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Jack Sullivan (= Sean a' Choill O'Sullivan of Caolrua, Kilcatherine, c. 1859-1918; drowned 12 Nov 1918)

family confidence: 0 — not family / context

Nephew of person_james_m_mccarthy_centennial_brewing of Butte. Famous Beara athlete — former all-around champion of West Cork. Drowned in the Kilcatherine fishing-boat accident of 11 November 1918. 2026-09-26: identified by Norelene O'Dwyer (9 Sept 2022, quoted by Emma Verling 30 Oct 2022) as Sean a' Choill ("Sean of the Wood") O'Sullivan of Caolrua (Coill Rua), the oldest of the five drowned, aged 59; his farm is worked by his great-grandson. The five victims of the night of 11-12 Nov 1918 are listed in the Annals of Beara II pp. 412-13 and in Riobard O Dwyer's "The Dream". His sister Nora was the second wife of Jack (Dorohy) O'Sullivan, whose first wife was Mary Murphy (b. Dec 1846), daughter of Seamus Mor Murphy of Ballycrovane (Annals II p. 270 B). See research/docs/beara-kin-thread-2026-09-26.md.

Facts

Each fact shows how sure the archive is of it (0–100) and the sources it rests on.

Birth:: unknown date, Kilcatherine (parish) 502018 — Norelene O'Dwyer, 'The Ballycrovane Seine Fishing Tragedy, 1918', centenary article in the annual Christmas newsletter (Ardgroom/Eyeries), 2018No birth record. 'Aged 59' at his death (the 2018 article; Norelene O'Dwyer, 2022), so born about 1859. That he was born in Caolrua, where he lived, is likely but not stated.
Death:: 1918-11-12, Kilcatherine (parish) 952018 — Norelene O'Dwyer, 'The Ballycrovane Seine Fishing Tragedy, 1918', centenary article in the annual Christmas newsletter (Ardgroom/Eyeries), 2018; undated — Riobárd Ó Dwyer, "Who Were My Ancestors? Annals of Beara," Volume II; 1918-12-10 — The Anaconda Standard, p.7; 1918-12-10 — The Butte Miner, p.5; 2025-01-10 — Emma Verling's English translation of Martin's "Gort Broc" (Badger's Field), story 102, "The Sinking of the Béal a' Chrobháin Follower"Drowned off Pointe Ranna coming back from seine fishing (Annals p. 412; the 2018 article; the Butte dailies give Nov. 11, the night the crew went out).
Residence:: Kilcatherine (parish)

Date	Fact	Conf.	Sources
1918	residence · Caolrua, Kilcatherine (Kilcatherine (parish)) Annals p. 412 and the 2018 article.	100	undated — Riobárd Ó Dwyer, "Who Were My Ancestors? Annals of Beara," Volume II; 2018 — Norelene O'Dwyer, 'The Ballycrovane Seine Fishing Tragedy, 1918', centenary article in the annual Christmas newsletter (Ardgroom/Eyeries), 2018
1918-11-12	description · aged 59, 'the oldest' in the boat Norelene O'Dwyer's article; no record.	75	2018 — Norelene O'Dwyer, 'The Ballycrovane Seine Fishing Tragedy, 1918', centenary article in the annual Christmas newsletter (Ardgroom/Eyeries), 2018
1918-11-12	description · left a wife and 10 children (2018 article); 'left six children and his wife behind' (Gort Broc) The two accounts disagree on the number of children.	50	2018 — Norelene O'Dwyer, 'The Ballycrovane Seine Fishing Tragedy, 1918', centenary article in the annual Christmas newsletter (Ardgroom/Eyeries), 2018; 2025-01-10 — Emma Verling's English translation of Martin's "Gort Broc" (Badger's Field), story 102, "The Sinking of the Béal a' Chrobháin Follower"
1918-12-10	description · nephew of James M. McCarthy (Anaconda Standard) or James J. McCarthy (Butte Miner), secretary of the Centennial Brewing company, Butte, who received the news by letter from Cork (Butte, Montana) Both papers, from one letter. For a man of 59 the uncle would be about 70 or older: possible, not checked.	50	1918-12-10 — The Anaconda Standard, p.7; 1918-12-10 — The Butte Miner, p.5
—	name · Sean (a Chaoil) O'Sullivan (Annals); Sean (a'Chaoil) Sullivan (2018 article); 'Jack Sullivan' in the Butte papers Sean is John, Jack in English; only one O'Sullivan was among the dead.	95	undated — Riobárd Ó Dwyer, "Who Were My Ancestors? Annals of Beara," Volume II; 2018 — Norelene O'Dwyer, 'The Ballycrovane Seine Fishing Tragedy, 1918', centenary article in the annual Christmas newsletter (Ardgroom/Eyeries), 2018; 1918-12-10 — The Anaconda Standard, p.7; 1918-12-10 — The Butte Miner, p.5
—	description · 'a noted athlete, and in past years had held the all-around championship of West Cork' (Anaconda Standard); 'a famous athlete' (Butte Miner) Two papers from one letter from Cork. the Butte Independent of 14 Dec 1918, p. 1 (not filed as a source; OCR text in research/docs/butte-independent-search-2026-09-26.md) says the same man was the best all-round athlete in Berehaven or West Cork 'in his younger days', which fits a man of 59.	75	1918-12-10 — The Anaconda Standard, p.7; 1918-12-10 — The Butte Miner, p.5
—	description · father of Denny O'Sullivan, Caolrua Annals p. 412.	75	undated — Riobárd Ó Dwyer, "Who Were My Ancestors? Annals of Beara," Volume II
—	description · his sister Nora became the second wife of Jack (Dorohy) O'Sullivan of Deargrua, whose first wife was Mary Murphy (b. Dec 1846), daughter of Seamus Mor Murphy (person_mary_murphy_by_unknown_gedcom) Annals (B)(1), both copies. His only tie to James's family, and not kinship.	75	undated — Riobárd Ó Dwyer, "Who Were My Ancestors? Annals of Beara," Volume II (Norelene O'Dwyer's printed copy; a different setting from the repository's screenshot copy); undated — Riobárd Ó Dwyer, "Who Were My Ancestors? Annals of Beara," Volume II

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Sources linking to this person

<25 — Namesake / flag / context — 9

undated — Riobárd Ó Dwyer, "Who Were My Ancestors? Annals of Beara," Volume II (Norelene O'Dwyer's printed copy; a different setting from the repository's screenshot copy)Annals of Beara Vol II, MURPHY (BALLYCROVANE): the whole (A)-(C) opening in Norelene O'Dwyer's copy, adding the thirteenth child of Jim and Julia, Julia (Sept. 25th 1909)
role: brother_of_nora_second_wife_of_jack · identity 95 family confidence on this source: 0 · as printed: Sean (a Choill) O'Sullivan, Caolrua
Identity: Norelene's copy of the same entry.
undated — Riobárd Ó Dwyer, "Who Were My Ancestors? Annals of Beara," Volume IIAnnals of Beara Vol II, p.270 sections (A)-(C): Patrick Murphy of Ballycrovane → Seamus Mór Murphy + Peig Uonhi → Jim Murphy + Julia O'Sullivan (Seer)
role: brother_of_nora_second_wife_of_jack · identity 95 family confidence on this source: 0 · as printed: Sean (a Choill) O'Sullivan, Caolrua
Identity: Same by-name and townland; named as Nora's brother in Seamus Mor's entry.
undated — Riobárd Ó Dwyer, "Who Were My Ancestors? Annals of Beara," Volume IIAnnals of Beara Vol II, p.412: JOHNNY O'DWYER & ELLEN LYNCH (CAOLRUA) — 14 children incl. Robert (1918 Pointe Ranna drowning victim, IRA Ballycrovane Co. captain) + the 1921 Black-and-Tans house-burning during the War of Independence
role: 1918_pointe_ranna_drowning_victim · identity 100 family confidence on this source: 0 · as printed: Sean (a Chaoil) O'Sullivan
Identity: Named among the four men drowned with Robert O'Dwyer.
1918-12-10 — The Anaconda Standard, p.7ONLY ONE SURVIVES IN PARTY OF SIX
role: drowning_victim · identity 95 family confidence on this source: 0 · as printed: Jack Sullivan
Identity: 'Jack Sullivan', drowned in the Kilcatherine accident: the only O'Sullivan among the dead, and the athlete 'in past years' fits a man of 59; Norelene O'Dwyer made the same identification.
1918-12-10 — The Butte Miner, p.5M'CARTHY'S NEPHEW IS DROWNED NEAR IRELAND
role: drowning_victim · identity 95 family confidence on this source: 0 · as printed: Jack Sullivan
Identity: Same report.
1918-12-14 — The Butte Independent, p.1Irish Fishing Village Is Shrouded in Gloom of Sad Drowning Fatality.
role: drowned · identity 85 family confidence on this source: 0 · as printed: [the] deceased man ... of powerful physique
Identity: The older victim, once the best all-round athlete in Berehaven or West Cork, is the Jack Sullivan of the dailies (former all-around champion of West Cork), that is Sean a' Choill O'Sullivan. His name falls outside the text recovered.
1999 — 'Stories as told by Riobard O'Dwyer', on the IRL-KERRY pages at RootsWeb; first sent by him to the IRL-KERRY mailing listRiobard O Dwyer, 'The Dream': his uncle Robert and the four men drowned with him off Pointe Ranna, 12 Nov 1918
role: drowned · identity 100 family confidence on this source: 0 · as printed: Sean (a Choill) O'Sullivan of Caolrua
Identity: The same man, date and place as the record.
2018 — Norelene O'Dwyer, 'The Ballycrovane Seine Fishing Tragedy, 1918', centenary article in the annual Christmas newsletter (Ardgroom/Eyeries), 2018Norelene O'Dwyer's 2018 centenary article on the Ballycrovane seine-fishing tragedy: the five dead with ages, and the survivor Patie Healy, 19
role: drowned_aged_59 · identity 100 family confidence on this source: 0 · as printed: Sean (a'Chaoil) Sullivan, Caolrua, aged 59 yrs.
Identity: 'Sean (a'Chaoil) Sullivan, Caolrua, aged 59 yrs.'
2025-01-10 — Emma Verling's English translation of Martin's "Gort Broc" (Badger's Field), story 102, "The Sinking of the Béal a' Chrobháin Follower"The seanchaí's account of the Ballycrovane follower lost in November 1918, in Emma Verling's translation from 'Gort Broc'
role: the_osullivan_who_left_six_children · identity 90 family confidence on this source: 0
Identity: 'a man of the O Suilleabhain family ... left six children and his wife behind': the only O'Sullivan among the dead, though the number of children differs from the article's 10.