About me

My name is The Honourable Baroness Ceara Shionnach, resident of the Barony of Politarchopolis in the Kingdom of Lochac, member of House Burbage, and apprentice to Mistress Mathilde Adycote of Mynheniot since 2008.

I first joined the SCA through O-Week at the ANU, becoming a member of the College of St Aldhelm in February 2007.

I attended my first Festival in 2007 and have been every year since then. I attended my first GNW in 2008 and have been every year since then.

From the beginning, I’ve been interested in the Arts and Sciences. In 2007-2008, I participated in target archery each year and was authorised for combat archery (though, amusingly, I’ve never fought as a combat archer).

In mid-2008, I was first authorised as a heavy combatant and fought my first official tournament – the Flame Tourney  (an 8 round, ~40 person grand melee by fire light) – at GNW 2008. My first opponent was the towering Sir Gabriel de Beaumont. The Flame Tourney has always been my favourite. I fought in the first two La Prova Dura tournaments in Lochac. I also fought heavy combat in the wars at Pennsic 41 and Pennsic 42 – I particularly enjoyed wearing Lochac populace regalia (tabard and shields), and found the armoured woods battle ridiculously fun. The last time I fought heavy combat was the armoured woods battle at Pennsic 42 (August 2013).

I fondly remember when I got notification of my name and heraldry becoming officially registered. I was at Pennsic War 41 (July-Aug 2012) and got the message just before going to the Lochac dinner with Master Ruslan’s camp. I designed the initial form of my device in 2007, combining my favourite colour (green) with the most appealing field division to me (per saltire). I added counter-changed feathers because I was often at archery, and I was adamant that I wanted some kind of animal charge as well. I decided upon foxes because they were not relatively common in Lochac heraldry, and they were a ginger-coloured animal (given that I have ginger hair, I felt that would be appropriate). The second (and more passable version) of my device was based on the first, altered with the help of Count Stephen Aldred to include two foxes instead of one, and feathers crossed in saltire (like those used in the badge of the Black Prince!).

The device I had passed in 2012 – “Per saltire argent and vert, two foxes passant proper and two pairs of feathers in saltire argent.”

My name – Ceara Shionnach – is an Irish Gaelic name. I had assistance by Baron Domhnall na Moicheirghe in arriving on the final variation of my name (it was originally Caera Sionnach, then Ceara inghen Shionnach, then Ceara inghen Lachtnan Ui Shionnach….). I chose Ceara because I liked the sound of it and somewhere I read that it means ‘bright’. I chose Shionnach because it is the word for fox, and I felt that was an appropriate link to my chosen heraldry.

In May 2013, I was first authorised in rapier combat. I absolutely adore fighting rapier, finding it ridiculously fun to travel around Lochac (and to Pennsic) to face as many opponents as possible. At Great Southern Gathering 2013, I successfully fought my Free Scholar Prize in sword and dagger. At Rowany Festival 2014, I successfully fought my Journeyman Prize in sword and dagger, sword and buckler and sword and cane. Sword and cane is certainly my favourite form, followed by sword and dagger. I would also like to learn case and sword and rotella, however, I’m currently working on single sword in both hands.

Notable Achievements

• Politarchopolis Pentathlon – won 3/3 entered competitions as part of the 5-person team, the Descartes Specials
• Won first prize in five WCOB competitions
  • Log Pouch competition
  • Blackwork competition
  • Recently finished item competition
  • Birds competition
  • Beadwork competition
• College of Heralds – attained Pursuivant rank at November Crown 2014
• Worshipful Company of Broiderers – attained Journeyman rank at Rowany Festival 2014 with 3 x masterworks and 1 x apprentice work and attained a fourth masterwork in January 2015
• Guild of Defense – attained Free Scholar rank at GSG 2013 and Journeyman rank at Rowany Festival 2014
• Fencing – placed first in a Valhalla tournament at May Crown in Aneala 2014, placed second in the Ladies Rapier qualifying tournament at Pennsic War 2013, placed fourth in the Baroness’ Rapier Tournament at Canterbury Faire 2015, fought in ~26 tournaments in my first year of fencing (May 2013-April 2014), represented Lochac in the Champions Melee at Pennsic Wa2 44 (August 2015).

Officer Positions Held

• Politarchopolis Arts and Sciences Officer (2008-2010)
  • Hosted weekly A&S meetings
  • List shields and list tree project
  • Began Baronial Frieze project
• Politarchopolis Seneschal (2012)
• Lochac Historian (March 2014-current)
• Politarchopolis Chronicler (March 2015-current)
• SCA’s 50th Anniversary, Lochac Kingdom Display Chair, February 2015 – current
• SCA’s 50th Anniversary, Author of Lochac’s Kingdom History (10,000+ words), April 2014 – current

Household Positions

• Head Lady in Waiting – Ginevra and Aonghus – Politarchopolis Baronial Household (2010-11)
• Liveryman – Gabriel II and Constanzia II – Royal Household (2011)
• King’s Guard – Henri and Beatrice – Royal Household (2012)
• Royal Artisan and Queen’s Guard – Niall I and Liadan I – Royal Household (2013)
• Lady in Waiting – Niall II and Liadan II – Royal Household (2014)
• Kings Guard (rapier) – Steffan I and Branwen I – Royal Household (2016)
• Skrifakona (writer/documenter) for Gilbert I and Bethony I – Royal Household (2016)
• Chamberlain – Steffan II and Branwen II – Royal Household (2017)

Largesse

• Goldwork for pouches for Alessandro and Isobel, gifts on behalf of Alfar and Guthrin
• Goldwork couched cuffs for Engelin’s investiture coat
• 2 x silver couched griffin patches for Politarchopolis baronial tabards
• Pair of Spanish cushions for Gabriel I and Constanzia I on behalf of the B&B Politarchopolis (Alessandro and Isobel)
• LoG Pouch for Kingdom Award token
• Lucet cords for Baronial award tokens (Alessandro and Isobel)
• Illuminated an AoA scroll for Kingdom Award token
• 2 x chainstitched mouse guard pouches for Kingdom Award tokens
• Scrolls for 2^nd gen tournament at Festival 2009
• Stemstitch patches for Siridean I’s fighting tunic
• Made and embroidered a pouch for the office of Hospitaller for Politarchopolis
• Bayeux Tapestry frame for Siridean I on behalf of the B&B Politarchopolis (Alessandro and Isobel)
• Several pairs of monogrammed handkerchiefs from B&B Politarchopolis (Aonghus and Ginevra) to visiting B&B’s and Royalty
  • e.g. 1 – for Henri and Beatrice
  • e.g. 2 – for Niall I and Liadan I
• Blackwork collar for Edmund’s reign (2010)
• 60 thread-wrapped buttons for the Lochac Late Period Raffle (2013)
• Goldwork couched snakes for Niall I’s tunic
• Blackwork collar for Eva’s divestiture garb (2013)
• Baronial Pennant motifs for Politarchopolis rapier heraldic pressence
• Painted a rapier stand made by Don Francois for Politarchhopolis rapier heraldic pressence
• Commissioned on behalf of Politarchopolis a set of eight silk banners, four of which I also helped to design
• Provost scarf for Lindoret’s Provost training event 2014
• Blackwork collar for Gabriel from GNW Fighter Auction Tourney
• Made 4 red brocade banners with white-painted griffins on them for the Barony of Politarchopolis
• Plain pouch for Tristan from GNW Fighter Auction
• Embroidered pouch for Tristan from GNW Fighter Auction Tourney
• Pair of Norse hoods for the reign of Niall II and Liadan II
• WCoB Laurel Cloak Patch
• English blackwork collar and cuffs for Gabriel from GNW Fighter Auction
• Co-wrote and co-edited the Norse Reign re-writes of the Lochac Kingdom Award Ceremonies with Skarp-Heðin Sverðvarpnir and Jean-Christophe le Saussier
• Lute-shaped pouch gift for Amelot, 2014-15
• Lute-shaped pouch gift for Lindoret’s White Scarf ceremony, March-April 2015
• 2 x handsewn Skjoldehamn style hoods for Haos and Bryony, Festival 2015
• Handsewn Skjoldehamn style hood gift for Antoinette, Festival 2015
• Designer and Co-ordinator of TRH Steffan and Branwen’s royal household armbands/sashes, May 2015
• Raven Banner, 2016
• Perugia Towel (in progress)

Kingdom Awards

• AoA – Hugh and Theresa – 27/10/07
• Golden Tear (one of two) Gabriel I and Constanzia I – 10/10/2009

Golden Tear token

• Royal Cypher – Edmund and Leonore – 15/1/2011
• Royal Cypher – Gabriel II and Constanzia II – 2/7/2011

Royal Cypher from Gabriel II and Constanzia II

• Golden Tear (two of two) 18/2/2012

Golden Tear token

• Star and Lily – Henri and Beatrice – 24/11/2012

My Star and Lily token. Queen Beatrice made the necklace with me in mind. She used green and white beads to match my heraldry and subtle octopus tokens as a personal touch from her.

• Royal Cypher – Henri and Beatrice – 12/1/2013

Royal Cypher from Henri and Beatrice

• Royal Cypher – Felix and Eva – 6/7/2013

Royal Cypher from Felix and Eva

• Cockatrice – Niall and Liadan – 17/8/2013

Cockatrice Scroll by Mistress Catherine de Arc

• Queen’s Cypher – Liadan I – 11/1/2014
• Golden Rapier – Kinggiyadai and Altani – 20/6/2015
• Court Barony – Steffan and Branwen – 4/7/2015
• Royal Cypher – Steffan and Branwen – 16/1/2017
• Royal Cypher – Gilbert and Bethony – 9/7/2017

Baronial Awards

• Order of the Burley Griffin (Arts) – Alessandro and Isobel (Politarchopolis)

Order of the Burley Griffin (Arts) token

• Order of the Burley Griffin (Service) (Politarchopolis)
• Baronial Cypher – Alessandro and Isobel (Politarchopolis) – 30/10/2010

Baronial Cypher from Alessandro and Isobel (Politarchopolis)

• Baronial Cypher – Aonghus and Ginevra (Politarchopolis) – 30/11/2013

Baronial Cypher from Aonghus and Ginevra(Politarchopolis)

• Order of the Pilgrim’s Shell – William and Katherine (River Haven) – 7/6/2014

The token I received from Baron William and Baroness Katherine of River Haven for sustained service to the Barony at GNW.

• Order of the Bouget – Drake and Acacia (St Florian) – 10/6/2017

Tokens Received

• Lochac ring token for service at GNW 2012 from Siridean II

Lochac ring from Siridean II

• Favour from Ladies of the Rose to fight heavy combat in the Virtues Rose Tourney
• Rowany token for service – Gui and Aefled (B&B Rowany)

Token from Gui and Aefled (B&B Rowany)

• Squirrels from Queen of Aethelmearc – Pennsic 41

Squirrel belt favour (well worn, now) from Queen of Aethelmearc at Pennsic 41

Squirrel ring (well worn, now) from Queen of Aethelmearc at Pennsic 41

• Prince Niall I – ring token for fencing

Ring token for fencing from Prince Niall

• Liadan I – bag token

Bag token from Liadan I

• Liadan I – rose token to represent her in the Pennsic 42 Rose Tourney (rapier)

Rose favour from Liadan I

• Wol token from Don Greybeard for rapier – Pennsic 42

Wol token from Don Greybeard

• Free Scholar’s Scarf – Yevan de Leed – GSG 2013

Free Scholar scarf from Master Yevan de Leed

• Fox tokens – shenanigans by Constanzia, Ursula and Cairistiona

Fox tokens from shenanigans

• Liadan II – token for fencing, personal token for making hoods

Pouch token from Liadan II

• Journeyman Scarf – Don Owain Cantor ap Hughe – Festival 2014
• Wol token from Guildmaster Don François Henri Guyon – Ultimate Fighter Tournament in Politarchopolis, 2015

Event Positions Held

• Breakfast crew at Great Northern War – 2009 to 2014
• Steward – Politarchopolis Valentines Event (Roman themed)
• Steward – Politarchopolis Baronial Championships and Quest
• Steward – Lochac’s Lady Rapier Tournament at Rowany Festival 2014
• Volunteer announcement herald at Rowany Festival 2014
• Volunteer constable – various years at Rowany Festival
• Midwinter Crownanation July 2014 – second in charge, Kingdom A&S competition co-ordinator and Crown Tournament herald
• November Crown 2014 in Torlyon – drop dead Herald in Charge and Crown tournament herald
• Fencing deputy for GNW 2014 (ran a Valhalla tournament)
• FoG 2014 – primary Court Herald for Niall II and Liadan II for the weekend
• A&S Co-ordinator for FoG 2013
• Royal court herald, FoG 2014
• Feast hand (to assist the Feastocrat TH Lady Antoinette) at GNW 2014
• May Crown 2015 in Ildhafn, Crown Tournament herald
• Event team member – timetable co-ordinator, website content updater, event booklet editor, event advertisement, general event team communication and administration, GNW 2015
• Herald in Charge of November Crown 2015 (see article about the herald system and scripts I wrote/used)
• Co-Steward, Great Northern War 2016
• Bookings Officer and Annunciator, Rowany Festival 2017
• Annunciator and Herald in Charge, Great Northern War 2017

A&S Classes Taught

As at June 2017, I’ve taught 40 classes in three Kingdoms, eight Baronies, one Canton and two Colleges.

I’ve also made 9 classes available for download on my website under the Arts and Sciences Classes dropdown menu.