The O’Sullivan clan of Cork and Kerry is gearing up for a massive family reunion over the 2026 June Bank Holiday weekend on the Beara Peninsula. With over 630 members already signed up, the event aims to surpass the Gallagher family’s current record for the largest gathering of people with the same surname. To take the title, they need to exceed 1,600 attendees.
Organized by Jim O’Sullivan of Beara Tourism, the event has already garnered support from local officials, including the mayors of Cork and Kerry. The gathering will take place from May 30th to June 2nd, 2026, and will feature a variety of events throughout the weekend.
Jim O’Sullivan is urging Sullivans from all over, especially in Cork, to sign up and spread the word internationally. The event has already received recognition in Ireland’s Seanad, thanks to Senator Garrett Schill.
The surname O’Sullivan, or Ó Súilleabháin in Irish, is derived from the words súil (eye) and abháin (one), meaning “descendant of the one-eyed” or “hawk-eyed.” One of the most famous O’Sullivans in Beara’s history is Donal Cam O’Sullivan Beare, a prominent Irish chieftain. After the Siege of Dunboy in 1602, he led a group of 1,000 followers on a grueling journey to Leitrim, which is now commemorated by the Beara Breifne Way, Ireland’s longest marked walking trail.
The current O’Sullivan clan leader, Kelly O’Sullivan, resides in the USA and is the granddaughter of one of the five Sullivan brothers who died during World War II when their ship was torpedoed. The brothers’ story inspired the film Saving Private Ryan.
The 2026 reunion promises to be a landmark event for the O’Sullivans, filled with festivities that will honor both their heritage and their global connections.
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