] He was involved in setting up Listowel creamery co-operative,[5] now part of Kerry Group, He was father of the revolutionary leader The O'Rahilly and of the republican activists Nell Humphreys[6] and Anno O'Rahilly.
He died as a result of pneumonia contracted after cycling home to Ballylongford in torrential rain from a meeting of Listowel Board of Guardians in March 1896.