John Joe Sheehy
Encyclopedia
John Joe Sheehy was an Irish
political/military activist and sportsperson. He participated in the Irish War of Independence
and Irish Civil War
in the Irish Republican Army
, where he was a senior figure in County Kerry
. He also gained fame as a successful Gaelic Footballer for Kerry.
He sided against the Anglo-Irish Treaty in 1922, like most of the IRA in Kerry. In the Civil War, when Free State troops landed in Kerry as part of a seaborne offensive
, he was in command of the Anti-Treaty garrison in Tralee. After the Army took the town , Sheehy retreated, burning the barracks there. As the conflict became a guerrilla affair, he found himself in charge of three 'columns', or around 75 men in total, in the Ballymacthomas area. He and Tom McEllistrim were in charge of an attack on Castlemaine in January 1923.
Just after the Civil War, when Sheehy was still on the run, he managed to play football for Kerry. Kerry captain Con Brosnan, though a member of the Free State army, would guarantee his safe passage. And so Sheehy would pay into Munster and All Ireland finals, slip off his street clothes, play, and then at the final whistle, disappear back into the crowd.
with his local club John Mitchels and was a member of the Kerry
senior inter-county team from the 1919 until 1930. He also played hurling with Tralee Parnells
. Sheehy captained Kerry to the All-Ireland
title in 1930. Three of his sons - Seán Óg, Niall
and Paudie
- all won All-Ireland titles with Kerry in the 1960s. He played in the Railway Cup Hurling
final in 1927 and was captain of the Football team the same year and won other medals in 1931.
and was a critical of the moves to end abstension by the party in the late 1960s. He sided with the Provisionals in the 1970 split at the Ard Fheis and remained active in Provisional Sinn Féin until his death, supporting the IRA's violent campaign.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
political/military activist and sportsperson. He participated in the Irish War of Independence
Irish War of Independence
The Irish War of Independence , Anglo-Irish War, Black and Tan War, or Tan War was a guerrilla war mounted by the Irish Republican Army against the British government and its forces in Ireland. It began in January 1919, following the Irish Republic's declaration of independence. Both sides agreed...
and Irish Civil War
Irish Civil War
The Irish Civil War was a conflict that accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State as an entity independent from the United Kingdom within the British Empire....
in the Irish Republican Army
Irish Republican Army
The Irish Republican Army was an Irish republican revolutionary military organisation. It was descended from the Irish Volunteers, an organisation established on 25 November 1913 that staged the Easter Rising in April 1916...
, where he was a senior figure in County Kerry
County Kerry
Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...
. He also gained fame as a successful Gaelic Footballer for Kerry.
IRA activities
Sheehy commanded the Boherbee company of the IRA, and later of the Tralee battalion. His brother Jimmy was killed in the British Army in the Battle of the Somme in 1916.He sided against the Anglo-Irish Treaty in 1922, like most of the IRA in Kerry. In the Civil War, when Free State troops landed in Kerry as part of a seaborne offensive
Irish Free State offensive
The Irish Free State offensive of July–September 1922 was the decisive military stroke of the Irish Civil War. It was carried out by the National Army of the newly created Irish Free State against anti-treaty strongholds in the south and southwest of Ireland....
, he was in command of the Anti-Treaty garrison in Tralee. After the Army took the town , Sheehy retreated, burning the barracks there. As the conflict became a guerrilla affair, he found himself in charge of three 'columns', or around 75 men in total, in the Ballymacthomas area. He and Tom McEllistrim were in charge of an attack on Castlemaine in January 1923.
Just after the Civil War, when Sheehy was still on the run, he managed to play football for Kerry. Kerry captain Con Brosnan, though a member of the Free State army, would guarantee his safe passage. And so Sheehy would pay into Munster and All Ireland finals, slip off his street clothes, play, and then at the final whistle, disappear back into the crowd.
Sporting career
He played Gaelic footballGaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
with his local club John Mitchels and was a member of the Kerry
Kerry GAA
The Kerry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Kerry...
senior inter-county team from the 1919 until 1930. He also played hurling with Tralee Parnells
Tralee Parnells
Tralee Parnells are a former hurling club from the town of Tralee in County Kerry, Ireland. They were a major force in Kerry hurling in early 20th century winning 3 county championships.Honours* Kerry Senior Hurling Championship 3: 1918,1919,1924...
. Sheehy captained Kerry to the All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the premier competition in Gaelic football, is a series of games organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association and played during the summer and early autumn...
title in 1930. Three of his sons - Seán Óg, Niall
Niall Sheehy
Niall Sheehy was a Gaelic Footballer from Tralee Co Kerry. He played Gaelic football and hurling with his local club John Mitchels, and was a member of the Kerry senior inter-county team from the 1958 until 1965, where he was nicknamed "Eusebio" for his kicking ability. He also played hurling with...
and Paudie
Paudie Sheehy
Paudie Sheehy was an Irish sportsperson. He played Gaelic football with his local club John Mitchels and was a member of the Kerry senior inter-county team from the 1953 until 1962. A son of the famous footballer John Joe and brother of the equally famous Seán Óg and Niall, Sheehy captained...
- all won All-Ireland titles with Kerry in the 1960s. He played in the Railway Cup Hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
final in 1927 and was captain of the Football team the same year and won other medals in 1931.
Later life
Sheehy remained a staunch supporter of Sinn FéinSinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
and was a critical of the moves to end abstension by the party in the late 1960s. He sided with the Provisionals in the 1970 split at the Ard Fheis and remained active in Provisional Sinn Féin until his death, supporting the IRA's violent campaign.