Individual Details
James (Big Jim) SULLIVAN
(ABOUT LATE 1840S - 24 Dec 1903)
The exact year of Jim's birth is uncertain: his age at the time of his marriage in March 1881 is given as 30 (born about 1850); his age on the 1901 census return is given as 53 (born about 1847); and his age on his death record (dated December 1903) is 51 (born about 1852).
Jim and his brother, Dan, were well-known locally for their great strength and athletic prowess.
Jim farmed in the townland of Ballyknockane (also spelled Ballyknockin) in the parish of Mourneabbey (or Mourne Abbey). He rented land from a man by the name of Weir or Ware who was the main landlord in Ballyknockin at the time. Sometime between October 1886 and October 1887, Jim and his family were evicted. Apparently the landlord wanted to sell the land to a man by the name of Love and therefore raised the rent so much that Jim could not pay. Jim was in hospital at the time - it is said that he had got a kick from a horse - and apparently when he came out of hospital, he cut furze (for fuel) on his former property and was jailed as a result. Interestingly the Ballyknockin farm was owned (around 2005) by a great-great-grandson of Jim's (i.e., one of Patrick O'Hanlon's sons).
Following the eviction, Jim's brother Dan, who lived in the nearby townland of Glyn, gave them shelter. The county council eventually built a cottage for Jim's family in Glynn on an acre of land given to them by Dan. The cottage is still there (2024) but is derelict and obscured from view by vegetation. It is located on the roadside near the laneway to the farm now owned by Dan's descendants.
Jim's death record tells us he died of (a) "haematemisis [vomiting of blood] and debility" and (b) "Exhaustion", conditions from which he he been suffering for four days.
Besides all the members of the Sullivan family listed on these pages, there was also an Emily Sullivan but we do not know how she fits in. We know of her existence from an old prayer book once owned by Ellen, a daughter of Jim and his wife, Julia, in which is written "Emly (sic) Sullivan, Mourneabbey". The prayer book was published (by Easons) in 1903 so Emily was probably living in Mourneabbey in the early part of the 20th century. Could Ellen have called herself Emily at one time? Or could Emily have been a sister of Ellen's? Jim and Julia had 12 children born alive (nine of whom were alive at the time of the 1911 census) and we have the names of 11, missing one of the children who died. Could this have been Emily? If so she would have died between 1903 and 1911. There is only one birth record on the Irish Genealogy website for an Emily O'Sullivan/Sullivan born in the Mallow Registration District after 1881 (the year of Jim and Julia's marriage) but she was not a child of Jim and Julia's. The only death record located for an Emily O'Sullivan/Sullivan in the Mallow Registration District was for the unrelated Emily O'Sullivan above.
Jim and his brother Dan are buried in Donoughmore Cemetery, Stuake, Co. Cork, as are several of their descendants. Donoughmore would have been the burial place for Caheraveelane people in Jim and Dan's time even though Caheraveelane was not in Donoughmore parish. Caheraveelane is part of the Catholic parish of Glantane (equivalent in Jim and Dan's time to the civil parish of Kilshannig) but Glantane (and Bweeng) cemeteries were opened only in 1936 so most burials of people from the southern end of Glantane parish took place in Donoughmore up to that year, and beyond if a family already had a plot in Donoughmore.
According to the 1901 census, Jim's property in Glynn had a piggery, but no cowhouse or stable, and the cottage had a "slate, iron or tiled roof".
Note: In almost all of the documents encountered for James, Dan and their children, the surname is listed as "Sullivan" rather than "O'Sullivan".
Jim and his brother, Dan, were well-known locally for their great strength and athletic prowess.
Jim farmed in the townland of Ballyknockane (also spelled Ballyknockin) in the parish of Mourneabbey (or Mourne Abbey). He rented land from a man by the name of Weir or Ware who was the main landlord in Ballyknockin at the time. Sometime between October 1886 and October 1887, Jim and his family were evicted. Apparently the landlord wanted to sell the land to a man by the name of Love and therefore raised the rent so much that Jim could not pay. Jim was in hospital at the time - it is said that he had got a kick from a horse - and apparently when he came out of hospital, he cut furze (for fuel) on his former property and was jailed as a result. Interestingly the Ballyknockin farm was owned (around 2005) by a great-great-grandson of Jim's (i.e., one of Patrick O'Hanlon's sons).
Following the eviction, Jim's brother Dan, who lived in the nearby townland of Glyn, gave them shelter. The county council eventually built a cottage for Jim's family in Glynn on an acre of land given to them by Dan. The cottage is still there (2024) but is derelict and obscured from view by vegetation. It is located on the roadside near the laneway to the farm now owned by Dan's descendants.
Jim's death record tells us he died of (a) "haematemisis [vomiting of blood] and debility" and (b) "Exhaustion", conditions from which he he been suffering for four days.
Besides all the members of the Sullivan family listed on these pages, there was also an Emily Sullivan but we do not know how she fits in. We know of her existence from an old prayer book once owned by Ellen, a daughter of Jim and his wife, Julia, in which is written "Emly (sic) Sullivan, Mourneabbey". The prayer book was published (by Easons) in 1903 so Emily was probably living in Mourneabbey in the early part of the 20th century. Could Ellen have called herself Emily at one time? Or could Emily have been a sister of Ellen's? Jim and Julia had 12 children born alive (nine of whom were alive at the time of the 1911 census) and we have the names of 11, missing one of the children who died. Could this have been Emily? If so she would have died between 1903 and 1911. There is only one birth record on the Irish Genealogy website for an Emily O'Sullivan/Sullivan born in the Mallow Registration District after 1881 (the year of Jim and Julia's marriage) but she was not a child of Jim and Julia's. The only death record located for an Emily O'Sullivan/Sullivan in the Mallow Registration District was for the unrelated Emily O'Sullivan above.
Jim and his brother Dan are buried in Donoughmore Cemetery, Stuake, Co. Cork, as are several of their descendants. Donoughmore would have been the burial place for Caheraveelane people in Jim and Dan's time even though Caheraveelane was not in Donoughmore parish. Caheraveelane is part of the Catholic parish of Glantane (equivalent in Jim and Dan's time to the civil parish of Kilshannig) but Glantane (and Bweeng) cemeteries were opened only in 1936 so most burials of people from the southern end of Glantane parish took place in Donoughmore up to that year, and beyond if a family already had a plot in Donoughmore.
According to the 1901 census, Jim's property in Glynn had a piggery, but no cowhouse or stable, and the cottage had a "slate, iron or tiled roof".
Note: In almost all of the documents encountered for James, Dan and their children, the surname is listed as "Sullivan" rather than "O'Sullivan".
Events
| Marriage | 1 Mar 1881 | Galbally, Co. Limerick - Julia DOODY | |||
| Death | 24 Dec 1903 | South Infirmary, Cork | |||
| Birth | ABOUT LATE 1840S | Caheraveelane, Glantane; or Glynn, Mourneabbey | |||
| Burial | Donoughmore Cemetery, Stuake, Co. Cork |
Families
| Spouse | Julia DOODY (1858 - 1933) |
| Child | Mary Ann (Sr. Mary Munchin) O'SULLIVAN (1882 - 1913) |
| Child | James (Jimmy) O'SULLIVAN (1883 - 1959) |
| Child | Johanna (Hannah) O'SULLIVAN (1885 - 1983) |
| Child | Daniel O'SULLIVAN (1886 - 1887) |
| Child | Ellen O'SULLIVAN (1887 - 1972) |
| Child | John (Jack) O'SULLIVAN (1890 - 1975) |
| Child | Eugene O'SULLIVAN (1893 - 1988) |
| Child | Denis O'SULLIVAN (1895 - 1971) |
| Child | Margaret (Madge) O'SULLIVAN (1897 - 1925) |
| Child | Richard SULLIVAN (1900 - 1900) |
| Child | Julia O'SULLIVAN (1901 - 1920) |
| Child | 'unknown' SULLIVAN ( - 1911) |
| Father | James (Seamus) SULLIVAN (1812 - 1882) |
| Mother | 'UNKNOWN' ( - 1882) |
| Sibling | Michael SULLIVAN (caution: not verified) (1838 - ) |
| Sibling | Daniel (Dan) SULLIVAN (1840 - 1911) |
| Sibling | Mary (Big Mary) SULLIVAN ( - 1911) |
| Sibling | Hanora (Nora) SULLIVAN (1848 - 1902) |