O’ Shea is the Anglicisation of the original Gaelic Ó Séaghada, which comes from the personal name meaning ‘hawk-like’ or ‘fortunate’. The sept was located in the Barony of Iveragh in Co. Kerry, where they were lords until the 12th century. Some of the family migrated to counties Tipperary and Kilkenny as early as the 14th century. In Kilkenny the name is often spelt O’ Shee. One of the most famous O’ Sheas was Katharine, or Kitty, who was the mistress of Charles Stuart Parnell.

The hand knit O’ Shea sweater incorporates the blackberry, rope, honeycomb, link, and zig-zag stitches. The blackberry stitch represents the Holy Trinity, rope represents good luck, honeycomb is symbolic of work, link stands for the unbroken chain between the Irish that emigrate and those who remain at home, and the zig zag stitch symbolises the ups and downs of marriage. This beautiful Aran sweater has been hand knitted in the traditional báinín (pronounced ‘baw neen’) colour, the natural white of the wool. It comes to you complete with a clan history and crest. It is made of 100% pure new wool, is water repellent and breathable. It has been hand crafted in the traditional Irish style, and, with care, will last a lifetime.

This knitting kit is comprised of the finest traditional Aran Wool, your Clan crest together with a sweater history and your O' Shea knitting pattern. We provide enough Aran wool to create your perfectly sized sweater plus a little extra. This Traditional Irish 100% wool is water repellent, breathable and a delight to work with. The pattern is an easy to follow design, tailored specifically to suit your exact size requirements.