Home › Irish Surnames › Sheehy

Irish surname

Sheehy: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Mac Síthigh; also Ó Síthigh · 'son of Sítheach' (peaceful); Ó Síthigh gives 'descendant of Sítheach' (peaceful)

Woulfe (1923) gives Sheehy as an anglicised form of Mac Síthigh, 'son of Sítheach' (peaceful), 'a branch of the MacDonnells of Scotland, descended from Sítheach, great-grandson of Domhnall, the ancestor from whom that family took its name.' The MacSheehys, he says, 'were famous as gallowglasses, and as such were employed in various parts of Ireland in the 14th and two succeeding centuries', and in 1420 they came to Munster and settled in Co. Limerick as constables to the Earl of Desmond. Woulfe also anglicises Ó Síthigh, 'descendant of Sítheach', as Sheehy, found 'here and there in Munster', calling it 'doubtless, the same as Mac Síthigh ... by substitution of Ó for Mac'. He says the name 'is now almost peculiar to Munster'. In 1890 there were 55 Sheehy birth entries in Ireland including spelling varieties, 54 of them spelled Sheehy, principally found 22 in Kerry, 15 in Limerick, and 9 in Cork.

Shop Sheehy crest giftsRead the history
Coat of arms associated with the Sheehy surname
Irish formMac Síthigh; also Ó Síthigh
Meaning'son of Sítheach' (peaceful); Ó Síthigh gives 'descendant of Sítheach' (peaceful)
CountiesLimerick, Kerry, Cork
Other spellings3
Welcome offer $10 off orders of $20 or more with code WELCOME10 One use per customer. Cannot be combined with other offers.

Sheehy crest gifts

Clan Sheehy Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap HL26 Sheehy Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Sheehy Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap$33.45Clan Sheehy Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapOS71 Classic Cap - Sheehy Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Sheehy Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap$42.45Sheehy Irish coat of arms glass ornaments, heart and round, hanging on a Christmas treeSheehy Coat of Arms – Irish Family Crest Glass Ornament$24.99Sheehy Irish coat of arms acrylic ornament hanging on a Christmas treeSheehy Coat of Arms – Irish Family Crest Ornament$19.99

Origin of the Sheehy name

Woulfe: Mac Síthigh, 'son of Sítheach', a branch of the MacDonnells of Scotland descended from Sítheach, great-grandson of Domhnall; famous as gallowglasses in Ireland in the 14th–16th centuries. In 1420 they came to Munster and settled in Co. Limerick as constables to the Earl of Desmond, building the castle of Lisnacolla (Woodfort), parish of Clonagh.[1]

  1. 1367Four Masters: William Mac Sheehy was slain in a battle 'near Ballysodare, Co. Sligo' (Woulfe).[4][1]
  2. 1420Woulfe: the MacSheehys came to Munster, settling in Co. Limerick as constables to the Earl of Desmond.[1]
  3. 1522Four Masters: 'the gallowglasses of the province of Leinster, of the Clann-Donnell and Clann-Sheehy' came to O'Neill.[5]
  4. 1535Four Masters: 'a large battalion of the Clann-Sheehy' was slain in a battle won by Mac Auliffe.[6]
  5. 1597Four Masters: three Mac Sheehys were executed by the English for 'war and insurrection'.[7]
  6. 1600Four Masters: Rory Mac Sheehy, 'Chief Constable of the Geraldines', died.[8]
  7. 189055 Sheehy birth entries in Ireland including spelling varieties (54 spelled Sheehy), 22 in Kerry.[3][10]

Where in Ireland

Co. LimerickWoulfe: settled here in 1420 as constables to the Earl of Desmond; 15 of the 55 Sheehy entries in 1890.[1][3]
Co. Kerry22 of the 55 Sheehy birth entries in Ireland in 1890.[3]
Co. Cork9 of the 55 Sheehy birth entries in Ireland in 1890.[3]

Notable people named Sheehy

Rev. Nicholas Sheehy1728–1766Catholic priest born at Fethard; executed at Clonmel, 15 March 1766, on a disputed murder charge.[9]

Other spellings

MacSheehy · M'Shee · O Shehy[1]

Scottish connection

Woulfe describes the gallowglass Mac Síthigh family as 'a branch of the MacDonnells of Scotland, descended from Sítheach, great-grandson of Domhnall, the ancestor from whom that family took its name.'[1]

The Sheehy coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the Sheehy surname. In Irish and British heraldry a coat of arms is granted to one person and passes to their heirs; it does not belong to everyone who shares the surname. Many families still use the arms of their name as a symbol of their heritage.

Sheehy surname: questions

What does the surname Sheehy mean?

Woulfe gives Sheehy as an anglicised form of Mac Síthigh, 'son of Sítheach' (peaceful); a Munster family, Ó Síthigh, 'descendant of Sítheach', also anglicises to Sheehy.[1][2]

Is Sheehy a Scottish or an Irish name?

Woulfe describes the Mac Síthigh gallowglass family as 'a branch of the MacDonnells of Scotland', but by 1420 they had settled in Co. Limerick, and Woulfe says the name is now 'almost peculiar to Munster'.[1]

Where in Ireland is the Sheehy name from?

Woulfe: the MacSheehys settled in Co. Limerick in 1420 as constables to the Earl of Desmond, building the castle of Lisnacolla near Rathkeale. In 1890 the name was concentrated in Kerry, Limerick and Cork.[1][3]

What were the MacSheehys known for?

Woulfe says the MacSheehys 'were famous as gallowglasses, and as such were employed in various parts of Ireland in the 14th and two succeeding centuries'.[1]

Sources

  1. Mac Síthigh — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macs/mac-sithigh.php
  2. Ó Síthigh — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/os/o-sithigh.php
  3. Sheehy — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/sheehy.php
  4. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1367 (part 20) — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005C/text020.html
  5. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1522 (part 3) — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005E/text003.html
  6. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1535 (part 4) — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005E/text004.html
  7. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1597 (part 9) — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005F/text009.html
  8. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1600 (part 12) — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005F/text012.html
  9. Sheehy, Rev. Nicholas — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/RevNicholasSheehy.php
  10. Table Explanation - Birth Indexes of 1890 - Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/table-explanation.php

Note: Matheson's 1890 figures for a surname include its spelling varieties (Matheson, Table Explanation).