Family Crests
Shannon Family Crest is: An arm in armour holding a sword, all proper.
Shannon Family Coat of Arms is: Or, a lion rampant gules, on a chief argent, a heart between two mullets of the second.
Shannon Family History is: The name maybe an Anglicisation of some other noted Irish names from around Galway and Wexford namely O’Seanain and MacGiolla O’Seanain from around Tyrone and Fermanagh. The O’Seanachain sept had its homeland in the West of County Clare and in the 17th century they were celebrated in verse by that well known poet O’Herrin: here is a verse;
“The forest of Ui Rangali of level plain. Is possesssed by the hospitable O’Seanachain, the entire country about Evlinne to the smooth plain of Maenagh.”
The O Seannachain clan were of high enough rank to have maintained a chief since the early medieval period. Later however they lost much of their power and prestige whenaround 1318 they were dispossessed by the McNamaras and dispersed through the province of Munster. A noted bearer of this name was Wison Shannon who became Governor of Ohio and an eminent Diplomat he died in 1877.