Sheehan - Irish Surname Origin & Meaning
Irish form: Ó Síodhacháin
Meaning: “peaceful”
Traditional stronghold: Cork, Limerick
Pronunciation: SHEE-han; Irish Ó Síodhacháin: oh SHEE-uh-khawn
History of the Sheehan name
Ó Síodhacháin comes from síodhach, 'peaceful', and the sept is of Dalcassian origin, kin to the O'Briens of Thomond. From an early base in the lower Shannon region the Sheehans moved south, and by the late Middle Ages the name was rooted in Limerick and north Cork, where it remains heavily concentrated; Kerry also has many Sheehans. Some served as hereditary trumpeters to the O'Briens, a rare specialised office in the Gaelic order. The name suffered heavily in the Famine counties and spread widely through Britain and America, where Sheehans became prominent in journalism, politics and the Church.
Variants: Sheahan · Sheehy · O'Sheehan
Famous bearers of the name
- Canon Patrick Augustine Sheehan - Doneraile parish priest and novelist, author of My New Curate and Glenanaar.
- D. D. Sheehan - Cork MP and labour organiser who won land and housing reform for rural workers.
- Neil Sheehan - Pulitzer-winning American journalist, son of Irish immigrants, who obtained the Pentagon Papers.
Related names from the same part of Ireland: Murphy · O'Brien · Ryan · O'Sullivan · McCarthy · Daly · Collins · Fitzgerald