James A. Sharkey facts for kids

James Anthony Sharkey was born in 1945 in Derry, Northern Ireland. He is an Irish historian and used to be a diplomat. A diplomat is someone who represents their country in other countries, helping to keep good relationships.

Early Life and Education

James Sharkey grew up and went to school in Derry. After finishing his studies, he worked as a teacher. He taught in different places, including Stepney in London, back in Derry, and also in Dublin, the capital of Ireland.

Studying History and Languages

Mr. Sharkey loved learning, especially about history and languages. He earned degrees from two different universities. He studied Russian and Russian history at University College Dublin and also at Birmingham University in England. This shows he was very interested in other cultures and their past.

Books and Writings

James Sharkey has written several books. His writings often focus on interesting parts of history and culture. For example, he has written about:

• The folk history of Inishowen, which is a beautiful peninsula in County Donegal, Ireland. Folk history is about the stories and traditions of ordinary people.
• Scots Gaelic, which is a language spoken in Scotland.
• The lives of farmers in Russia a long time ago. These farmers, called peasants, were often tied to the land they worked.
• A writer named Lafcadio Hearn, who was famous for writing about Japan.

A Career in Diplomacy

In 1970, James Sharkey joined the Irish diplomatic service. This meant he became a diplomat, working for the Irish government to represent Ireland around the world. He served as an Ambassador for Ireland in many different countries. An ambassador is the highest-ranking diplomat representing their country in another nation.

Ambassador to Different Countries

Mr. Sharkey traveled to many parts of the world as an ambassador. Here are some of the countries where he represented Ireland:

• From 1987 to 1989, he was the Ambassador to Australia.
• From 1989 to 1995, he served as the Ambassador to Japan.
• From 1997 to 2001, he was the Ambassador to Denmark. During this time, he also represented Ireland in Iceland and Norway.
• From 2001 to 2003, he was the Ambassador to Russia. This was a very big role, as he also represented Ireland in several other countries nearby, including Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
• From 2007 to 2009, he was the Ambassador to Switzerland. He also covered Liechtenstein and Algeria during this period.

Working for Human Rights

Besides his roles as an ambassador, James Sharkey also worked for human rights. He was the Permanent Representative for Ireland to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. The Council of Europe is an organization that works to protect human rights, democracy, and the rule of law across Europe.

While working there, he led the Human Rights Committee. This committee helps make sure that people's rights are protected. He strongly supported the important work of the European Court of Human Rights. This court helps people who feel their human rights have been violated.