Rev William O'Sullivan
Title:
Rev
First Name:
William
Middle Names:
Preferred Name:
Surname:
O'Sullivan
Order:
Date of Birth:
Place of Birth:
Farranfore, Co Kerry
Country of Birth:
Ireland
Date of Ordination:
Place of Ordination:
All Hallows, Dublin
Country of Ordination:
Ireland
Ordination Diocese:
Brisbane
Seminary:
All Hallows College, Drumcondra, Dublin, Ireland
Date of Death:
Place of Death:
Ipswich QLD
Country of Death:
Australia
Date of Burial:
Place of Burial:
Nudgee, Brisbane QLD
Country of Burial:
Australia
Find A Grave URL:
Appointments Table
Diocese | Place | Role | Start Day | Start Month | Start Year | End Day | End Month | End Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brisbane | Roma | 1891 | Priests of 1928 | ||||||
| Brisbane | Charleville | Curate | Priests of 1928 | ||||||
| Brisbane | Charleville | ParishPriest | Priests of 1928 | ||||||
| Brisbane | Mount Perry | Parish Priesy | 1913 | 1917 | Priests of 1928 | ||||
| Brisbane | Booval | Parish Priest | 1918 | Sep | 1930 | Priests of 1928; Gravestone |
Biographical Notes
Fr Denis W. Martin, Priests of 1928, Brisbane, 2003, p 115:
William O'Sullivan
Not so long ago, some visitors from Ireland made a point of going to Booval to see the scene of their great uncle's labours. He was Fr William O'Sullivan, originally from Co. Kerry and ordained at All Hallows in 1890.
'Bill' was yet another of those fresh from the Emerald Isle who embraced the West. He was at Roma from 1891 , then for 20 years at Charleville, most of that time as Parish Priest. Charleville had as outposts Cunnamulla and Thargomindah. His missionary work won the admiration of Archbishop Duhig who recalled: 'In far away Cunnamulla where his study was his buggy shed and where he used to erect his bath in a 50 acre paddock, he laboured without the comforts and conveniences of today. He lived throughout floods, droughts and bush fires and camped by the wayside.
On one occasion from Charleville in the dead of night he cheerfully saddled up a horse to ride 90 miles to a dying parishioner. But it was not once or twice, but dozens of times he made his way through the trackless bush in similar circumstances. He seemed to be chosen by God for the arduous life of a missionary.'
Fr O'Sullivan was Parish Priest of Mt Perry from 1913-1917. It was a thriving town then. Even a few decades later, Bart Frawley had two curates there! From 1918 until his death from pneumonia in St Mary's Hospital, Ipswich, Fr 0'Sullivan was at Booval. He died on 29th September 1930 and was laid to rest at Nudgee.
'He was a man of ardent disposition, of deep faith, and of simple disposition. He was a plain blunt man who possessed magnificent qualities - a man of sterling qualities and character.' [Archbishop Duhig]
(Reproduced by permission of Fr Denis Martin.)
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Prayer Calendar: Deceased Priests who have ministered the Catholic Faith throughout Toowoomba and districts, 1864–2025, Compiled by Annie Carrett, Diocesan Archivist, 2001, Updated by Gabrielle Saide, Diocesan Archivist, 2023:
Rev William D O'Sullivan, died 29 Sep 1930
Born in Ireland and educated at All Hallows, O'Sullivan came to the Brisbane Diocese in 1890. He served in Roma (1890), Charleville, and Cunnamulla. He is buried in Nudgee Cemetery.
(Ref. Linane O241)
Reproduced by permission of Bishop Ken Howell.