The O’Sullivan Clan Branch Names
O’Sullivan Barrule: From the Irish word for opinionated.
O’Sullivan Barry
O’Sullivan Bawn: From the Gaelic word for white.
O'Sullivan Beara: Of the Beara area.
O’Sullivan Bearnach: From the Irish word bearna, meaning gap.
O’Sullivan Breac: From the Gaelic word for freckled.
O’Sullivan Brohill
O’Sullivan Buaig: Descended from Buadhach, an old Irish name meaning victor.
O’Sullivan Ceartan: From the Gaelic word cearta, meaning forge.
O’Sullivan Cladig (Claddy): From the Gaelic word cladach, meaning seashore.
O’Sullivan Cohu: From the Gaelic word for quartermaster.
O’Sullivan Coulagh: From the townland of Coulagh in Eyeries Parish.
O’Sullivan Croumhane: From the townland of Croumhane in Eyeries Parish.
O’Sullivan Cumba: From the French word combat (pronounced ‘cumba’), meaning fight. Descendants of the Irish Brigade who fought for France in the seventeenth century.
O’Sullivan Doran: Descended from Cathal, a younger brother of Maccraith ([95] in the Oak and Serpent).
O’Sullivan Dorohy: From the Gaelic word for dark haired.
O’Sullivan Downey (Downings): A family originally from County Kerry.
O’Sullivan Doyle (Diel/Deel): A tribe whose matriarch was from the Doyle clan.
O’Sullivan Drummond: From the Gaelic word droimeann, meaning white-backed cow.
O’Sullivan Fune: From the Gaelic word for fair haired.
O’Sullivan Galldha: From the Gaelic word for foreigner. To curry favor with the English, Owen O’Sullivan Beara turned on his first cousin, Donal Cam, after the Irish were defeated at Kinsale in 1601. As a reward for his treachery, Queen Elizabeth granted him all of his cousin’s lands and properties. Unfortunately for Owen, however, he was despised by his own people because of his cowardice and greed and his descendants were contemptuously nicknamed the “O’Sullivan Galldha” or “Foreigner O’Sullivans”.
O’Sullivan Garuv: From the Irish word garbh, meaning rugged or rocky, as in Glengarriff (gleann garbh, rugged glen).
O’Sullivan Giles: This family originated in Giles Hill, Greenane.
O’Sullivan Glanny: From the Irish word gleann, meaning glen.
O’Sullivan Glas: From the Gaelic word for green. A variation of the O’Sullivan Uonhi tribe.
O’Sullivan Gow: From the Gaelic word for blacksmith.
O’Sullivan Green: Another variation of the O’Sullivan Uonhi and O’Sullivan Glas families.
O’Sullivan Hurrig: From the Gaelic word corrach, meaning marshland.
O’Sullivan Island: From the English word island. This family was originally from Whiddy Island.
O’Sullivan Keagh: From the Irish word for blind.
O’Sullivan Labhras (Lawras, Lawson): Descended from a cadet branch of the O’Sullivan Beara sept.
O’Sullivan Lowney: This family originated along the banks of the Laune River in Killorglin, Co. Kerry.
O’Sullivan MacCragh (MacCraith; MacCrath, McGrath, Crah, Cra, Cragh, Craith, Greath, etc.): Descended from Cragh ([103] in the Oak and Serpent), the O’Sullivan Mor circa 1400 AD. The most senior tribe of the O’Sullivan Clan.
O’Sullivan MacCrohan: Descended from Crohan.
O’Sullivan MacElligott: Descended from Elligott.
O’Sullivan MacGillycuddy: Descended from Giolla Mochuda, or “servant of St. Mochuda”. Giolla Mochuda was the younger brother of Murtagh Mor ([99] in the Oak and Serpent). St. Mochuda was the founder of the seventh century Lismore monastery, Waterford.
O’Sullivan Maol (MacFinin Duibh): Descended from a cadet branch of the O’Sullivan Beara.
O’Sullivan Master: From the English word for schoolmaster.
O’Sullivan McAuliffe: Descended from Auliffe.
O’Sullivan McOwen: Descended from Owen, an old Irish name meaning river.
O’Sullivan McShane
O’Sullivan Mor: Descended from a cadet branch of the O’Sullivan Vera.
O’Sullivan Mountain: From the English word for mountain.
O’Sullivan Quille: From the Irish word coill, meaning woods.
O’Sullivan Rabach: From the Irish word for daring and wreckless.
O’Sullivan Rider: Horseback mail carriers.
O’Sullivan Rochtirre: From the Gaelic word for land steward.
O’Sullivan Rua: From the Gaelic word for red, as in red-headed.
O’Sullivan Sailor: From the English word for seaman.
O’Sullivan Seer: From the Gaelic word saor, meaning tradesman. It is uncertain as to which trade this sept belonged. Masons were known as Saor Cloiche; boatwrights were Saor Baid; carpenters were Saor Adhmaid; ship carpenters were Saor Loinge; millwrights were Saor Muilinn; bricklayers were Saor Brici; wheelwrights were Saor Rotha.
O’Sullivan Shearhig: Descended from Shearhig (Jeffrey).
O’Sullivan Silver: From the English word silver.
O’Sullivan Skilty: From the Gaelic word scil, meaning skill.
O’Sullivan Suonish: From the Irish word for peaceful.
O’Sullivan Tailor: From the English word for garment maker. Descended from Paddy the tailor.
O’Sullivan Ukirre: From the Gaelic word for tucker or cloth finisher.
O’Sullivan Uonhi: From the ancient Irish word for green. This family descended from the Corca Laoi, a tribe that inhabited Beara long before the O’Sullivan clan arrived. They adopted the name “O’Sullivan” to fit in. Due to intermarriage, they all have O’Sullivan blood today.
O’Sullivan Vallig: From the Irish word bealach, meaning passageway. This sept originally lived around Ballaghbue (bealach baoi meaning passageway to Dursey Island). The Irish name for Dursey Island is Baoi Bheara.
O’Sullivan Vera: Descended from Rory, younger brother of Cragh ([103] in the Oak and Serpent).
Sughrues: This name referred to the helot class of the O’Sullivan clan. Like the Uonhis, they were not originally blood related to the O’Sullivan family, but gradually intermarried.
Adapted from the work of Riobard O'Dwyer, 1976.
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