O'Sullivans and O'Donnells of Loghill

Dear Cheri:

Many thanks for your post to the Ireland Reaching Out message board and welcome to the site.

We have a Shanagolden volunteer who I will copy with this post so that she can add to what you already know.

We also have several local volunteers in the area who may be able to assist you with your future trip or when you arrive.

Please give our volunteer a week or so to reply to your query.  If you need further information or would like to keep us posted as to your trip so that we might arrange to meet you, please email me at:  jhalloranryan@irelandxo.com.

Kind regards,

Jane.

Thank you Jane, 

I look forward in hearing back from them.  

Also we are still trying to narrow down our time to visit, trying to decide which time of year is better, May, June, July, August or September.  I will definetly let you know when we have a date, would love to meet the local people and hear about the history of the area.

Thank you, 

Cheri

boshcd@frontier.com

Hi Cheri,

I've found some excellent info for you! Did you know there's a book written about your family? There is a digital version, but it's only available in Salt Lake City or in a Family History Center. https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/837068?availability=Family%…    The book, 

The James Sullivan family : emigrants from Lisready Cripps, Loughill, County Limerick, and their descendants

by Rita J. Meistrell 

 is written by Rita Meistrell, who is still active on the Rootsweb Co Limerick Boards. 258 pages. You can probably search the archives of that Rootsweb board and get Rita's email address.  Also a great website here: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~onlanark/families/sullivan.htm

If you google ["james sullivan" born 1793 loghill, ireland] you will find lots of information - postings to message boards, etc.

Please let me know when you've been in touch with Rita. She has been a very active researcher for many years. And do get in touch when you get closer to your visit. I think we could find someone to welcome you.

Patti Hacht

Shanagolden & Kilcolman IRO Parish Liaison

Hi Cheri,

I've found another tidbit for you. There is a local Bahahill author, Gerard Curtin. He's written several books about the Shanagolden area. In his book A Pauper Warren, West Limerick 1845-49, there is mention of James Sullivan on page 108. This may be where Rita Meistrell got some of her info. Gerard writes that Ha! I just checked the bibliography and GERARD got his info from RITA's book!!! There is about half a page of into stating that James sullivan a farmer of 23 acres in Lisready and James Kelly a farmer of fifty acres in Mohernagh emigrated witht their families to Canada. James Sullivan emigrated in 1823; Kelly in 1842. 

There is mention on page 85 that from the period of November 1846 to March 1847 many people in the area suffered from"fever." The fever was not named, but is suspected to be either Typhus or reoccuring fever from lice. Both were common throughout Ireland during 1846. John Sullivan was said to be "in the fever" 2 October 1846. John had 20 acres in Lisready.

And on page 13, Gerard talks about how the tennants did not own the land they grew their potatoes on, and could be 'put out" at any time.Poor farmers and cottiers had no money for marriage doweries so a small plot of land was given to the new couple. This created "subdivisions" of which three are mentioned in Pauper Warren - the Kelley farm in Mohernagh, the Scollards of Ballyhahill and the Sullivans of Lisready Cripps. The book is available from 27 libraries in the US. Here is the entry from WorldCat.

A pauper warren : West Limerick 1845-49

Author:Gerard CurtinPublisher:Ballyhahill, Co. Limerick : Sliabh Luachra Books, ©2000.Edition/Format: Print book : EnglishDatabase:WorldCatSummary:

This is the study of the Monteagle Estate and its hinterland on the southern shore of the Shannon Esturary in County Limerick during the years 1845-49. This is a unique record of the Great Famine using local sources, and produces a fresh perspective on the history of these years. -- Publisher description

One more bit, Cheri.

If you google [lacca lisready ireland] without the [brackets], the very first hit is for a James Sullivan who still lives at Lacca, Lisready, Loughill. It gives his PHONE NUMBER too. I won't post it publicly, but if you have trouble finding it, email me directly at: duncaha@gmail.com

There is a Murphy Family Tree on Ancestry.com that includes your family. It appears that James and Anne also had a daughter named Anne.

Unfortunately I can find nothing about your O'Donnell or Godfrey family, although on page 201 of Poverty to Promise - the Monteagle Emigrants 1838-58, there is a passenger list for the Blundell which arrived in Sydney, Australia 5 May 1853. Onboard was a Godfrey family from Shanagolden and an O'Donnell family from Corgrigg.

Best Wishes,

Patti Hacht

Kilcolman & Shannagolden Parish Liaison 

Hi Patti, 

Thank  you so much for all your research, Rita is a cousin of mine and I helped her with her book, contributed info as well as edited it for her.  That is how I knew our family was from there, I just wasn't sure where the farm is and I know James O'Sullivan has passed away but Rita said one of his daughters kept the farm, I don't know her name as she was married and was hoping to meet them.  While she researched the O'Sullivans she didn't do much on the O'Donnells except that we know James O'Sullivan and Ann O'Donnell had a son James Sullivan who married his first cousin Ann O'Donnell from Loghill area and some records we have also mention Corgigg, Robertstown and Kilkeety.  James and Ann's 5th son was named Maurice Sullivan who I am descended from and we believe his is named after one of Ann's brothers which would be a Maurice O'Donnell.  I did find a Maurice living near by in the Griffith Valuation and it seems that he ended up at the instution for the Poor but I don't know what happened to his family or when or where he died.

I will look up the book you mentioned, it does sound interesting.  

I am hoping to find the church of either the O'Sullivans or O'Donnells as well as the cemetery.  But I am really interested in the history of this area as the James O'Sullivan who lived at Lacca there told his memory of Sinn Fein being killed there on the family farm of Lacca.  I have done some research and the Bureau of Military History has a document with the daily journal for the East LImerick Flying Column from Donnchadh O'Hannigan who talks of them going to the area of Ballyahill in February 1921 near Foynes and meeting up with the West LImerick brigade led by Sinn Fein, page 29 describes the battle that ensued on a nearby farm and Sinn Fein was shot and killed.  It describes the event similiar to the story James O'Sullivan tells.  

Would you be willing to send me the phone # of James O'Sullivan to me personal email at boshcd@frontier.com.  I would love to call them.

Thank you so much for all your research on this family and I would really love to meet up with one of you when we get to the area.  

Cheri

Hi Cheri!

I just saw your post.  If you email me I’ll send you directions to the farm.  I went to all the graveyards in the area and noted all Sullivans.  None contained any of our earlier ancestors.  I also have updated information on John’s children who emigrated to Australia with assistance from Lord Monteagle,  

Rita

Hello  Just picking up on the line of conversation here and noticed a mention that there is a Murphy Family Tree on ancestry which links back to the families O'Sullivan and O'Donnell.  I am from Murphys in Loghill and cannot find the referenced Murphy Family Tree on Ancestry. But I would like to see if my Murphys link up here.  I am from Daniel P Murphy dob 1831-1834 in Loghill area. His family lists Loghill as birthplace on his obituary. His parents were Denis Murphy and Maria Cronin. His siblings were John, Patrick, Mary, Ellen, and Michael.  Daniel P Murphy married Anne Dunne.  These Murphys ended up in Chicago.

Any info about a possible link between my Murphys from Loghill and the families in this chain of posts would be great.

So much thanks

Jeanie

Hello, I would be very interested in anything further about the O'Donnells. A great uncle told my mother that his grandmother was an O'Donnell, but no more specifics. Great grandmother was Mary Kenny from Aughinish, b about 1822, who married John Kelly in Jan 1856. Among the Shanagolden, Robertstown and Ballyhahill Baptisms the only record I could find that offered a clue was the baptism on 6 Oct 1829 of Edward, son of John Kenny and Ellen O'Donnell. A further mystery is the fate of another great uncle Michael Kelly, the eldest child born Dec 1856. He was said to have been brought up by a childless relative and intended to inherit their farm. He had other ideas and migrated to Australia. None of the records seemed to fit but some Victorian records do have a Michael O'Donnell or Kelly admitted to hospital around 1887. I would love to know if any related O Donnell families are still in the townlands comprising theose parishes and if there might be a connection to the O'Donnell emigrants on the Blundell.

Anne

Jeanie,

Re the Murphy’s that are related to the Sullivans.  The connection to the Murphy’s occurred in Lanark  county, Ontario and I do not believe are related,  Here is my write up from the collateral families portion of my Sullivan Family history:

Murphy

There were many Murphy families in the Lanark/Renfrew area. They definitely were not
all related because it is known that they came from several different counties in Ireland -
Tipperary, Carlow, Wexford, Wicklow, and Cork. Two of the Murphy families that married
Sullivan girls were from County Wicklow. In fact, we know that the parents of Daniel Murphy,
husband of Ann Sullivan, were John and Julia who came from the townland of Clonmore, County
Wicklow (now located in County Carlow). Julia's last name can be debated. Daniel's marriage
record clearly states that his mother's name was Julia Cullen. However, his sisters', Ellen and
Jane's marriage records show less clearly the name to be Cunan or Curan. Some of this confusion
might be a result of the Irish brogue. The priest wrote the name as he heard it. There is strong
circumstantial evidence that Daniel had a brother Patrick who married Catherine Poole. The 1851
census shows a young Patrick with his elder parents, John and Mrs. Murphy, along with what
appears to be his siblings- Daniel and Jane. Ten years later in the 1861 census, his parents John
and Julor(?), and sister Jane are still living with Patrick's family. In addition, baptismal records
show that a Daniel Murphy was sponsor to one of Patrick and Catherine's children. Patrick also
was the witness to Jane's marriage where she stated that her parents were John and Judith. The
descendancy chart for this family follows.
The second Murphy family from County Wicklow was that of Griffin Murphy and Mary
Lerman. Their grandson, Michael Alexander Murphy, married Margaret Ann Sullivan daughter of
James Sullivan Jr.. However, a third Murphy family also has ties to the Sullivans. Margaret was
adopted by Hugh Murphy and his wife Mary Quinn, when her mother, Ann, died about 1871.
Hugh and Mary apparently had been childless. Hugh was the grandson of John Murphy and
Winnyfred Kenny who lived in County Wexford.

Rita Meistrell 

Hi, my ancestors were John O’Sullivan and his wife Catherine O’Connor from Shanagolden. They came to Australia with their daughters Mary Agnes and Winifred. Are these O’Sullivan’s related to the ones in this conversation?