 O'Rahilly was a friend of Basil Blackwell (1889–1984), the son of the founder.In 1943, when O'Rahilly became president of University College Cork, Kathleen O'Flaherty of the French Department managed much of the editorial and management work of CUP in an unpaid capacity, which she continued for ten years.O'Flaherty published three books through Cork University Press and remained a member of the CUP committee.