Landed Estates
University of Galway

Sullivan (Tullylease & Curramore)


Estate(s)

Name Description
Sullivan (Tullylease & Curramore) A Gaelic family who dropped the 'O' from O'Sullivan and became Sullivan in the early 18th century. They descend from John Sullivan who married in 1714 Mary Herne/Aherne of Hernsbrook, county Limerick and were involved in coal mining in the parish of Killagholehane. One of their grandsons was Major James Sullivan of Chesterfield, near Newcastle West, county Limerick. Other family members held townlands in the parish of Killagholehane, barony of Glenquin, county Limerick at the time of Griffith's Valuation and in the parish of Tullylease, barony of Duhallow, county Cork. In the 1870s John Jeremiah Sullivan of Curranmore owned 1,511 acres in county Limerick while his cousin the Reverend John Sullivan of Tullylease owned 607 acres in county Cork.
Ahern/Herne Burke's "Landed Gentry of Ireland" records the marriage of John Sullivan and Mary Herne of Hernsbrook, county Limerick in 1714 so the Aherns or Herns appear to have been established in that county early in the 18th century. In the mid 19th century Maurice Ahern owned the townland of Hernsbrook, 167 acres in the parish of Killeedy. He died in 1859 aged 88. In the 1870s Charles Ahern of Hernsbrook still owned the same acreage in county Limerick and an estate of 1,240 acres in county Cork. At the time of Griffith's Valuation Maurice Ahern held land in many parishes in county Cork including those in Cork city. A portion of the property known as the "Castle Farm of Monkstown" in the barony of Kerrycurrihy, county Cork, in the possession of Edmond Ahern, was offered for sale in the Landed Estates Court in February 1861.
Green (Airhill) Hajba writes that this family were established at Airhill by 1734. In 1804 Thomas Green married Mary daughter of James Sullivan of Ballintober, county Limerick. Their daughter Susan married her cousin William Sullivan of Tullylease, county Limerick, and their son James Sullivan Green eventually succeeded to the Airhill estate. Griffith's Valuation records James Green holding land in the parish of Glanworth. James Sullivan Green, a barrister, of Airhill and Dublin, owned 757 acres in county Cork and 63 acres in county Limerick in the 1870s.