Overview

There were at least three families of this name in Gaelic Ireland

Gaelic Ireland

Gaelic Ireland is the name given to the period when a Gaelic political order existed in Ireland. The order continued to exist after the arrival of the Anglo-Normans until about 1607 AD...

.

• Ó Siadhail of Ui Maine, now east County Galway
  County Galway
  County Galway is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the city of Galway. Galway County Council is the local authority for the county. There are several strongly Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county...
  
  .
• Ó Siadhail of Uí Failghe
  Kingdom of Uí Failghe
  Uí Failghe was a Gaelic-Irish kingdom, which is preserved in the name of County Offaly, Ireland.-Background:Uí Failghe may have existed as a kingdom since the early historic era, and successfully fought off encroachments by the Uí Néill, the Eóganachta, and the Normans.From the mid eleventh century...
  
  , now County Offaly
  County Offaly
  County Offaly is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Uí Failghe and was formerly known as King's County until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. Offaly County Council is...
  
   and County Laois
  County Laois
  County Laois is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It was formerly known as Queen's County until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. The county's name was formerly spelt as Laoighis and Leix. Laois County Council...
  
  .
• Ó Siadhail of Tír Chonaill, now County Donegal
  County Donegal
  County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...
  
  .

Little is recorded of the Ui Maine family. Those of Uí Failghe and Tír Chonaill were ollamhs of medicine

Medicine

Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....

, hereditary physician

Physician

A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...

s to the ruling families in the respectives kingdoms and environs. It is not clear if the two were branches of the one family, or unrelated families who happened to bear the same surname.

Current forms

The surname is now generally anglicised as Sheil, Sheils, and Sheilds, but the original form, Ó Siadhail, is used by Gaeilgeoirs.

Famous bearers

Notable people named Ó Siadhail or one of its variants include:

• Eoghan Carrach Ó Siadhail
  Eoghan Carrach Ó Siadhail
  Eoghan Carrach Ó Siadhail was a poet alive in the first half of the 16th century. Under the patronage of Niall Connallach , he made a copy of Beatha Cholm Cille. It now exists as Trinity College, Dublin, MS A...
  
  , poet
• James Shields (Ohio politician), Ohio politician
• Micheal O'Siadhail
  Micheal O'Siadhail
  Micheal O'Siadhail is an Irish poet. Among his awards are The Marten Toonder Prize and The Irish American Culture Institute Prize for Literature.-Early life:Micheal O'Siadhail was born into a middle class Dublin family...
  
  , poet

External links

• http://www.irishtimes.com/ancestor/surname/index.cfm?fuseaction=Go.&UserID=
• http://www.libraryireland.com/SocialHistoryAncientIreland/II-XIV-1.php
• http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~grannyapple/SHIELDS%20DNA/DNA%20Test%20Results.html