RAIN

The rain washes clean the air and brings
renewed life to the earth.

The sound and feel of the rain puts a man
to thinking. Thinking about the future, the
present and the past.

The future is uncertain. The present is
beset with struggle and turmoil. The past
lingers in our subconscious, like the mists
of the early morn.

I awoke early and listened to the sounds of
the rain. My thoughts were of family now
and across the centuries.

I thought of my dear cousin Paddy Houlihan
Suvane and the times we spent rambling the
wild Beara Peninsula of West Cork.

Paddy's mother, Johanna O'Sullivan, was a
sister to my grandfather Micheal J.

Paddy was a batchelor. The family historian
none of which was written down. It was oral
history handed down through the generations.

Paddy lived in the home place (Inches) with
his sister Nora, a nurse returned from England.

Many a nice meal we had in that house.

Paddy told me his grandfather built the house
in famine days.

Paddy had a fine dog who, at command, would
run up to the Commons on the South slope of
Mish Kish Mountain, round up Paddy's sheep
from among the sheep of many local farmers
and run the sheep back down to Paddy's place.


When Paddy died, the vast part of that oral
history died with him. Some of it lives on in
my memory, as he related to me, and as I
have learned from my father, Aunt Liz
Cousin Mike Sullivan in San Francisco
Pats Cahou, Red Neck Kelly ,John (The Yank )
Harrington and Nellie (Buig) in Butte
Montana; Policeman John Harrington
Peg and Steve Dennehy in Fall River and
my own rambles retracing the steps of
ancestors in North America.

Paddy Houlihan Suvane of Inches and
Micheal Sheehan of Cahirkeem, identified
my great great grandmother Sile O Sullivan
Ni Hurrig of Cahirkeem - 6 foot one in her
bare feet. Thus, the height of the Sean
Vil Anna O Sullivan's of Inchinteskin, my
father's people.

Riobard O'Dwyer's parish genealogies of
the Beara Peinsula Parishes are an
invaluable treasure trove of family history.


Paddy and me spent endless hours talking
of nothing but times and peoples long past.

....................
The O Sullivan's are Celts, who migrated
from Galicia in Northern Spain, landing
in what is now the Western (Allihies) Parish
some five centuries before Christ.

The connection with Spain has remained
strong over the centuries. The O'Sullivans
exacted tribute from the Spanish and
Portuguese fisherman who plied the fishing
grounds off Beara.

In Castletown, the second largest fishing
port in Ireland, one can find the Spanish
bar which still caters to the Spanish and
Portugese sailors.

Paddy told me that our ancestor Mhicil
Anna O'Sullivan was a block of a man
with raven black hair and dark eyes.
None of the O Sullivans were blue eyed.
Hazel eyes were more the norm.

There are about 23 branches of the
O'Sullivan clan from the Beara Peninsula.
All are related and have nicknames to
sort them out. The same is true of our
O'Shea, Crowley, Hanley, Murphy, Kelly
McCarthy, O'Leary, Cronin, Hartnett
Harrington, Hartnett, Lowney and other
relations.

The Harrington (Caobach) side of the
family are descended from ancient tribal
people that inhabited Beara, long before the
arrival of the O Sullivan's.

Harrington is an English translation
of the Irish . Most of the Harrington's
are very fair, blue eyed and red or
blond haired.

There is a Viking strain in the family
that can be traced to the 7th and 9th
Centuries, when the Vikings raided
and plundered Beara.

Viking King Oalf ,of Norway, married a
Beara woman and converted to Catholicism.

The Vikings carried off many Irish
women to colonize Iceland and Greenland.

The Barberry Pirates plundered Skibereen
and other coastal settlements and carried
off slaves, including women, away to North
Africa.

President Thomas Jefferson put an end
to their piracy and plundering when he
sent the Navy and U S Marines to Tripoli
in the early 1800's.

President Ronald Reagan sent the Navy
aviators to teach Lybia a lesson in the
1980's.
.........................

Paddy and me spent hour upon hour
rambling the peninsula, visting relations
and exchanging information. Paddy
recounted stories going back to the
battle of Callen where we stopped
the Norman advance.

The Normans had pushed the O Sullivans
back from their Knockgraffen, Tipperary
Castle established when they were Kings
of Munster, to the mountainous peninsulas
of Beara and Kerry.

O Sullivan Mor ruled Kerry, the Beara
Peninsula was the domain of O Sullivan Beare.

Beara fell to the English in 1602 but was never
fully brought under English control.

At that time, Paddy said, a squirel could travel
in the canopy of ancient Oaks that covered the
Beara Peninsula from Bantry and Kenmare
40 miles West to Allihies ,without touching the
ground.

The English cut down the oak forests to fuel
the industrial revolution and in a vain attempt
to subdue the people of Beara.

Many died in battles. More were scattered
to the four corners of the earth.

In 1656 the English took a census of Beara
tallying about 1,600 population
with most being O Sullivan's and their
relations.

With the introduction of the potato
early marriages and very large families
the population rebounded. By the early
1800's the population of the Beara
Peninsula was about 40,000 almost
all by natural increase. Families of 10
12, 15, or more children were common.
So, it did not take many generations
to grow the clan.

Paddy referred to these as the long tailed
families of Beara. Everyone being related
to some degree, in some way.

Often when we visited homes in Beara
we were related to the husbands and wives.

Over the centuries marriages were arranged.
Love came later.

Cousin Big Michael Hanley ,of Urhan, told
me that he was digging potatoes with his
father in the field. Nora Crowley, my
Cousin, as well, through the O Sullivan
Shearhigs, of Coulagh Ard (The High Field)
was watching. She fell off the stonewall that
borders the Hanley and Crowley farms, into
the Hanley field.

Without missing a spade beat, Michael's
father said, without looking up, "there
is your wife, boy!"

Many a visit I paid to their kitchen in
Urhan. Nora would always offer me
a droppeen of the craether.

Nora's brother, Michael Crowley lived
on the home farm, well into his 80's.


Cousin Mary Stephen Paddy O lived
just down the lane. Her farm was the
site of a 14th Century village the
remnants of which serve as home
to the livestock.

Mary, a tumbler of brandy in hand
sang to me in the Irish at one of
the sing/song sessions at O'Neills
Pub in Eyeries Village, in 1989.

On the way back to Urhan, Mary
asked Big Micheal to stop the van
beside the the graveyard beyond
the High Cross. The old women
began to lament for their husbands
who lie there. Then Mary began to
curse Murthy Oge O Sullivan of
Coulagh - The Impressor.

In the 1700's Murthy Oge would sail his
sloop into Coulagh Bay, drop anchor
and break out hogs heads of brandy
on the strand.

The Boyos would come down from the
mountains and partake. When they
awoke, they were at sea. on their way
to fight in the Irish regiments for Spain
France, or Austria. Murthy Oge held
a Commission in the Austrian Army.

He, and many other relations from
Beara, fought with Bonnie Prince
Charlie at Cullodon Moor, 1746.

Murthy Oge returned to Beara to
settle a score with the English land
lord who had evicted his mother.

Murthy Oge, Little John O Sullivan
(little being a relative term) and
crew, waited, at Harrington's forge,
for the landlord to emerge from the
Protestant church across the road
near the ruins of Dunboy Castle.

The landlord was armed, as was
Murthy Oge. Murthy Oge challenged
the landlord and shot him dead.

Murthy Oge and his boys tossed an
empty brandy bottle beside the
landlord's body, and left.

Murthy Oge returned to his house
in Coulagh by the strand for a rest.

The English troops braved the rain
and marched over the mountain to
Coulagh and surrounded Murty
Oge's house. They set the thatch roof
afire.

After a while, Murthy Oge emerged
with pistol and sword in hand to
face his foe. The powder was wet
and the pistol misfired. But the aim
of the English muskets was true.
Murthy Oge fell dead.

They cut off his head, put it on a
pike, and brought it, by sea, to
Cork City, where it was put on
public display, as warning of
the fate that awaited other Irish
rebels.

Murthy Oge's uncle, Daniel
O'Connell (The Liberator) was
in Parliament, He appealed
to the Crown to have his dead
nephew treated with dignity.

The O'Connells of Kerry
intermarried with the O Sullivans
of Coulagh and Coulagh Ard.

Maybe that some historical
research will reveal a further
connection with the great Albany
Democratic Chairman of 50 years
Daniel P O'Connell. Whose family
came from Kerry .

An interesting historical aside:
the O'Connells were all Republicans
originally in Albany.


Big Michael told me in the old days
the fishermen would carry the coffins
of the deceased, on oars spanning the
shoulders of the men, up over the
mountain to St Michael's graveyard
Allihies village.

They were mighty powerful men.

Cousin Cathy (Dennehy) Murphy in
Castletownbere, told me lately of
Michael's Crowley's passing.
A fine man he was.
A poet who loved his Urhan by the sea.

Big Micheal and Nora are gone too.

Their daughter Mary lives in
Castletownbere. Mary's son Barry
is working for Google in Dublin
and reportedly going to China.
That is if he isn't censored.

.....................
Back to earlier times, after
the fall of the O Sullivan castles
at Dunboy and Ardea in 1602
there was a large emigration
from Beara, that continued
for more than three centuries.

Some of the clan went to Spain
to serve in the army or navy.

Some were transported as slaves
and indentured servants to
Barbados in the Caribbean.

Captain Florry O Sullivan of
the Lauragh, Kerry branch of
the clan, passed by Bardados
enroute to America, and picked
up many of the clan that had
been transported. In 1659 their
ship landed in Charlestion South
Carolina, where Sullivan's Island
can be found today.

Another Kinsman, Owen O Sullivan
of the same branch, had emigrated
to Maine as an indentured servant.
He became a school teacher and
frontier lawyer. His son, John
became General John Sullivan in
thr War of Revolution.

Owen was a hardy man. He lived
to be a 100. When Owen was in
his late 90's, his son, the General
lay dying, Owen rode 30 miles on
horseback to visit John.

Many went to sea or served in
the Irish regiments that fought
for for Spain, France, Austria
and England in the European
Wars and far flung battlefields
around the world including
Culloden with Bonnie Prince
Charlie, the Zulu Wars, India
Singapore and Korea.

Some were transported to
Van Dieman's land, Australia.
Others went to Christcurch
New Zealand.

Many wound up in North
America where they served in
the French and Indian Wars
the American Revolution, the
War of 1812, the Mexican War
the Civil War and in the cavalry
on the Western frontier.

Some went the Southern routes
through the Carlolinas into
the back country of Tennessee
and Kentucky and on to the
Great Lakes country. Others
went to New Orleans, Texas
and up the Mississippi to the
Minnesota Valley.

Others went to Northern routes
through Boston, Fall River, New
York, Philadelphia, Halifax
St John's, Quebec and Montreal.
Some went to New Foundland.

Some wound up mining coal in
Wales or the Pennsylvania coal
fields around Scranton.

Many went to mining for gold
silver or copper in California
The Washoe, Montana, Idaho
Colorado, Utah, Nevada, the
Yukon and British Columbia.

The copper mining camp of
Butte, Montana had 1,200
Sullivans in residence in the
late 19th Century, almost all
from the Northern Parish of
Eyeries or from the Western
Parish (Allihies). Besides them
their were hundreds more relations
including the Harringtons
Murphy's, Crowleys, Houlihans
Kellys, O Shea's.

John The Yank Harrington, a
relation through the Ni Hurrig's
of Cahirkeem was an accomplished
concertina accordian player. He
made his first recording at age 95
(I have a copy). The Yank lived
to a 100. His story is in the Library
of Congress. His father and mother
went mining, in Park City, Utah
and later went to Butte.

Some went ranching in Nebraska
or sheepherding in Wyoming.
Wyoming Governor , Mike Sullivan
is a relation through the Ni Hurrig's
of Cahirkeem.

Others went mining in South Africa
or Australia.

Some wound up in the notorious
Five Points slum of New York made
famous in the motion picture
"The Gangs of New York" They founded
the Emigrant Saving Bank and wound up
running the Bowery and Tammany
Hall. Most were from the Townlands
in Tuosist Parish, Lauragh to Kenmare.

They were sailors, sea captains,
soldiers, miners, canal and railroad
builders, longshoreman, teachers
policemen, construction men and
saloon keepers. A few were poets and
writers.

There were few priests among them
but many nuns.

Quite a few wound up in politics
serving as Aldermen, Congressmen
and Governors.
...................

Seems as though they were as
numerous as the raindrops falling
this day.

However, the long tailed families
of Beara are no more. They have
scattered over the earth and have
for the most part, lost their connections
in the vastness of time and space and
the din and clamor of the modern
world.

They pass, like ships in the night
not knowing one another , many
aware of their origins but not of
their connections in North America
and around the world.

One day I was in the Academy Post
Office in Albany, waiting in line.
A man ahead of me said to the clerk
he wanted to mail a letter to Allihies
on the Beara Peninsula.

I asked him who he was related to
there? He said to the Dursey Islanders.
But, that would mean nothing to you.

I said, to the contrary, many of my
relations are Islanders too.

After a bit of discussion, it turned
out we were related.

He lives in Albany, I know his name.
But, I have never seen him again.

Another relation, very prominent, in
Albany, may not know we are connected.
However, I do. I sent him a note one day.
He never responded. Perhaps, I am a bit
too outspoken to suit his circumstances
C'est la vie.

I keep touch with more relations in Beara
than here. However, Cousin George in
Avon, NY and Sean Canada (Sean O Sullivan
MD) stop by when the pass through Albany.
George's mother, Aunt Eileen, is nearing
100. Her mother lived to 105 at the High
Cross, Eyeries , Sean Canada's grandfather
Paddy, a teacher, was a brother to my
grandfather Michael J. Sean Canada's
father, Paddy, Irish Air Force, was a UN
force Commander in Syria.

Sean once told me I have the same eyes
as his father.

My daughter and our cousin Mary
O'Sullivan Power of Coulagh Ard are
transatlantic twins. Same personally
stature, demeanor and handwriting.

We cherish the times we shared with
our Harrington relations of Killaugh.

Sister Mary Bernadette (Una) was a
nun at Bantry Convent. The Sisters
their were great fun. I would stay at
the convent. Una left me notes, telling
me to be sure to lock the door when
I returned from the Anchor pub.

Una was one of a kind. She and her
sister Noreen, a nurse, came to visit
us in Albany in 1991. A grand time
was had by all. Noreen played the
concertina and Una danced jigs
and step dances.

Their brother Brendan, and his
daughter, Carmel Ann, came over a
few years later.

We were all very close. All are
descended from Owen Soonish
of Killaugh and Mary Harrington
of Gowlane.

As a young girl Mary and a sister
set sail to emigrate to America.
Their ship was wrecked on the
coast of Galway in a bad storm.

Mary and her sister returned by
horseback to Beara and married
into the Soonish's of Killaugh.

Two of their 8 children were Paddy
and my great grandmother Nora
who was mother of my grandmother
Julia the Big Nurse (Allihies).

Paddy was born in the famine times
but lived to 96 years age.

One day Noreen sat in on a geography
class I was giving at Schenectady
Community College. She was crying
afterwards. I asked what was the matter?
Noreen said, if you ever want to know
whose features you have - it is the
features of your great grand uncle Paddy
Sounish of Killaugh. That pleased me
very much. My grandmother, Julia
named my father after Paddy and my
father named me the same.

Paddy took in in his nephew Den
Harrington, when Den's father
Sean Harrington A Buaile (Sean
of the Field- Kilcatherine in the
Eyeries Parish - where the Harringtons
and O Sullivans fought a turf war
in famine times, went to Butte to mine
copper, after his wife Nora died.

His sons, Dan, Jeremiah and John
went with him. Daughter Mary and
son Den stayed behind. Later, my
grandmother Julia returned to Beara.
The others did not.
.........................

A beautiful oak trunk sits in Aunt
Elieen's house in New Jersey. It is
the same trunk that Julia took when
she emigrated to Butte, Montana.
The same trunk she took back to her
Uncle Paddy Sounish's farm in Killaugh
and the same trunk that her daughter
Elizabeth, used when she went to New
York after WW II.

Aunt Liz lived to 96. Liz had a very
independent, stubborn streak which
runs through the whole lot of the
line. Aunt Liz told me that when she
would behave in a contrary manner
Grandmother Julia would admonish
Liz " now, your Kerry side is showing".

A reference to ancestor Mary O Sullivan
of Shronebirrane Townland who was
mother of our Sean Harrington A Buaile
grandfather to Liz.

The O Sullivan Rabachs lived in the
Townlands of Shronebirrane and
Cummeengeera, Lauragh. That branch
of the clan was a rough bunch.

....................

Una, and Brendan are gone. Noreen
lives in Edinburgh, Scotland. She may
be away with the birds as she was fond
of saying, because it has been some
time since we have heard from her.

Margaret has been to Edinburgh twice
in past years to visit Noreen.

Brendan's wife, Carmel, lives on in
the Killaugh home farm. Her daughter
Carmel Ann is a teacher in Limerick.

I always urged Brendan and my other
relatives to hold onto to the lands
that have been in our families for
centuries. The Celtic Tiger is no more.
The boom is over. As long as people
have the land, and the sea, they will
survive.
...............
I have to set down, in writing, what
bit of the clan history I know, before
it too, is lost forever, when my time
to leave this earth comes.


Joe Sullivan