Wife killer Joe O’Reilly refused transfer back to Dublin prison after brute’s hope to be ‘closer to loved ones’ visiting

WIFE killer Joe O’Reilly has been refused a transfer back to a Dublin Prison in recent weeks and must serve out the remainder of his sentence beside sadistic murderer Graham Dwyer.

The 6ft 4in murderer, who completed his Open University course in Business earlier this year at the Midlands Prison in Co Laois, put in for the move during the summer but was only recently told it had been denied.

Evil O’Reilly, 54, who murdered mother-of-two Rachel Callaly, 30, at her home in the Naul, Co Dublin on October 4, 2004, is understood to have wanted to move back to Arbour Hill Prison where he served some of his earlier sentence.

A source said: “O’Reilly was really hoping he would be granted a transfer back to Arbour Hill as he likes the prison and would also be closer to loved ones for visiting.

“When he was in Arbour Hill, he worked in the kitchen and was a very good cook and baker. It is seen as a bit more relaxed there too as a lot of the inmates are elderly or are lifers.

“The Midlands has the likes of Graham Dwyer and Mark Nash, some of the country’s most dangerous and notorious killers.

“He put in for the move during the summer but was recently told it would not be happening.

“It is over 20 years since he murdered his wife so he was probably hoping that the time served would help.”

 “He got the qualification in Business and has spent a number of years studying it.”

At the moment O’Reilly works in the Midlands Prison tuck shop.

The source added: “It is so busy due to the high prisoner numbers. The job is one which is only given to trusted inmates. He is by all means a model prisoner.”

O’Reilly continues to maintain his innocence despite being locked up for almost 20 years.

He pleaded not guilty at his 2007 trial to murdering Rachel but the jury accepted the prosecution evidence and found him guilty and he was jailed for life.

Devoted mother Rachel was found bludgeoned in a pool of blood after being bludgeoned to death with a dumbbell.

O’Reilly thought he had committed the perfect crime and even appeared on The Late Late Show with Rachel’s heartbroken parents appealing to the public to help catch her killer.

It emerged during his court case that he was having an affair with work colleague Nikki Pelley when he decided to kill his young wife.

Pelly did not know of his evil plans.

Prior to being moved to the Midlands Prison in 2022, O’Reilly was housed in Dublin’s Arbour Hill Prison where he worked as a cook in the jail kitchen.

The Irish Prison Service said in a statement: “The Irish Prison Service does not comment on individual prisoner cases.”