Sheehan Family Crest, Coat of Arms & Sheehan Name Origin

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Origin of the Name Sheehan

The ancient history of the name Sheehan was found in the allfamilycrests.com archives. Variants of the Irish name Sheehan include Sheahan, Sheen and Shine. These names are derived from the Gaelic O'Siodhachain sept that was located in County Limerick in the west of the country. A sept or clan was a collective term describing a group of persons whose immediate ancestors bore a common surname and inhabited the same territory. There were two main septs, the first of which was of the Ui Maine, and who were hereditary trumpeters to the O'Kellys in mediaeval times. The second sept was of Dalcassian origin, their Chief being seated at Lower Connello in Limerick. Distinguished persons of the name include Canon Patrick Augustine Sheehan, 1852-1913, who was author of 'My New Castle', and Michael Sheehan, 1870-1945, who was Archbishop of Sydney. In modern times the majority of Sheehans are found in Counties Cork, Kerry and Limerick.