Sullivan

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Sullivan is a surname of Irish origins, (Uí Shúilleabháin in Irish). In the last 200 or 300 years, those families connected to the name have dispersed widely throughout the English-speaking world and to other areas.

Contents

[edit] The sept (clan) of o' Sullivan, traditional lands, and the princely status of its ruler, & military legacy

In the middle ages, and in some respects, until the death of Queen Elizabeth I of England, a number of petty princes of native Irish lineage ruled the more remote parts of Ireland, fairly independent of the British dominance of the urban areas. One of these areas was the western extremity of the island, in counties Kerry and Cork. The lord of those territories was both a sept chieftain and in general terms a prince, recognized as such by the Catholic states of Europe. Prince Donal O'Sullivan was the last of those sitting rulers. He ran afoul of the English, resulting from his close relationship with Spain. In 1603, Dunboy, the final holdout of his several castles, fell to the English. The entire company of defenders was killed in combat or executed, while "the o'Sullivan" was absent from the region. He was conferring with Prince Tyrone of Ulster, known as the "o'Neal", in the north of the island. He gathered up the few survivors on the surrounding land, including women and children, and fought a long, brilliant, "rearguard action" back cross Ireland to the Ulster, with 1000 of his subjects. The much larger English force fought him all the way. He made his espcape to Spain, by ship. He was welcomed there by the Spanish/Austrian emperor, King Philip II, his princely status was reconfirmed, and he was commissioned as an imperial general, in addition to his princely title. He was murdered in 1613 while leaving mass, by a young Englishman who had been disfigured by the prince's son in a duel. The reputation of the prince was widely known, and it helped to open doors for later soldiers with the princely family name. About 165 years later, one was a general in the American Revolution.

Variations on the name are many. Sullivant, Sillivant, Silliphant, and Sillifant, though spelled differently, are frequently pronounced like the Gaelic original which has a "t" sound at the end. The fighting spirit of the prince carried down many generations to scores of military fighting men and the world champion prize fighter John L. Sullivan in the late 19th century.

[edit] People

Sullivan may refer to any of the following people:

Also

[edit] Place Names

Sullivan is a common but illustrious Irish surname that has been applied to a number of North American towns and counties.

In the United States:

In Canada:

  • Sullivan, Quebec

[edit] See also

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