Clan Rising

O'Shea

also Shea, Ó Séaghdha

Stately ones — lords of Iveragh.

Territory of O'Shea

CoreHistoric reach

The seat of O'Shea

Seat vacant

Chief

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Current mission

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What does the O'Shea name mean?

From Ó Séaghdha — descendant of Séaghdha ('hawk-like' or 'stately'). The Ó Séaghdha were the principal sept of Iveragh — the great peninsula of south Kerry running from Killorglin to Cahersiveen and Valentia Island. Their stronghold was at Ballycarbery Castle on the Cahersiveen coast, in continuous Ó Séaghdha possession from the 13th century to the Cromwellian confiscation. The Anglicised O'Shea remained densely Kerry-rooted into the modern era, with secondary concentration in west Cork.

The history of O'Shea

The Iveragh Ó Séaghdha were one of the senior Munster septs, holding their lordship under the MacCarthy Mór kings of Desmond from the 13th century to the Tudor era. The chiefly seat at Ballycarbery, the smaller fortress at Castlecove, and the family lands across the modern peninsula passed through formal surrender-and-regrant under Henry VIII (1543) but were lost in the Cromwellian settlement. The Ó Séaghdha remained densely planted across Iveragh through every subsequent census; the modern Kerry-O'Shea diaspora is heaviest in the New York and Boston Catholic Irish communities.

Katharine 'Kitty' O'Shea (1846–1921) was the long-term partner and (after 1891) wife of Charles Stewart Parnell, the leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party; their relationship became public during her husband Captain William O'Shea's 1889 divorce petition, and the resulting scandal split the Irish nationalist movement and effectively ended Parnell's political career. Milo O'Shea (1926–2013), the Dublin-born actor, played opposite Vanessa Redgrave in Ulysses (1967) and the Pope in The Verdict (1982); his face is one of the visual signatures of mid-20th-century Irish-Hollywood character acting. Tessa O'Shea (1913–1995), the Cardiff-born singer and entertainer, was 'Two-Ton Tessa' of the British music halls.

Notable bearers of the O'Shea name

  • Katharine O'Shea (1846–1921) — partner and later wife of Charles Stewart Parnell
  • Milo O'Shea (1926–2013) — actor (Ulysses, The Verdict)
  • Tessa O'Shea (1913–1995) — Welsh singer and entertainer

Frequently asked

What does the surname O'Shea mean?

From Ó Séaghdha — descendant of Séaghdha ('hawk-like' or 'stately'). The Ó Séaghdha were the principal sept of Iveragh — the great peninsula of south Kerry running from Killorglin to Cahersiveen and Valentia Island. Their stronghold was at Ballycarbery Castle on the Cahersiveen coast, in continuous Ó Séaghdha possession from the 13th century to the Cromwellian confiscation. The Anglicised O'Shea remained densely Kerry-rooted into the modern era, with secondary concentration in west Cork.

Where does the O'Shea family come from?

The O'Shea family was historically based in Munster in Ireland, in particular Kerry.

Who are some famous O'Sheas?

Notable bearers of the O'Shea name include Katharine O'Shea (1846–1921) — partner and later wife of Charles Stewart Parnell, Milo O'Shea (1926–2013) — actor (Ulysses, The Verdict) and Tessa O'Shea (1913–1995) — Welsh singer and entertainer.

Is Shea the same family as O'Shea?

Yes. Shea and Ó Séaghdha are historical spelling variants of the O'Shea name. They share the same lineage and clan affiliation.

Neighbouring clans