Chryss Goulandris
Chryssanthie, Lady O'Reilly | |
|---|---|
| Born | 27 June 1950 United States |
| Died | 23 August 2023 (aged 73) |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, horse breeder |
| Known for | Chairperson of the Irish National Stud; extensive horse breeding enterprise |
Chryssanthie, Lady O'Reilly (born Goulandris; also referred to as Christina; 27 June 1950 – 23 August 2023) was a Greek-American entrepreneur and ranked among the wealthiest women associated with Ireland. She managed an extensive horse breeding enterprise spanning Ireland, France, and additional countries, and held the position of chairperson at the Irish National Stud for more than ten years. Married to media and industrial tycoon Tony O'Reilly, she was also actively engaged with The Ireland Funds.
Biography
Born in the United States to John Goulandris from a distinguished Greek shipping family and Maria Lemos of another notable Greek maritime lineage, Chryss Goulandris grew up primarily on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue. The family maintained residences at the Savoy Palace Hotel and owned properties in Greece, Connecticut, Switzerland, and the Bahamas. Her childhood holidays were often spent on the family’s ancestral island of Andros.
She pursued studies in French civilisation and art history at the Sorbonne, subsequently returning to New York to contribute to her family’s business ventures, which ranged from silver futures trading to thoroughbred horse breeding. For ten years, she frequently traveled to France, basing herself at La Louviere stud farm.
In 1989, Goulandris encountered Tony O'Reilly in Manhattan during his search for investment in Waterford Wedgwood. Their paths crossed again in 1990 at the Heinz 57 race in Dublin—a city familiar to her through her equine interests—and by Eastertime in Lyford Cay, they had become partners. They wed on 14 September 1991 in the Bahamas; both possessed personal wealth estimated at approximately $500 million at that point.
In 1996, Tony O'Reilly acquired Jacqueline Onassis's 40-carat diamond engagement ring for Goulandris, who had connections to the Onassis family. In 1999, she played a role in dedicating the O'Reilly Theater in Pittsburgh to honor her husband.
Lady O'Reilly passed away unexpectedly in Normandy on 23 August 2023 at age 73. Despite undergoing treatment for breast cancer, she remained involved in horse sales shortly before her death.
Homes
Together with her husband, Goulandris maintained multiple residences. Although not an Irish tax resident, one principal property was Castlemartin House and Estate near Kilcullen, County Kildare, which included a horse stud farm and a Charolais cattle-breeding operation. She supervised restoration work on the Georgian house’s upper floor and roof. Her primary official address was within the exclusive Lyford Cay community near Nassau, Bahamas. Additional holdings comprised a coastal estate at Shorecliffe, Glandore, County Cork, a Georgian townhouse on Fitzwilliam Square in Dublin, a château located in Deauville, France, as well as real estate assets in New York.
Horse breeding
Under various names—including Castlemartin Stud (co-owned with her husband), Petra Bloodstock Agency, and Skymarc Farm—Goulandris bred, owned, trained, and raced thoroughbreds. Castlemartin Stud operated internationally with training facilities in Ireland, England, Normandy (France), and the United States at Matagorda stud, employing numerous trainers.
Her family had longstanding connections to horse racing: her uncle George secured victory in the English Oaks in 1962; another uncle, Constantin, owned La Louviere Stud in France. After purchasing her first racehorse in 1976 and following Constantin’s passing in 1978, she assumed control of La Louviere Stud with assistance from André Rainjonneau.
By late 2006, she managed approximately 100 horses under training alongside 128 broodmares. Her strategy involved selling male foals; among prominent sales was Helissio, who won the 1996 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Over time, she bred eleven Group 1 winners, including two champions at Royal Ascot.
National Stud
Goulandris became a board member of the Irish National Stud in 1993 and was appointed as chairperson in June 1998 by Minister Joe Walsh.
Wealth
Since the early 1990s, her personal fortune has surpassed 400 million USD. In June 2004, she was identified as a principal beneficiary of a family land transaction in New York, originally purchased for approximately 25 million USD during the 1970s and later sold for about 400 million USD. By 2005, her net worth was estimated at £442 million.
Other activities
In June 1994, Goulandris took on the role of non-executive director at Waterford Wedgwood plc, where she managed commemorative celebrations marking Josiah Wedgwood’s bicentennial; she stepped down from this position in January 2009. Additionally, she held a directorship at the Wedgwood Museum Trust until June 2007.
She was the founding Chairperson of the O'Reilly Foundation and was personally invited by family friend Paul Newman to become the inaugural Chair of the Barrettstown Castle Hole in the Wall Club. Furthermore, she acted as a patron for the Irish Horse Welfare Trust.
The Ireland Funds
Goulandris contributed significantly to The Ireland Funds, particularly by supporting their annual fundraising dinner in Pittsburgh. She held the honorary title of President d'Honneur for the Ireland Fund of France and, starting in 1993, endowed the bourse Chryss O'Reilly de l'Ireland Fund de France, an annual €2,000 scholarship awarded across eight universities in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
Sources
- London, UK: The Racing Post, 15 July 2001, Michael Clower, "Lady O'Reilly Interview: Rebelline flies the flag for O'Reilly's worldwide empire" – detailing her ownership of 100 horses in training alongside 128 broodmares at Castlemartin stud in County Kildare.