Sheedy Family History & Genealogy

History

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Name Origin

The Sheedys are descended from the great house of the McNamaras who were Lords of Bunratty in County Clare and were prominent figures in the writings of ancient chroniclers. In the mid-fourteen hundreds, John MacMiccon McNamara completed the Bunratty Castle in County Clare which was begun by his father, Sioda (pronounced SHEE OH DEH) McNamara. The Sheedy line is descended from either him or one of two other Siodas (Sioda an Eichbhuidhe, his last name meaning "of the yellow horse;" and Sioda, a son of John the Conqueror who lived much later than the previous two). Regardless of which Sioda is the ancestor of the Sheedys, the McNamaras remain their confirmed ancestors. Sioda (an Irish Gaelic word for "silk") became a surname in the form of O'Sioda. This evolved into the last names of Shydie, Sheedy, and Silk. Among Sheedys who emigrated to Canada, their name was often misspelled as "Sheady" or "Sheddy" in census rolls and other documents, but usually went unnoticed due to a large amount of illiteracy at the time.

Spellings & Pronunciations

Sheedy evolved from the surname "O'Sioda," along with "Shydie" and "Silk," the latter being the anglicized version of the name. Misspellings of Sheedy such as "Sheady" and "Sheddy" appeared in census rolls and other documents in Canada and the United States and were often not corrected because of the high amount of illiteracy at the time (mid-1800s). Other spelling variations include: McSheedy, O'Sheedy, Shada, Sheedie, and Silke (a variation of the anglicized version of the name).

Nationality & Ethnicity

The Sheedy family originated in Ireland, specifically County Clare. They eventually scattered, ending up in Counties Cork and Tipperary. From County Clare and County Cork, the Sheedys emigrated to Canada and the United States, mostly during the Potato Famine. Some were sent to Australia (then the location of a Britich penal colony). The Sheedys herald from County Clare in Ireland.
For more information, see the above section entitled "Sheedy country of origin."

Famous People named Sheedy

Alexandra Elizabeth "Ally" Sheedy (born 1962)--an American screen and stage actress.
Jack Sheedy--a former Dublin senior football player.
Jack Sheedy (born 1926)--an Australian football player in the West Australian National Football League (WANFL).
Kevin Sheedy (born 1959)--a Welsh professional soccer player.

Early Sheedies

These are the earliest records we have of the Sheedy family.