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The McSheehy family is a branch of the Scottish clan MacDonnell. Our clan came from a descendant of this powerful clan around the 11^th century. The name Mac Sheehy comes from the Gaelic spelling Síothaigh, Sithaigh or Sitigh, meaning peace or peaceful. An interesting name considering they were galloglass warriors (gallóglaigh).

Galloglass warriors were mercenary men of mixed Norse and Gaelic decent, predominantly Clan Donald decent. They were ruthless warriors feared for their brutality on the battlefield. The English feared the sight of the gallóglaigh and their metal armor helmets, wielding a sparth axe (18” curved axe blade fixed on a 6’ long pole) or claymore swords. With the sparth axe they would bring down a rider and his horse or break the opponents lance or sword finishing them of in ruthless savagery many times decapitating their opponents.

The McSheehy family was one of only a few galloglass families; an elite fighting force entered into only by birth. It was this hereditary service that brought the McSheehy’s to Ireland and eventually to Muenster to serve the Earl of Desmond, head of the Norman family Fitzgerald.

            The McSheehy’s came into the service of the Earl of Desmond through the marriage of Mary, the daughter of McWilliam-Burke of Clanrickarde in Conaught in 1420. As with other galloglass warriors they were paid with land and cattle. This is probably how they came to rest near Rathkeale, Co. Limerick. It’s here that you can find the remains of three castle's originally granted to the McSheehy family with the land surrounding them by the Fitzgerald family. I have only been to see one of them and it is the most intact castle remaining. It isn't very easy to find, even when you know where it is, but if you get close and ask one of the older residence there about the Lisnacullia Castle (Gaelic for "Fort of the Woods") they'll get you heading in the right direction. I suggest giving notice before visiting there. If you e-mail me I will try to get you in touch with the family that owns the land there now.

            These castles were defensive fortifications for Castle Matrix; one of the seats for the family of the Earl of Desmond (Fitzgerald). They would send up a smoke signal to the other castles in the event of an attack. The family members from the other castle's would come in defense of the castle under attack. I wonder if that is what had happened during the attack that blew the battlements off of Lisnacullia Castle. Chances are that the inhabitance here went to the aid of one of the other castle's and a later cannon dispatch was sent to destroy the walls and blow off the battlements, preventing it from being used as a defensive fortification again. (Galloglass History) I am still trying to find documentation of what ensued there.

            Standing on the third story of the remains of this castle, you can look out over the surrounding area and see the outline of a mote, that has since been filled and remnants of walls that once surrounded this five-story fortress. This fortress was no match for the English cannons. It was during the Geraldine rebellion around 1570's that most of the lands from the House of Desmond were confiscated. This is most likely when the castle's where abandoned.

The McSheehy and McSweeny clan fought with the Earls of Desmond to help establish their authority in Muenster and later against the English and their regents, who were trying to regain authority over the Norman Earls, who had settled in Ireland. Many of the Norman’s who had settled in Ireland (such as the Fitzgerald family) had melded with the Gaelic culture and had gained a sense of independence from England by the 15^th  and 16th century. This independence threatened England’s rule in Ireland. 

In the 16th century war boiled over in Muenster for power and land between the English and the Gaelic-Norman families. The English wanted to put an end to all things Irish and make Ireland theirs. One way of doing this was to colonize. During this period, the McSheehy and McSweeny family decimated an entire township populated by the English in Kilmallock. They brutally treated all of their captives. From this it is said that the McSheehys gained a reputation for their brutality and became enemies of the crown. It is during this time frame the English under the reign of Queen Elizabeth took over the lands of the Earl of Desmond and evicted the McSheehy family from their lands including Lisnacullia Castle. These lands were given to several English families who were told not to marry nor convey any lands to the Irish. Sir Walter Raleigh was given the lands surrounding Rathheale and Castle Matrix, including the lands where the McSheehy's lived and served the Fitzgerald family. (Fitzgerald History in Munster)

The gallowglass warriors disappeared as a feared fighting force with the use of cannons and rifles, but they continued as soldiers and mercenaries in other lands; many leaving during the Flight of the Geese. Of this group several distinguished themselves in France. Bernard (Brian) McSheehy, Adjutant General, Aid-de-Camp to Napoleon, died fighting beside Napoleon at Eylau and Sir John Desmond McSheehy was an officer of the Legion of Honour, a colonel in the French Army.

Many of the McSheehy's who stayed in Ireland eventually ended up in county Kerry where the use of the Gaelic “Mc” would fall from the name in Ireland. The Sheehy family continued their fight, as did many other Irish, but now it was a fight for survival in a world dominated by England. The English authority in Ireland spent the next 200 years trying to stamp out all things Irish, by taking over their lands, limiting education and forcing the Irish into poverty. It was this world created by the English that one of my direct ancestors, John Sheehy, tried to escape. He successfully sent his wife and four sons to Quebec and later America, where they would build a life from scratch. Somewhere where hard work could offer hope.

Many of the McSheehy's in the northeastern United States come from son's of John Sheehy. If you would like to know more about them and their history I could put you in touch with one of my cousins who has worked hard to put that history together. I don't want to jeopardize the work that she has done by posting that information here. My contact information is below. Feel free to contact me via e-mail.  

The above paragraphs are just a brief summation of instances in history that show the English struggle to gain authority in Ireland, showing how the McSheehy family played a role in Irish history, how they ended up in the South of Ireland and how my branch of the family came to be in America. Please note that this is not a historical document, but a summation of other sources that I have pieced together. I have not researched my sources to validate their findings, but others are working hard to do just that. This web site is to fuel the curiosity that you may already have. I encourage you to challenge what I have found and add to it, your own findings.