O'Sullivan Family Crest mug - O'Sullivan Beara

The O'Sullivan Family Crest mug - O'Sullivan Beara. Beautifully illustrated. Carefully researched. Uniquely personal.

Eminently suited for a proper brew! Whether it’s a gift to mark a milestone birthday, a new home, or Christmas morning — here’s an artwork with history in your hands.

symbolism of the O'Sullivan Beara family crest

The official blazon defines the arms as a quarterly shield divided into alternating squares of black (Sable) and silver (Argent). It is charged with two boars passant counterchanged, meaning the upper boar is silver on a black field and the lower boar is black on a silver field. In the language of traditional arms, a quarterly field represents an established estate or territory, while the boar is a classical Gaelic symbol used to represent a fierce warrior status and resilience under attack. The crest resting above the coronet is identical to the main Mór lineage, displaying the robin holding a green sprig while perched upon a lizard. The family scroll retains the shared historic Gaelic war cry, An lámh fhoisteanach abú.

Artist's Note: While this design is officially recorded by the genealogist John O'Hart and in Burke’s The General Armory, it is absent from early historical printed volumes on Irish heraldry, such as Aaron Crossly’s The Peerage of Ireland, published in 1725 (the first major printed work on Irish heraldic peerages). Edward MacLysaght, Chief Herald of Ireland from 1943 to 1954, classified the entry as problematic. To compound the mystery, a much older 1613 Salamanca portrait of Donal Cam O'Sullivan Beare shows him standing beside a totally different coat of arms. Exactly when this crest first appeared remains an unsolved mystery. My feeling is that it was likely a product of the early Victorian-era boom in commercial genealogy. Throughout the 19th century, Dublin Castle began officially confirming variations of ancient arms for descendants of the "Wild Geese" (Irish families who had fled to Europe or colonies abroad) who were returning to register their lineages. Whatever the case, it's a fine looking crest that has woven its way mysteriously into the Cork side of O'Sullivan story.

Notable

Historical Figures

The historical prominence of this specific armorial line is centered on Donal Cam O'Sullivan Beare (1561–1618), the last independent ruler of the local sept. Following the historic Battle of Kinsale and the prolonged Siege of Dunboy in 1602, his forces were driven from their Cork strongholds. He subsequently led one thousand followers on an epic fourteen-day winter march across Ireland to the safety of Leitrim Castle, surviving constant military ambushes and severe weather. He later immigrated to continental Europe, where King Philip III of Spain recognized his royal lineage and invested him as a knight of the Order of Santiago and the first Count of Birhaven. This version represents the documented armorial lineage for families tracing their ancestry to the Cork sept and the Beara Peninsula.

Product details

• High quality white ceramic mug with the family crest printed two sides
• Dishwasher and microwave safe
• 15 oz mug dimensions: 4.7″ (11.9 cm) in height, 3.3″ (8.5 cm) in diameter

No Warehouses. No Waste. Just for you, made to order

This product is printed especially for you when ordered, one at a time, by royal decree of Mother Nature to keep the realm beautiful. Family Crests Store guarantees your custom treasure meets all EU and USA safety standards.

About the artist

Each coat of arms in the Family Crests Store is an artwork by heraldic artist Éamonn Breathnach. All are carefully researched, drawing from the earliest available records across multiple heraldic archives. Noted for their elegance and attention to detail, these artworks make meaningful gifts for family occasions.

Don’t see your family name?

I’m always happy to add new crests and products to the collection, so please get in touch if you can’t find what you're looking for. ⚜️