Sheehey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

The Irish name Sheehey is derived from the Gaelic "Mac Sithigh," which is probably derived from "sithigh," meaning "peace." 1

Early Origins of the Sheehey family

The surname Sheehey was first found in Limerick (Irish: Luimneach) located in Southwestern Ireland, in the province of Munster, where they have held a family seat from ancient times and it is said that they arrived in Limerick about 1400, having come from the north where they were a branch of the McDonnells of Antrim. The sept were "gallowglasses," mercenary soldiers who fought for kings and chiefs. In Limerick they served the Earl of Desmond and held a family seat near the town of Rathkeale. 2

Early History of the Sheehey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sheehey research. Another 139 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1642, 1728, 1766, 1841, 1844, 1885, 1900, 1903, 1917, 1918 and 1932 are included under the topic Early Sheehey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sheehey Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Sheehy, McSheehy, MacSheehy, Sheehey, Sheehee, McSheehey, McSheehee, MacSheehey, MacSheehee, O'Sheehy and many more.

Early Notables of the Sheehey family

Notable amongst the family name at this time was Bernard (Brian) McSheehy, Adjutant General, Aide-de-Camp to Napoleon.Father Nicholas Sheehy (1728-1766) was an Irish Roman Catholic priest who was executed on the charge of being an accessory to murder. He was a prominent and vocal opponent of the Penal Laws, which subjected the Catholic Church in Ireland to religious persecution. His conviction is generally thought to have been a miscarriage of justice. He is regarded as...
Another 75 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Sheehey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sheehey migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Sheehey Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mary Sheehey, who landed in New York, NY in 1816 3
Roger Sheehey, who arrived in Maine in 1854
Edward Sheehey, who arrived in Illinois in 1856-1864 3

Sheehey migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Sheehey Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Mary Sheehey, who died en route to Quebec in 1847
Miss. Bridget Sheehey, aged 4 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Champion" departing 13th July 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 28th August 1847 but she died on board 4
Mrs. Mary Sheehey, aged 24 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Champion" departing 13th July 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 28th August 1847 but she died on board 4
Mr. Thomas Sheehey, aged 30 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Champion" departing 13th July 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 28th August 1847 but he died on board 4

Sheehey migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Sheehey Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

John Sheehey, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Berar" in 1865
Elizabeth Sheehey, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Berar" in 1865

Contemporary Notables of the name Sheehey (post 1700) +

John William Sheehey (b. 1886), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Vermont State House of Representatives from Fairfax, 1910 5

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
MacLysaght, Edward, Supplement to Irish Families. Baltimore: Genealogical Book Company, 1964. Print.
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 95)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 22) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html