Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Sullivan, Robert
SULLIVAN, ROBERT (1800–1868), educational writer, son of Daniel Sullivan, a publican, was born in Holywood, co. Down, in January 1800. He was educated at the Belfast Academical Institute and at Trinity College, Dublin, where he graduated B.A. in 1829, M.A. in 1832, LL.B. and LL.D. in 1850. On the introduction of national education into Ireland he was appointed an inspector of schools, and was afterwards transferred to the training department as professor of English literature. He died in Dublin on 11 July 1868, and was buried at Holywood.
Sullivan was author of: 1. ‘A Manual of Etymology,’ Dublin, 1831, 12mo. 2. ‘A Dictionary of Derivations,’ Dublin, 1834, 12mo; 12th ed. 1870. 3. ‘Lectures and Letters on Popular Education,’ 1842, 12mo. 4. ‘The Spelling Book Superseded,’ Dublin, 1842, 12mo; 130th ed. 1869. 5. ‘Orthography and Etymology,’ 6th ed. 1844, 16mo. 6. ‘A Dictionary of the English Language,’ Dublin, 1847, 12mo; 23rd ed. by Dr. Patrick Weston Joyce, 1877. 7. ‘The Literary Class Book,’ Dublin, 1850, 16mo; 11th ed. 1868. 8. ‘An Attempt to simplify English Grammar,’ 17th ed. Dublin, 1852, 12mo; 85th ed. 1869. 9. ‘Geography Generalised,’ 17th ed. Dublin, 1853, 8vo; 71st ed. 1887, 8vo. 10. ‘An Introduction to Geography,’ 23rd ed. Dublin, 1853, 12mo; 92nd ed. 1869. 11. ‘Manual of Etymology,’ 1860, 16mo. 12. ‘Papers on Popular Education,’ Dublin, 1863, 8vo. 13. ‘Words spelled in Two or More Ways,’ London, 1867, 8vo.
[Webb's Compendium of Irish Biography, p. 504; O'Donoghue's Irish Poets, iii. 238; Allibone's Dict. of Engl. Lit.; Graduates of Dublin University, p. 549.]