Annie May O'sullivan brick wall

[mattwood]

Hi Teejay,

So much of what you and I know of the O'Sullivan's of Lisnagry, Castleconnell seems to dovetail together including the date of birth for Annie May, and as I can't find any other O'Sullivan families in Castleconnell at this time I would say it's pretty certain you've identified the correct family. I also know that Christie O'Sullivan worked most of his life on road maintenance. In the 1911 census aged 21 his occupation is given as a steam engine driver. For most of his working life he operated the heavy roller that compacted the chippings into the road. I guess his father's employment on the road as a labourer was probably all he could get at his time of life. When you consider he was still doing a hard physical job at the age of 70 that's really quite shocking. I also know that the term steward was often used in place of the word labourer, a word that could be construed as having negative connotations.
Coolbawn was a farm on the edge of Castleconnell comprising some 40 acres approximately but I am unaware of the family having any connections with the place. How does it fit into your research?
I hope to speak with my Aunt Anne in the next few days and I will see if the names Harry and Ronnie Wilson are familiar to her. As she was born in 1930 it's possible that she didn't know them, despite them being her first cousins. As Harry was born in 1915 I guess when he returned to Castleconnell it would have been to the home of his Grandparents at Ballinacourty and he probably knew his grandfather Peter O'Sullivan in his childhood. A further clue pertinent to your information is the mention of Peter O'Sullivan's extend family in England on his tombstone. I'm guessing this is a reference to May and her three sisters who had all made there homes in England.
I will get back to you when I have spoken to aunt Anne. In the meantime if your interested in receiving the family images I hold please let me know how to get them to you. Do you know if it's possible to send image via this site?
 With my regards, Matt Wood

[mattwood]

BTW
How much do you know of Bridget O'Sullivan and her descendants? I would be very interested to make contact with her granddaughter. Could you please do me the favour of passing on my email to her and letting her know I would be very pleased to hear from her. I will pass my email on to you tomorrow.

Many thanks, Matt

[Sinann]

Matt you can't post your email address on a thread, (for your own protection) use the Private Message system, see the small page icon under the persons username.

You can remove your email by using the modify top right of you post.

[Maggsie]

Hi, Castleconnell comes under Limerick and the district is Annaholty.

Fishing... I remember reading about a guy in Catleconnell named Enright who designed a fishing Rod and Reel, very popular, he or his son eventually moved to Dover and opened a shop,.....Sharp and Enright.
(there's a bit of useless knowledge for you!)
This is her birth record
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1894/02233/1841834.pdf

This is Clair or Clare's birth
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1896/02144/1814174.pdf

These next children below are also listed, in the 1911 census it say that some children did pass on.
Maggsie

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1904/01810/1709258.pdf

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1902/01884/1732901.pdf

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1902/01916/1742954.pdf

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1907/01681/1668749.pdf

[mattwood]

Hi Maggsie,

Thank you very much for passing on the various links, they are most enlightening especially the birth record for Dennis John O'Sullivan. This may confirm my suspicion that Peter O'Sullivan's father was Dennis O'Sullivan. The discovery of a son (possibly named after his grandfather) makes this all the more likely.
Do you know when civil birth registrations started in Ireland. Were they as early as the 1830s as in England?
Are you by any chance the wife of Terry who I have been corresponding with in connection with this family?

With my regards, Matt

[Maggsie]

Hi Matt,
No, sorry, I am not related to you in any way.
1864 Civil records were introduced, by Queen Victoria.
Before then we rely on ….
Tithe records 1823 to 1837
Griffiths Valuation 1837 to 1864.
Then Church records, if Catholic use.....
https://registers.nli.ie/
BUT,
Familysearch.org do have births in ireland up to 1958, I am listed.
My only link to Castleconnell is where my ancestors were from in the 1550's.

Maggsie

[thewideeyedowl]

Good afternoon

I am the surviving grand-daughter of Bridget Mary O'Sullivan, born 5 May 1898. She died, aged 99 years and 11 months, on 7 April 1998. I am, therefore, a great-grand-daughter of Peter and Mary O'Sullivan.

The story goes that she ran away from home, to join a sister in England. She never went back to Ireland and cut all links with her family. This has made researching my Irish line very difficult. She had a fiery 'difficult' personality, so the info posted about her father, Peter, would seem to give some clues.

If you visit the British Genealogy and Family History Forum and navigate to Ireland >Limerick County-wide > Christopher O'Sullivan, b County Limerick, c1891, you will find my thread on Christopher.

Thank you

The wide-eyed owl

[teejay]

Welcome to this post. We have both spent many years trying to break down this brick wall and at long last the family are beginning to come together. Annie May and Bridget Mary are not  the long lost members any more
Terry

[mattwood]

Hello Jill,

Apologies for not getting back to you sooner, it took me some time to find this message which appears to have been sent some time ago. I had no idea what became of my grandfather's sisters with the exception of Mary Anne who remained a spinster and lived close to her brother caring for their mother until she died in 1964 and Clara who married Cecil Norris in England and had one son William (Billy) Norris who sadly died from cancer aged 21. My mother visited them quite frequently when she came to England to nurse. They lived in Romsey, Hampshire.

It is, therefore, a pleasant surprise to finally discover what became of the other three sisters who all came to England and married Englishmen. It also makes sense of family legend that my Grandfather was very concerned about the blitzing of Britain in the second world war, following with interested concern on the news and in the papers what areas of the country had been bombed. His children found his concern strange and a little obsessive. Now knowing that four of his sisters were living in England makes sense of it all.

I am sending Terry copies of the photographs I have of members of the family. I hope he manages to pass them on to you.

With my regards, Matt Wood

PS If you'd like to know more about my mother and her family please let me know. With the exception of the oldest and youngest sibling they all came to England where they settled and raised families. Aunt's Claire (86) and Anne (88) are the last surviving siblings. My mother Mary Bridget Wood (O'Sullivan) died last May.