O'Sullivan Branch Names

O'Sullivan Branch Names

The most common surname found on the Beara peninsula is Sullivan/O'Sullivan.  Because the name is so very common, a number of different branch names have been adopted over time to distinguish the various branches of the vast O'Sullivan sept.

This list of branch names has been compiled from information provided by Riobard O'Dwyer over the years.

DERIVED FROM TRADES  &  PROFESSIONS

SEER comes from the Gaelic (Saor) for a tradesman or a craftsman. But there are many specific types that come under this heading of SEER:- Saor baid = a boatwright. Saor cairte = a cartwright. Saor brici = a bricklayer. Saor loinge = a ship's carpenter, or shipwright. Saor rotha = a wheelwright. Saor adhmaid = a carpenter. Saor muilinn = a millwright. Saor cloiche = a stone mason. The trade of a stone mason is once more becoming very popular in Ireland, with many people getting stone walls rather than railings erected around their houses. Stone houses are also starting to come back into fashion. One still marvels at the brilliant work of the stone masons of old who built the small bridges when what were crossing them at that time were mostly horse, pony and donkey carts. Here and there some of those bridges are still in existence ---- now bearing the huge (for them) weight of big fully-laden container trucks and oil-lorries. But they were built with a certain type of arched pointing, so, when the weight came down on them, the stones wedged solidly into one another to better bear the brunt.

GOW and CEARTAN are very much "tied up". GOW (also associated with some Harringtons) = a smith/blacksmith. CEARTAN comes from the Gaelic cearta (pronounced like "car-tu") = a Forge.

ROCHTIRRE/ROUGHTIRE/ROCHTERY/ROCTERY
means a land steward in Gaelic. They were land stewards for the O'Sullivan Bere Chieftains. Diarmuid (= Jeremiah) Rochtirre, a Miner, first emigrated from Cahirkeem in Eyeries Parish all the way to Copper Harbour (near Calumet), northern Michigan, and later settled in Ironwood. He was the ancestor of our past Beara-L Administrator William (or Bill) Sullivan.

COHU = a provider. These were providers or, in more modern terms, quartermasters for O'Sullivan Bere's army.

UKIRRE (or Ukery) = a tucker or a fuller of cloth ---- a process of thickening cloth by moistening, heating, and pressing it.

TAILOR speaks for itself, and so does SAILOR. Many, many people from, in particular, Bere Island took to the sea. John Sullivan, born on the island in 1841, was shipwrecked off the coast of Chile, and eventually made his way over the Andes Mountains to the Buenos Aires area of Argentina where he married and settled down. His daughter married a member of the Ramirez family who were said to have founded the first Cattlemens Bank there. When his daughter gave birth to a boy, John wanted the name Sullivan put somewhere among the names they were giving the child. So this is the name that was finally settled on:- Domingo Paulino Viale SULLIVAN Ramirez.

O'Sullivan (MASTER) goes back about 275 years to schoolmasters who lived in Tuosist Parish just across the border in County Kerry, and spread out with that profession into parts of County Cork, including later down to Castletownbere Parish. A fairly recent O'Sullivan Bere Chieftain was the now late Jim O'Sullivan (Senior.) of Droum, Castletownbere, better known to usall as Jim the Master. One of his ancestors was General John O'Sullivan, of General George Washington's Staff, who had a brother James O'Sullivan who was later a Governor of Massachusetts.

RIDER. Another very interesting, if rare, Beara Sullivan/O'Sullivan Branch-Name is RIDER. Their job, somewhat like the original "Pony Express" in America, was to carry the mails by horseback from Bantry to Castletownbere. They changed horses in a stable near the bridge in Droumgarvan (Adrigole Parish), near where you branch off for the road to the Healy Pass --- and they eventually settled down in the townlands of Faha, Kilcaskin, and Inchintaglin in Adrigole Parish.

DERIVED FROM COLOURS

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­FUNE/FIONN/FUEN = fair-haired.
RUA = red-haired, or "foxy"-haired.
DOROHY comes from dorcha = dark-haired.
BREAC = speckled/freckled.
BAWN = white-haired. This Branch-Name is  associated with the surnames
Downey/Downing, Murphy, O'Neill, Harrington, O'Shea, & Hartnett ----
depending on the particular part of Beara in which you find it.
LIAH/LEIGH/LIAGH/LIATH = grey. It is also associated with the surname
O'Neill ---- depending on location.

BRANCH-NAMES FROM  THE  CHRISTIAN  NAMES  OF  VARIOUS
SULLIVAN/O'SULLIVAN CHIEFTAINS.

BUAIG comes from the Gaelic word BUADHACH (pronounced Buach) and the Latin word BOETIUS (which was also used late down as a Christian name). Both mean Victorius.

McOWEN comes originally from "son of Eoin/Owen" (now translated to Eugene).
What was once a Christian name has now become a Branch-Name and has also given rise to the names of two townlands which, over the years, have been looked upon as the names of districts including other smaller townlands, the names of which are beginning to die out: Rossmacowen (the headland, going out into the sea, of Mac Owen) in the Castletownbere Parish, and Kilmacowen (the Church of Mac Owen) in the Eyeries Parish.

McAULIFFE (in Beara) comes from  son of Amhlaoimh (or Humphrey) O'Sullivan. This branch, known as Sullivan/O'Sullivan (McAuliffe) was later accepted under the surname McAuliffe.

MAC CRAITH came from the Branch-Names of Crath/Cra/Crah. The version McGrath was later used as a surname as well.

The Branch-Name KEAGH comes from Mac Fineen Duve Keagh O'Sullivan. KEAGH means "blind". Like the original Sullivan/O'Sullivan, an eye had been damaged in battle. There were several Mac Fineen Duve Chieftains, and their territory was mainly around the Direen area in the district of Lauragh, Parish of Tuosist, just across the county bounds in County Kerry. Several of the descendants of the original Chieftain with the Branch-Name KEAGH settled in other parts of South Kerry and all over the Beara Peninsula. Like many of the Chieftains and big landowners of the times, the Mac Fineen Duves practiced what was known as the Droit du Seigneur, the right to do what they liked with their tenants ---- especially if they put their eye on an attractive girl, they would send their bodyguard to the girl's house, or they might even come themselves, to take the girl back to their own mansion for nocturnal "entertainment". If her father refused to let her go to the Chieftain, he could find himself evicted ---- out on the side of the road; lock, stock, and barrel. This power, used and abused by the Chieftains, was also known as Jus Prima Nocte ---- the "Right" of the first night ----the "Right" of the Chieftain to "sleep" (whether she liked it or not) with a bride on the first night of her wedding. Naturally the new husband resented it, but a refusal to hand over his new wife led to eviction. This happened in the case of a man known as "The Bachun" who refused to give up his wife on their wedding night. He was evicted from his little farm in Carriganine, near Lauragh, and came to Ardgroom Village where he spent his time making ropes out of the barks of trees.

MACGILLYCUDDY was more on the County Kerry side, but occasionally in the Beara (Co. Cork) side. It was used both as a Sullivan/O'Sullivan Branch-Name and as a surname, and originated from the Gaelic Mac Giolla Mochuda --- the son of the servant of (Saint) Mochuda (or Mochua). St. Mochua founded the monastic settlement of Lismore (County Waterford) in the 7th Century. A man not endowed with the financial riches of the world, his "riches" (as he described them) were his three pets:- a cock, a fly, and a mouse. The cock's job was to wake up St. Mochua in the middle of the night
to say the special prayers that needed to be said at that hour. While the Saint was reading the prayers from his manuscript, the fly would follow him along, line by line. Whenever the Saint would stop for a small rest, the fly would stop also and perch on top of that word until the Saint was ready to resume. Then away the fly would go with him along the lines again. But, occasionally, the Saint got very tired from having to get up so many times during the night to pray and, occasionally, he used fall asleep, with his head down on his prayer "book". At this, the little mouse would jump up on the manuscript and give the Saint a "nip" on the ear to wake him up, and once again the four of them would start off across the pages. When his three pets died, the Saint was brokenhearted. He had lost the three greatest friends he had in this world. All his "worldly" wealth was gone.

DERIVED FROM LOCATIONS

GLANNY comes from the Gaelic gleann = a glen. A Sullivan (GLANNY) man from the Ardgroom district eloped with a local girl all the way to Boston, Mass., many, many years ago. There he set up a Store and named it Navillus, which is Sullivan turned backwards. The Gaelic for Glengarriff (GLEANN GARBH gave rise to the Branch-Name. (GARBH/GARUV is associated with the surname Lynch as well.)

VALLIG comes from the Gaelic word Bealach = a passage-way. These VALLIGs lived one time around Ballaghbue, the Gaelic of which is Bealach Baoi, or "the passage-way to Dursey Island". Baoi Bheara = Dursey Island.

CLADIG comes from the Gaelic cladach = a seashore. (cois cladaig = by the seashore).

CUMMER from cumar = a ravine, usually with a stream. There is a place called Cummers in the townland of Ballydonegan in Allihies Parish.

MOUNTAIN is self-evident.

BEARNACH/BARNACH comes from bearna= a gap.

DERIVED FROM THE NAMES OF TOWNLANDS

The next group originated with the names of townlands:- PARK and GOUR (in the parish of Castletownbere); COULAGH, GURTEEN and CROUMPHANE/CROUMHANE (in Eyeries Parish); CURRAGH (in the parishes of Adrigole and Eyeries, and found still in Glengarriff Parish); COOMEEN (from Coomeenshrule in the Bonane area, and Coomeen in Allihies Parish and in Tuosist Parish (in nearby Co. Kerry); and COLLEROS, close to Ardgroom, but across the harbour in Co. Kerry. Some with that Branch-Name settled in the Glengarriff area.

ISLAND. Those with that Branch-Name came to Beara originally from Whiddy Island, near Bantry. They settled in the Kilcatherine district of Eyeries Parish, and their children were even put into the Church Records as John ISLAND, Mary ISLAND, etc. Another one of the original brothers settled just outside Kenmare, Co. Kerry, fairly close to Dowras Church (Tuosist Parish). The pub there (a great gathering place for Beara people returning from the cattle and sheep fairs in Kenmare in the olden days) was known far and wide as Denny Island's pub. It is now known as The Sailor's Bar.

DERIVED FROM ADOPTED NAMES

QUILL/QUILLE and WOODS came from the Gaelic word coill = a wood. This branch of Sullivans are said to have spread out from a wooded area of North Kerry.

Sullivan MERWICK is now also known with the surname Merwick. The first man to bring the name here came to Beara from County Wicklow about 255 years ago. His descendants settled in Eyeries Parish and in Castletownbere Parish.

LOWNEY. What were later known here as Lowneys were originally Sullivans/O'Sullivans who came to Beara from the banks of the River Laune which flows out of the Lakes of Killarney and along through Killorglin in County Kerry.They were put into the early Parish Records as LAUNEY, with the "Y" just added to the name of the River.

UONHI/UONEY/OWNEY/UAINE (with a variety of other efforts at spelling it) is possibly the oldest name in Beara. They were an ancient Corca Laoi tribe, some of whom in later years adopted the surname HARRINGTON, but most of whom adopted the surname SULLIVAN/O'SULLIVAN. UAINE/UAITHNE is an old Gaelic word for green. The word GLAS also means green. From all these came O'Sullivan (UONHI), O'Sullivan (GLAS), O'Sullivan (GREEN), the latter of which is now used as the surname GREEN. I had a great-granduncle Johnny UONHI. Johnny and his wife emigrated to Australia in a sailing ship circa 1855, shortly after the Famine. Their first child, a girl, was born on the ship on the long voyage out. Depending on storms and the many other vagaries of the weather, the journey at the time could take anything up to nine months. Only a few years after arriving in Australia, Johnny's wife died, leaving him with young kids. He went prospecting for gold about 60 miles from Grafton, to the north of Sydney. When he had a bit of money made, he retired from "panning", started a provision store (including some "hooch") and had a little vegetable garden, and reared some hens and chickens to supply the other prospectors. One of his prospector buddies, "Ed", used come in from the "gold-panning" rivers,and sometimes himself and Johnny used celebrate the Feast of St. Patrick, etc., "in liquid and in singing form". Old "Ed" had no calendar, but he was very fond of eggs. So a way around his problem was found. When he would be going back out prospecting let's say for the month of April, he used be given 30 eggs. He ate one egg every day, and he kept the shells. When he wanted to know what day of the month it was, he just counted the shells. 15 shells = April 15th !!

OTHER O’SULLIVAN BRANCH NAMES

             SUONISH means peaceful, tranquil, easy-going. A Crohur Suonish one time expressed his unhappiness with a few of his neighbours in the following terms: "They are jealous of me because they cannot display the lofty traits of character which I possess".

             SHEARHIG/SHEARIG. It is thought that it comes from the Gaelic for Geoffrey/Jeffrey which is Seafra (pronounced "sheafra"). Geoffrey/Jeffrey was a name often associated wiyj the Shearhigs in the olden days.

             CLUOSY comes from cluas = an ear, though the connotation is not clear.

             COORNEENAGH is a Branch-Name that came in from the Tuosist Parish.

             The jury is still out as to the origins of the Branch-Names BACHELOR, CHANCE, and GOUGH.  GOUGH/GOFF is now also used as a surname in Glengarriff Parish.

              BOY/GARSOON. Garsun (pron. Garsoon) is the Gaelic for a boy. Oftentimes a father would call to his son:"Come here to me boy", or "Come here to me garsoon".

              O'Sullivan DEEL/DOYLE. At times, especially with O'Sullivans, it used happen that when a father died young, the children were given the surname or the Branch-Name of the mother. Some of these families had moved from O'Sullivan to O'Sullivan (DOYLE), and later to DOYLE. Somewhat similar happened in the case of an O'Sullivan (SHEARHIG) man from the Eyeries Parish who married an O'Sullivan (DOROHY) woman from Feoras in the Tuosist Parish. He died a young man, and there were so many Shearhigs in his locality that the local people now called his children the Dorohys, after the mother's Branch-Name. And so those now known in Eyeries Parish as Dorohys were originally Shearhigs.

              GAORACH/GAORTHAIGH comes from the Gaelic for a (wooded) river valley.

              GOULA, a Branch-Name in the Bonane district, comes from Gall = a foreigner. But, like alot of things here, it doesn't mean what it seems to mean. This was a section of Sullivans who came from Tipperary and arrived in Bonane later than the others, so they were looked upon as "foreigners" by the crowd who came and settled down in Bonane before them!!

             The Sullivan Branch-Names McTIGUE (son of Timothy) and McSHANE/MISHEAN (son of John) came in the early days of the Allihies copper mines.

              HURRIG could have come from one of two things. Corrach (possessive case Corraigh) = uneven, marshy ground. The term CHURRAIGH (pronounced like HURRIG) was also spoken to swine when driving them, in the same way as you would say "tuk-tuk" when calling hens to feed them, or "reis" (pronounced reysh) when "asking" a cow to stay steady while you are trying to milk her.

              SKILTY comes from the word scil = skill.

              DUDLEY could have come from either a Christian name or a surname, but it became an O'Sullivan Branch-Name, especially in Dursey Island (Allihies Parish). Take the case of a brother and sister there. Quinlan was recorded as Sullivan for his Baptism and as Dudley for his marriage. Anna was recorded as Dudley for her Baptism, and as Sullivan Dudley for her marriage. Is it any wonder that a fellow can get lifting headaches trying to sort them all out!!

                BISHOP. The Bishop of Kerry one time was on his rounds of paying visits to the Primary Schools in his Diocese and was due to call to a school in the Glengarriff Parish. It was, naturally, a big occasion for the children, and they were all excited and keeping a watch out the window for the arrival of the important visitor. Just about the time the Bishop was expected, a local man happened to go past the window fairly fast. One of the scholars, whether from excitement or "devilment", as soon as he saw the shadow passing the school window, shouted to the Master "Sir! Sir! The Bishop is coming!". And so the local man was duly "christened" the "Bishop".

             CAIRDE (pronounced Caw-ir-deh) comes from the Gaelic cairdiuil = friendly.

             SHANDON goes back to the times when people from Beara used do the three-day round journey bringing firkins of butter up in the "horses and carts" to the butter market in Cork City. An O'Sullivan man from Eyeries Parish boasted that his horse was the only horse from home who could pull a load of butter all the way to the market at the top of Shandon Street. And so he was duly christened SHANDON.

              SHAMROCK. Another man from the same townland was on his way to Cork City with his horse and cart and his load of butter. To "break" the journey to the City, the buttermen used stop for the first night up on the mountainside between Kilgarvan, Co. Kerry, and Coolea (near Ballyvourney), Co. Cork. This particular man used bring with him a bag of grass, mixed with shamrock, to feed his horse. One night, while our man was asleep, somebody came along and stole the bag of grass and shamrock. When our butter-cart driver got up early the next morning to find the bag gone, he ran out around the yard shouting "Who stole my shamrock?" And so another Branch-Name was added to the O'Sullivans ----- as if there weren't enough there before!!

             Tradition also has it that the DOWNEYS (also sometimes known as DOWNINGS) were originally O'Sullivans who came here from Co. Kerry.

             GASTA = fast, smart (neat and tidy), clever (quick to learn).

             RIOCH (from Riochas ---- pronounced Reeochas) = Royalty.

             DRUMMOND comes from the word droimeann = a white-backed cow.

             BARRUIL/BARRULE - opinionated; having an opinion on many things/happenings.

             RABACH (pronounced Rawbuck) = bold, dashing, unrestrained to the
point of recklessness.

             CUMBA/CUMBAW/COMBOY/COMEBOY is said to have originated with a section of Sullivans from Beara and South Kerry who fought as part of the Irish Brigade in the French army about 300 years ago. Combat (pronounced Cumba) is, or so I am told, the French word for fight ---- the same meaning as the English word combat. A few years ago I came across the name COMBO which was being used as a surname in a part of Montana. I said to myself "This surely must have been, at one time, the Branch-Name CUMBA/CUMBAW". So, as it is my wont when something is puzzling me, I got stuck in. I searched and searched ---- and eventually I found them. They were people from the Allihies Parish who had gone out mining to Butte, and later moved further north in Montana.

BROHILL comes from the Gaelic brohallach meaning hot.  It can mean both hot-headed and warm-hearted.