This giant gathering has now been officially recorded by Guinness World Records as the largest gathering of people with the same last name. (Photo: Peter Murphy/AFP)
Nearly 2,000 people with the surnames O’Sullivan and Sullivan gathered from far and wide at the picturesque coastal town of Castletownbere in the south-west of the county Cork last weekend to make history.
This giant gathering has now been officially recorded by Guinness World Records as the largest gathering of people with the same last name.
Representatives of this world-renowned organization were themselves on the scene to verify the complicated counting process and validate the milestone. The crowd cheered loudly when the big news was finally announced on the school’s sports field.
“With a grand total of 1,848, the O’Sullivan clan are the new Guinness World Record holders, congratulations!” announced an official over the sound system to the raucous crowd.
Gallaghers must bend the knee
With this remarkable feat, the Sullivans rewrote the record books and dethroned another very common Irish surname. The previous record had been held by the Gallagher family since 2007, when 1,488 participants gathered in the county of Donegal in the northwest of Ireland. However, this did not stop the Sullivans from improving this record almost two decades later.
The surnames O’Sullivan and Sullivan may be commonplace in the south-west of Ireland and specifically in the Cork area, but the rally proved that the family ties stretch across oceans. The numbers were significantly boosted by members of the huge international Irish diaspora who signed up with passports in hand to prove their surname was indeed the right one.
Across the ocean for a last name
For many of the visitors, the event was an emotional and almost unreal experience. This was especially the case for the many Americans who embarked on the long journey across the Atlantic Ocean to be part of the record attempt.
Kevin Sullivan, a 75-year-old retired IT executive from Boston, could hardly believe his eyes when he watched the masses of people move through the local elementary school where the entire event was coordinated.
“Where I come from in Boston, there are an awful lot of us Sullivans, but this one is simply incredible. Everyone I look at here knows I’m a Sullivan or an O’Sullivan, so it’s an incredible feeling,” he said with a broad smile.
Mary Sullivan, another American of Irish descent, also made no secret of her excitement and the effort she made to be there.
“I traveled more than 3,000 miles away to join this record attempt,” she said excitedly about her journey to the land of her ancestors.
Strict rules and clan chief’s blessing
The logistics behind such a world record is no easy task. Participants first had to walk through special turnstiles to get a preliminary score, after which officials systematically moved through the groups on the school’s football field for the final, official score.
The entire gathering was led and hosted by the official clan chief of the family, Kelly Sullivan. She received her national chain of office already in 2023 in Boston and was clearly emotional about the huge success of the day.
“I feel blessed to have been able to grow up as part of the wider Sullivan-O’Sullivan family; we are a team that just can’t be beaten,” she addressed the crowd from the stage.
Rain could not dampen enthusiasm
However, it wasn’t all moonlight and roses, because the typical Irish weather almost put a damper on the plans in the morning. The main organizer of the event, Jim O’Sullivan, who is from Castletownbere himself, admitted that the early morning shower had given him chills.
“But people turned up in droves, and we did. So we ask the Gallaghers, get back on your shoulders for now. Next time you’ll beat us!” he said jokingly about the fierce but friendly competition between the Irish surnames.
Among those who traveled the furthest was Michel Sanchez O’Sullivan. His grandfather was originally an O’Sullivan from New York who later settled in Mexico. For the 35-year-old Michel, the event was a way to introduce his little daughter, Olivia, to her deepest roots.
“As far as we know, we are the only O’Sullivans in Mexico, it’s great to be here to explore my Irish roots and meet the rest of the family!” he said in Castletownbere’s main street as he carried little Olivia on his shoulders.