I descend from Dennis O'Sullivan from Castletownbere, Cork, Ireland. He was my ggg grandfather and would have been born around 1819 in Ireland. He and his wife Ellen Sullivan O'Sullivan (b. c1819 in Ireland & d. March 1909 Spartanburg, South Carolina USA) came into the U.S. via New York City in the 1840's. Me and other descendants have never been able to find further information on their parents and family before them. Of the O'Sullivans and Sullivans in that part of Ireland during their time, they all seem to have been given the same names such as Dennis, Ellen, Jeremiah, Julia etc., making research very difficult.




Soon after Dennis and Julia immigrated to NYC their son Jeremiah was born (b. January 6, 1847 in NY & died March 18, 1906 in Spartanburg, South Carolina USA). While on their migration south, my gg grandmother Julia Ann O'Sullivan was born, probably in Virginia in 1853. She died in Spartanburg, South Carolina on April 30, 1925. Dennis and Ellen had one other daughter named Sarah Anna O'Sullivan of which little information has been found.




Having made their way southward down the Blue Ridge mountains to Spartanburg County, South Carolina, family notes stated that Dennis died from injuries sustained from the kick of a horse, after which he contracted gangrene in the wound and died. Dennis is buried near the South Carolina/North Carolina state line in the original State Line


Cemetary which has only unmarked stones, hidden away in a pasture. Ellen is buried at Cannons Methodist Church, Cannons Campground, near Cowpens, South Carolina in


Spartanburg County. Her headstone marker notes that she was "A Native of Ireland and Faithful Member of the Catholic Church".




If anyone feels they have a connection to my O'Sullivans from Cork please let me know. Any help in researching further back would be much appreciated as well.




Clarke Thompson


Columbia, South Carolina USA


Email: clarke@sc.rr.com

My grandfather who is now 90, was born to Miles, son of Jerimah and Sarah... The first born (Jerimah) of Denis and Ellen.

I have a lot of those same names in my tree in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. My tree shows Dennis and Ellen (Barry) who came on a ship in 1847 and 1850. Their possible children: Daniel, Dennis, Jerimiah, and Margaret. Not sure if it is related. There really are a lot of the same first names in the Sullivan genealogy.