Ó Seachnasaigh, O'Shaughnessy, collectively Uí Sheachnasaigh, clan name Cinél nAedha na hEchtghe, is a family surname of Irish origin. The name is found primarily in

County Galway County Galway ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Northern and Western Region, taking up the south of the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht. The county population was 276,451 at the 20 ...

and

County Limerick County Limerick () is a western Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West Region, Ireland, Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Reg ...

. Their name derives from

Seachnasach mac Donnchadh Seachnasach mac Donnchadh () was an ancestor to the family of O'Shaughnessy. Seachnasach was a member of the Uí Fiachrach Aidhne dynasty, formerly Kings of Connacht. By the 23rd century their power had been reduced to Aidhne, a small kingdom ...

, a 10th-century member of the

Uí Fiachrach Aidhne Uí Fhiachrach Aidhne (also known as Hy Fiachrach) was a kingdom located in what is now the south of County Galway. Legendary origins and geography Originally known as Aidhne, it was said to have been settled by the mythical Fir Bolg. Dubhalta ...

, which the Ó Seachnasaigh were the senior clan of. The town of

Gort Gort ( or ) is a town of around 2,800 inhabitants in County Galway in the west of Ireland. Located near the border with County Clare, the town lies between the Burren and the Slieve Aughty and is served by the R458 road (Ireland), R458 and R460 ...

, Ireland, was the main residence of the family since at least the time of their ancestor, King

Guaire Aidne mac Colmáin Guaire Aidne mac Colmáin (died 663) was a king of Connacht. A member of the Ui Fiachrach Aidhne and son of king Colmán mac Cobthaig (died 622). Guaire ruled at the height of Ui Fiachrach Aidne power in south Connacht. Early reign Guaire ap ...

Naming conventions

History

Up until the late 17th century the Ó Seachnasaighs held the sub-district of

known as

Cenél Áeda na hEchtge Cenél Áeda na hEchtge (also Cenél Áeda, Kenloth, Kinalethes, Kenealea, Kinelea) was a trícha cét (later a cantred, (a branch of the Uí Fiachrach Aidhne) and which was the original formation of the southern part of the barony (Ireland), bar ...

(modern Irish, Cinéal nAedha na hEchtghe), meaning "kindred of Aedh of the

Slieve Aughty The Slieve Aughty () are a mountain range in the western part of Ireland spread over both County Galway and County Clare. The highest peak in the Slieve Aughty Mountains is Maghera in Clare which rises to 400 m (1,314 ft). The mountai ...

", which was also their clan name. Cinéal nAedha na hEchtghe / Kinelea consisted roughly of the

civil parishes In England, a civil parish is a type of Parish (administrative division), administrative parish used for Local government in England, local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishe ...

of Beagh,

Kilmacduagh Kilmacduagh () is a small village in south County Galway, Ireland, near Gort. The village is in a townland and civil parish of the same name, in Kiltartan barony. It is the site of Kilmacduagh monastery, seat of a diocese of the same name. Th ...

and Kiltartan and also parts of the civil parishes of Kibeacanty and Kilthomas. Their closest related kinsmen were the Ó Cathail / O Cahill clan, originally chiefs of eastern Kinelea, and the other clans of Uí Fhiachrach Aidhne the most prominent of which were the

Ó hEidhin ''Hynes'' is a surname, many examples of which originate as the anglicisation the Irish language, Irish name ''Ó hEidhin''. Etymology According to the ''Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland'', the modern name ''Hynes'' and i ...

/ O Hynes,

Ó Cléirigh O'Cleary or O'Clery () is the surname of a Gaelic Irish family. It is one of the oldest recorded surnames in Europe It is related to Cleary (surname) and often Anglicized as Clark. Naming conventions The name has been Anglicised variously as ...

/ O Cleary and Mac Giolla Cheallaigh / Kilkelly

sept A sept () is a division of a family, especially of a Scottish or Irish family. The term is used both in Scotland and in Ireland, where it may be translated as Irish , meaning "progeny" or "seed", and may indicate the descendants of a person ...

s. Up until the mid-17th century, the O'Hynes clan were still styled lords of Uí Fhiachrach Aidhne even though the Ó Seachnasaighs had become more powerful than their kinsmen during this century. In the 1690s, Captain

Roger O'Shaughnessy Sir Roger O'Shaughnessy, The O'Shaughnessy (died 11 July 1690), was Chief of the Name and a captain in the Irish army of James II of England. He was present at the Battle of the Boyne, and died ("sick, though not wounded") ten days after the battl ...

had his lands confiscated for supporting the Jacobite cause against William of Orange, with the lands going to

Sir Thomas Prendergast, 1st Baronet Brigadier-General Sir Thomas Prendergast, 1st Baronet ( 1660 – 11 September 1709) was an Irish politician and soldier. Early life He was the son of Thomas Prendergast (d. 1725) of Croane, County Limerick, a small Catholic landowner, and Ele ...

. A legal battle raged on into the first half of the 18th century between the Ó Seachnasaigh and the Prendergasts, the family who were granted the lands, with the Ó Seachnasaigh eventually losing the case. The senior line of the Ó Seachnasaighs may have died out in the 1900s. O'Shaughnessy castles include Gort Castle, Fiddaun Castle, Ardamullivan Castle, Newtown Castle, Derryowen, which is just inside the

County Clare County Clare () is a Counties of Ireland, county in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster in the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern part of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. Clare County Council ...

border, Ballymulfaig, and a castle on one of the islands in Lough Cutra. According to a list naming the castles of County Galway and their owners, drawn up in 1574 by the English administration in Ireland, Islandmore Castle (now

Thoor Ballylee Thoor Ballylee Castle ( Irish ''Túr Bhaile Uí Laí'') is a fortified, 15th-century Anglo-Norman tower house built by the septs de Burgo, or Burke, near the town of Gort in County Galway, Ireland. It is also known as Yeats's Tower because i ...

) was listed as being owned by a John O'Shaughnessy. The last ''de facto'' Ó Seachnasaigh lord of Kinelea died at

after returning home from the

Battle of Aughrim The Battle of Aughrim () was the decisive battle of the Williamite War in Ireland. It was fought between the largely Irish Army (Kingdom of Ireland), Irish Jacobitism, Jacobite army loyal to James II of England, James II and the forces of Will ...

on 12 July 1691. Thousands of bearers of the name still survive both in their homeland and further abroad.

Notable O'Shaughnessys

Notable people with this surname include: *

Andrew O'Shaughnessy (historian) Andrew Jackson O'Shaughnessy FRHS (born 1959) is an academic historian and professor of history at the University of Virginia. Between 2003 and 2022, he was Vice President of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation and the Saunders Director of the R ...

, historian *

Andrew O'Shaughnessy (hurler) Andrew O'Shaughnessy (born 30 November 1984 in Kilmallock, County Limerick) is an Irish sportsperson. He plays hurling with his local club Kilmallock and was a member of the Limerick senior inter-county team from 2002 to 2011. Biography And ...

(born 1984), Irish hurler * Andrew O'Shaughnessy (politician) (1866–1956), Irish politician and Industrialist *

Arthur O'Shaughnessy Arthur William Edgar O'Shaughnessy (14 March 184430 January 1881) was a British poet and herpetologist. Of Irish descent, he was born in London. He is most remembered for his poem " Ode", from his 1874 collection ''Music and Moonlight'', which ...

(1844–1881), British poet and herpetologist * Barney O'Shaughnessy (1912–2007), Australian cricketer * Bob O'Shaughnessy (1921–1995), American basketball player *

Colleen O'Shaughnessey Colleen Ann O'Shaughnessey (born September 15, 1971) is an American voice actress. She is known for providing the voice to Jazz Fenton in '' Danny Phantom'' and Wasp in '' The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes''. Since 2010, O'Shaughnessey ha ...

(born 1971), American voice actress *

Daniel O'Shaughnessy Daniel Michael O'Shaughnessy (born 14 September 1994) is a Finnish professional Association football, footballer who plays for Veikkausliiga club HJK Helsinki, HJK and the Finland national football team, Finland national team as a defender (asso ...

(born 1994), Finnish footballer *

Darren O'Shaughnessy Darren O'Shaughnessy (; born 2 July 1972) is an Irish writer and novelist. He is best known for his young adult fiction series '' The Saga of Darren Shan'', ''The Demonata'', and '' Zom-B'', published under the pseudonym Darren Shan. The former ...

(born 1972), Irish author, nom de plume Darren Shan *

Dudley O'Shaughnessy Dudley O'Shaughnessy (born 17 October 1989) is a British boxer, actor, and model. His most notable amateur boxing opponent was Errol Spence Jr in an England versus USA Dual. Career O'Shaughnessy (also known as Lil Saint) was an amateur boxer ...

(born 1989), Boxer * Edward O'Shaughnessy (1860–1885), English cricketer *

Eileen O'Shaughnessy Eileen Maud Blair (née O'Shaughnessy, 25 September 1905 – 29 March 1945) was a British poet and psychologist, involved in the Spanish Civil War. She was the first wife of George Orwell (Eric Arthur Blair). During World War II, she worked for ...

(1905–1945), the first wife of George Orwell *

Fiona O'Shaughnessy Fiona O'Shaughnessy is an Irish film, stage, and television actress. She has appeared in ''Warlock III: The End of Innocence'' (1999), ''Goldfish Memory'' (2003), ''Alexander (2004 film), Alexander'' (2004), ''Until Death'' & ''Nightwatching'' ( ...

(born 1979), Irish actress * James O'Shaughnessy (born 1960), American author and investor *

James O'Shaughnessy, Baron O'Shaughnessy James Richard O'Shaughnessy, Baron O'Shaughnessy (born 26 March 1976) is a British Conservative politician and member of the House of Lords. He authored the 2010 Conservative Party Manifesto titled 'An Invitation to Join the Government of Britai ...

(born 1976), British politician *

Margaret Heckler Margaret Mary Heckler (née O'Shaughnessy; June 21, 1931 – August 6, 2018) was an American politician and diplomat who represented in the United States House of Representatives from 1967 until 1983. A member of the Republican Party, she al ...

(1931–2018, Margaret Mary O'Shaughnessy), US lawyer and politician *

Michael O'Shaughnessy Michael Maurice O'Shaughnessy (28 May 1864 – 12 October 1934) was an Irish civil engineer who became city engineer for the city of San Francisco during the early twentieth century and developed both the San Francisco Municipal Railway (Muni) a ...

(1864–1934), Irish civil engineer * Nicholas O'Shaughnessy, professor, author and political commentator * Patrick O'Shaughnessy (born 1993), Finnish footballer *

Perri O'Shaughnessy Perri O'Shaughnessy is the pen name of the authors Mary and Pamela O'Shaughnessy, sisters who live in Northern California. Pamela, a Harvard Law School graduate, was a trial lawyer A lawyer is a person who is qualified to offer advice about t ...

, pen name of American authors *

(died 1690), Captain in the Army of James II of England *

Ryan O'Shaughnessy Ryan O'Shaughnessy (born 27 September 1992) is an Irish singer and former actor from Loughshinny, Skerries, County Dublin. He portrayed Mark Halpin in the popular TV series ''Fair City'' for nine years (2001–2010). In January 2012, he appear ...

(born 1992), Irish singer-songwriter *

Tam O'Shaughnessy Tam Elizabeth O'Shaughnessy (born January 27, 1952) is an American people, American Children's literature, children's science writer, associate professor emeritus of school psychology, and former professional tennis player. She co-founded the sci ...

(born 1952), American author and educator * Terrence J. O'Shaughnessy, general, United States Air Force * Tony O'Shaughnessy (1930–2006), Irish hurler *

Thomas O'Shaughnessy Sir Thomas Lopdell O'Shaughnessy, KC (22 December 1850 – 7 March 1933) was an Irish judge and barrister who served as a Judge of the High Court from 1924 to 1925. He was the last Recorder of Dublin in Ireland. Early life O'Shaughnessy was ...

(1850–1933), Recorder of Dublin Thomas Michael O'Shaughnessy Jr. Born 1956 * Sir Roger O'Shaughnessy of Kinelea (died 1569) * William O'Shaughnessy (1673–1744), Major-General and Chief of the Name *

William Brooke O'Shaughnessy Sir William Brooke O'Shaughnessy (from 1861 as William O'Shaughnessy Brooke) (October 1809 – 8 January 1889) was an Irish physician famous for his wide-ranging scientific work in pharmacology, chemistry, and inventions related to telegraphy an ...

(1809–1889), Irish toxicologist (introduced

medical cannabis Medical cannabis, medicinal cannabis or medical marijuana (MMJ) refers to cannabis products and cannabinoid molecules that are prescribed by physicians for their patients. The use of cannabis as medicine has a long history, but has not ...

in Europe), chemist and inventor (telegraph)

Notes

Some with relation to the O'Shaughnessy clan may spell it O'Shaughnessey or Shaughnessy.

References

John O'Donovan John O'Donovan may refer to: *John O'Donovan (scholar) (1806–1861), Irish language scholar and place-name expert *John O'Donovan (politician) (1908–1982), Irish TD and Senator *John O'Donovan (police commissioner) (1858–1927), New Zealand pol ...

,
The Descendants of the Last Earls of Desmond
, Ulster Journal of Archaeology, Volume 6, 1858. (contains passage regarding the knights O'Shaughnessy of Kinelea) *

The Genealogies, Tribes, and Customs of Hy-Fiachrach
Dublin: Irish Archaeological Society. 1844. Pedigree of O'Shaughnessy, pp. 372–91 * Robert S. Rait
The Story of an Irish Property
Oxford: The University Press. 1908. Chapter III: The O'Shaughnessys, pp. 42–65

External links