Joe Sheridan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joe Sheridan
|
|
|---|---|
| Teachta Dála | |
| In office October 1961 – June 1981 |
|
| Constituency | Longford–Westmeath |
| Senator | |
| In office May 1957 – September 1961 |
|
| Constituency | Labour Panel |
| In office May 1956 – May 1957 |
|
| Constituency | Agricultural Panel |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 27 November 1914 County Longford, Ireland |
| Died | 30 September 2000 (aged 85) County Longford, Ireland |
| Political party | Independent |
| Other political affiliations |
Fine Gael |
| Children | 9, including Kathy |
Joseph Michael Sheridan (born November 27, 1914 – died September 30, 2000) was an important Irish politician. He started his political journey with a party called Fine Gael, but for most of his time in politics, he worked as an independent member, meaning he didn't belong to any specific political party.
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Who Was Joe Sheridan?
Joseph Michael Sheridan was born in County Longford, Ireland, on November 27, 1914. He had a big family with three brothers and two sisters. Later in his life, he moved to County Westmeath, living first in Kilbeggan and then in Mullingar.
His Early Career
Before becoming a full-time politician, Joe Sheridan worked as an auctioneer and a farmer. An auctioneer is someone who sells things, like houses or land, at public sales. His experience in these jobs helped him understand the needs of people in his community.
Becoming a Politician
Joe Sheridan first got involved in local government. He was elected to the Westmeath County Council. This council helps manage local services and decisions for the county.
After that, he moved into national politics. He was elected to Seanad Éireann, which is like the upper house of the Irish parliament. He became a Senator in May 1956 and was re-elected in 1957.
His Time in Dáil Éireann
In 1961, Joe Sheridan was elected to Dáil Éireann. This is the main parliament in Ireland, and its members are called Teachta Dála (TDs). He represented the Longford–Westmeath area.
Even though he had been part of the Fine Gael party before, he ran as an independent TD. This meant he could make decisions based on what he thought was best for his local area, rather than following a party's rules. He even supported the Fianna Fáil government, which was a minority government at the time.
Joe Sheridan was very popular in his area. He was re-elected four more times: in 1965, 1969, 1973, and 1977. His main focus was always on helping the people and solving problems in his own constituency. He had a famous election slogan: "Vote for Joe, the Man you Know." He retired from politics in 1981.
His Family Life
Joe Sheridan had a large family. He had five sons and four daughters, making a total of nine children. One of his daughters, Kathy Sheridan, grew up to become a well-known journalist. She writes for The Irish Times, a major newspaper in Ireland.
Joe Sheridan passed away on September 30, 2000, at the age of 85.
