Sullivan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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 1 The sept (clan) of o' Sullivan, traditional lands, and the princely status of its ruler, & military legacy 2 People 3 Place Names 4 See also

[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:

• Andrew Sullivan
• Anne Sullivan, teacher and mentor to Hellen Keller
• Arthur Sullivan, the composer, best known for his work as part of Gilbert and Sullivan
• Chloe Sullivan, a fictional character from Smallville (TV series)
• Chub Sullivan, Major League Baseball first baseman
• Cory Sullivan
• Ed Sullivan, an American entertainment writer who hosted a TV variety show (The Ed Sullivan Show) in the 50s and 60s
• Edmund Joseph Sullivan book illustrator
• Edward Sullivan (lawyer)
• Elyse Sullivan, born in New Zealand on the 19th of June 1986.
• Erik Per Sullivan
• Harry Stack Sullivan, an American psychologist and psychoanalyst
• Jerry Sullivan, an American actor
• John Sullivan, a general in the American Revolution
• John L. Sullivan, an American prize-fighter
• John M. Sullivan, cyclist and county collector. Aspires to visit every county in the U.S.
• J. W. N. Sullivan, journalist and writer of popular science
• Kate Sullivan, New York City News anchor
• Kate Sullivan, New York City Artist, adventurer, bartender
• Kyle Sullivan
• Louis Sullivan, architect of the early 20th century
• Nicole Sullivan
• Patrick J. Sullivan, a Wyoming senator
• Patrick J. Sullivan (Pennsylvania), a Pennsylvania congressman
• William H. Sullivan

Also

• The Sullivan brothers, five siblings who were killed during World War II after the sinking of the USS Juneau
• Sullivan Ballou, an American lawyer, politician, and major

[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:

• Sullivan, Illinois
• Sullivan, Indiana
• Sullivan, Maine
• Sullivan, Missouri
• Sullivan, New Hampshire
• Sullivan, New York
• Sullivan, Ohio
• Sullivan, Wisconsin
• Sullivan (town), Wisconsin
• Sullivan City, Texas
• Sullivan County, Indiana
• Sullivan County, Missouri
• Sullivan County, New Hampshire
• Sullivan County, New York
• Sullivan County, Pennsylvania
• Sullivan County, Tennessee
• Sullivan Township, Michigan
• Sullivan Township, Minnesota
• Sullivan Township, Pennsylvania

In Canada:

• Sullivan, Quebec

[edit] See also

• New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, a United States Supreme Court case
• Sullivan (band), an alternative rock band from Greensboro, North Carolina
• Silky Sullivan, racehorse
• O'Sullivan