Hello Julie, 19/August/2006
I refer to your message of 24/October/2000 in which you referred to your great uncle O'Shea having been born in Glengarriff, Co. Cork.
I realise that it's the second most common surname in that area after O'Sullivan but I thought that I'd give it a shot.
My parents both came from Glengarriff. I'm descended from two different O'Shea families and related to at least three others, and so I was wondering if there was any connection.
My male line is the O'Sheas of Rossnasunsogue in Glengarriff who originally came from Eireneen/Bonane on the Kerry side of the tunnel in the 1850's. My first cousin Cornelius 'Neillie' O'Shea died in the Bantry Bay Disaster in 1979.
My paternal grandmother Mary O'Brien's mother's maiden name was also O'Shea and they were a Glengarriff family.
I'm also related to the O'Shea 'Tureens', O'Shea 'Bawns', and to the late Jerry O'Shea who used to run a pub in the village.
Any ideas? Any connections? Please advise.
Thanks. Regards. Michael O'Shea, London.