Obituary: Seán Sherwin, former Fianna Fáil TD and chief party organiser who was also a successful businessman
Seán's father was a bricklayer and his mother took up a part-time job to assist her son's education. After attending De La Salle secondary school he studied social science at University College Dublin, believing it might help in developing a political career.
However, his father became a building contractor and Seán switched over to Bolton Street College of Technology where he studied quantity surveying.
He was still a student at Bolton Street when he stood as a Fianna Fáil candidate for Dublin South-West in the 1969 general election.
Making a speech in the local district of Drimnagh on June 3, 1969, he said the fact that he was perhaps the youngest candidate in the entire contest was proof Fianna Fáil meant business when it declared the young men and women of tomorrow should have their voices heard.
He wasn't elected on that occasion but polled a quite impressive 1,623 first preferences, getting eliminated on the fifth count. Fianna Fáil and Labour each won two of the four Dáil seats in the constituency.
However, Labour's Seán Dunne died just seven days after the general election at the age of 50 and Sherwin was selected by Fianna Fáil as its candidate in the subsequent by-election.
Labour chose trade union official Matt Merrigan over a number of alternative candidates including Seán Dunne's widow Cora who stood instead as Independent Labour.
The by-election was held on March 4, 1970, and Sherwin won on the fourth count by 262 votes — a significant achievement in a constituency with a strong Labour presence.
A week later, he arrived at Leinster House to take his seat, where he was greeted by government chief whip at the time, Des O'Malley. Interestingly, Charlie Haughey came into the Dáil chamber to observe the new TD making his first speech.
Eighteen months later, in September 1971, Sherwin announced his resignation from Fianna Fáil and joined Aontacht Éireann, a new party headed by his friend and former minister Kevin Boland who favoured a strong interventionist approach by the government to the Troubles.
ADVERTISEMENT
Sherwin was also unhappy with taoiseach Jack Lynch's approach to the North and to social welfare issues.
In the February 1973 general election, all 13 of the Aontacht Éireann candidates, including Boland, were unsuccessful.
Sherwin was the only one to retain his £100 deposit but his seat was won by Declan Costello of Fine Gael whose party formed a coalition government with Labour.
Sherwin went on to become very successful in the business sphere, with substantial interests in the Middle East and North Africa, especially Libya. He also became executive director of the Mater Hospital Foundation in July 1984.
After Haughey became leader of Fianna Fáil in December 1979, Sherwin rejoined the party and ran unsuccessfully as a candidate in Dublin West in the November 1982 general election.
In October 1985 he was appointed as Fianna Fáil's national organiser, in succession to Joe O'Neill who had died the previous year.
In December 2001, he was awarded £250 in damages at the High Court in a libel action against the Sunday Independent but the case involved very substantial costs.
Seán Sherwin passed away peacefully at home in Rooskey, Co Roscommon, on April 30. He was predeceased by his wife, Betty Sherwin, his sister Margaret, his brother-in-law Bernie and recently-deceased cousin Pat.
He is sadly missed and lovingly remembered by his children John, Liz and Marc, and their spouses Caríosa, Tom and Dorcas, his grandchildren Seán, Tom and David, his brother Kevin and sister-in-law Catherine as well as nieces, nephews, extended family, friends and neighbours.
Following repose at his residence in Rooskey he was taken to Stafford's Funeral Home in the Dublin district of Ballyfermot.
His funeral mass took place at the local Our Lady of the Assumption Church on Monday May 5, followed by burial at Saggart Cemetery. A video of the funeral mass is currently available on the church's website.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Independent
17 hours ago
- Irish Independent
25% increase in adult homelessness in Cork in the last 12 months
Corkman There has been a 25% increase in adult homelessness in Cork in the last 12 months. The latest homeless figures released on Friday, May 30 showed that 650 adults in Cork and 193 children in Cork and Kerry live in emergency accommodation. Nationally the number of people accessing emergency accommodation rose again last month. The number of people in emergency homeless accommodation across Ireland has increased to a record of 15,580, according to the latest Government figures. The data shows that 10,805 adults and 4,775 children were accessing emergency accommodation during the last full week of April. It is an increase of 1,571 in a year, when 14,009 people accessed emergency accommodation in April 2024. Reacting to the latest figures, Sinn Féin TD for Cork North Central Thomas Gould criticised Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael for 'letting' the emergency get worse. '25% increase in Cork adult homelessness in 12 months. It is not normal that 650 adults in Cork and 193 children in Cork and Kerry live in emergency accommodation. "Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are letting the housing emergency get worse and trying to make it normal. Shame on them,' he added. The people of Cork are being urged to attend the forthcoming 'Raise the Roof' housing protest in Cork City on Saturday, June 21. The Raise the Roof campaign includes a wide group of organisations including political parties, unions who represent older people, students, families and people with disabilities. The Cork TD encouraged as many people as possible to attend the housing protest. 'The housing protest will be held on June 21 in the Grand Parade at 2pm. It has never been more urgent. Let's fight back together.'
RTÉ News
18 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Growing political pressure for firm Govt action on Gaza
All day Wednesday and late into the evening on the street facing Leinster House, demonstrators sang a stinging song urging politicians to find their "backbone" and to enact the Occupied Territories Bill. The same sentiment echoed through the Dáil chamber. Some within the Government bristled over what they believe is a shocking failure to take into account its outspoken voice on Gaza. Words that have been matched by deeds, including €87 million in funding for people in Palestine since 2023, recognising the State of Palestine, supporting South Africa's case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, and leading the way in requesting a review of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. The Taoiseach even claimed there is a battle under way domestically for moral superiority on what has become one of the most emotive issues in Irish politics. The language denouncing Israel's actions has become sharper too with both Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris repeatedly using the word genocide this week. All remaining ambiguity and lingering diplomatic niceties have now been cast aside. The Taoiseach believes the single more effective next step is to try to persuade the EU and the US to "pull their support for the State of Israel". But it is the requirement for further direct interventions by this State rather than words alone which is fueling immense political tension. A significant political act was about to unfold It was evident as the bells were clanging around Leinster House just after 6pm on Wednesday when the weekly votes were called. A significant political act was about to unfold before the business concluded. Reporters watched from the Dáil gallery as Dublin Bay-North TD Barry Heneghan took his seat to vote on a Sinn Féin Bill. It was a piece of legislation that would prevent the Central Bank from retaining its technical role in approving the prospectus which allows Israel sell bonds in the EU. Israel has made it clear that these bonds are used to fund its war in Gaza. Sinn Féin's legal advice stated that a Member State is entitled as a matter of EU law to unilaterally restrict access to its financial services. It can do so on public policy grounds that are rooted in Ireland's fundamental interest in pursuing its international law obligations, the legal opinion concluded. The Government argued that the Bill did not provide a legal mechanism to allow the Central Bank of Ireland set aside its obligations under the EU Prospectus Regulation. It argued this was an EU competence, and the Central Bank can only refuse the approval of a prospectus where it has a legal basis to do so. The advice circulated to ministers added that it is legally required to issue prospectuses that are complete, legally sound, and comprehensible. For Barry Heneghan, who had supported the Government in every vote up to this point, this was a matter of conscience, and he believed Ireland shouldn't facilitate the sale of bonds that help fund the devastation in Gaza. He left Leinster House around 9pm on Wednesday, long after the bells had ceased ringing, certain in the knowledge that he had made the right decision. Generally, there was little political alarm triggered by his vote within Government. Some whispered that "Barry can be difficult to manage", and that it was simply a "flexing of muscles". But it did unquestionably show that those Independents, who occupy a liminal position within the Coalition, are perhaps a more fragile bloc of votes than first suspected. This was further illustrated by the actions of Meath-East TD Gillian Toole. Before 9pm she was on a bus back home to Ratoath having also voted against the Government on the Bill. Regarded as a deep-thinker and a conscientious politician, Gillian Toole cited the lack of detailed briefings from the Government as an influence on her decision. The two TDs are still aligned to the Coalition, their jump overboard is a temporary one, and the Government's majority is not shattered. 'Call out the narrative for what it is' It is emblematic though of the growing pressure on the Government to accompany its increasingly strident rhetoric on Gaza with firm actions. The acerbic exchange between the Tánaiste and Independent TD Catherine Connolly in the Dáil on Thursday morning typified the fractiousness which has built around this issue. The Galway West TD made an impassioned call on Government to do more, saying: "It's time we led. Call out the narrative for what it is. Israel is a rogue state; it is not a democratic state. Stand up, stand up and account for what you're going to do." In a charged atmosphere, Simon Harris accused her of expressing "vitriol and dislike for Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil" and of refusing to acknowledge the major steps taken by the Government. It all suggests that the Government will now be pursued relentlessly by protesters, the Opposition, and perhaps by some Independent TDs supporting the Coalition, to pass the Occupied Territories Bill quickly. The Foreign Affairs Committee, chaired by Fianna Fáil TD John Lahart, has already singalled that it will sit throughout June to progress this legislation swiftly. The speed of its passage through the Oireachtas after this committee work has concluded will be the measure of the Government's strong words on Gaza this week.
Irish Times
19 hours ago
- Irish Times
Miriam Lord's week: Influencer Richie Herlihy's foul-mouthed review of Dáil restaurant leaves a bad taste
The Dáil's Regional Independent Group has lodged a complaint to the Ceann Comhairle and the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission after a social media influencer posted a foul-mouthed and scathing review of the meal he was served in the Dáil members' restaurant while there as the guest of an Independent Ireland TD. Cork-based content creator Richie Herlihy, who robustly reviews spice boxes and other takeaway favourites for his online platforms, visited Leinster House a month ago on the invitation of Cork North Central TD, Ken O'Flynn. On the day, Deputy O'Flynn told the Dáil his friend, who also runs a food truck, 'has the best battered sausage in Cork'. After his visit, the comedian/influencer uploaded a video on Facebook , TikTok and Instagram. The visit also featured on Independent Ireland's social media feeds. READ MORE Richie began by giving a plug to the menswear shop in Cork where he picked his new suit for the occasion. And he said there was 10 per cent off everything in the shop for his followers (126,000 and counting on TikTok and 85,000 on Facebook). Then he meets Ken 'the legend himself', who is seen showing him around the place. He loved that, as he also loved the 'as creamy as they f***in' get' pints served in the bar. He didn't like the food, though. Taking photographs and videos without permission is prohibited in the public areas of Leinster House, including the bars and restaurants. There are strict rules around this, although in recent years, as everyone has a mobile phone, an unspoken tolerance has developed for people taking discreet pictures for personal use. Richie's visit, though, was something of a production. He set up a camera with a microphone attached on a tripod beside his table in the restaurant where he sat next to Ken O'Flynn. A friend simultaneously recorded the scene on his phone. The camera zoomed in on his chicken liver pate and an opinion was given. 'Like dog food' with 'burnt' toast, which was 'actually f***in' soggy' like it was 'cooked on a radiator'. As for his chicken curry. 'I'd say Micheál Martin cooked this yoke anyway because I've had better microwaved dinners out of Lidl. Absolute garbage, chicken tough as a badger's arse.' Could they not get it right 'with all the money [they] waste up in the f***in' Dáil . . . absolute sh***.' There were scenes of banter with Ken in his office, and as Richie walked the corridors he commented for his followers: 'There's a smell of vermin in here, vermin in the f**kin' hallways!'. Richie said Ken treated him like gold and all the TDs he met were very nice. He met none of the TDs he wouldn't get along with, but if he had, he would have given them a piece of his mind. As he was leaving, the content creator talked about having to wash the 'smell of vermin' out of his suit 'because of the other rats that are in there'. The video upset the hard-working catering staff in particular. The politicians were angered on their behalf and they weren't amused by the references to vermin either. The video was deleted soon afterwards but it is still doing the rounds on Kildare Street. Staffers are still very annoyed about it. This prompted the Regional Group to lodge a formal complaint and request that Deputy O'Flynn apologise to the catering staff. The group comprises the Lowry TDs, Danny Healy-Rae, Mattie McGrath, Carol Nolan and those junior ministers previously attached to the group. Minister of State Noel Grealish said he sat down and spoke to the staff because 'they were extremely upset' over the video. 'They take pride in their job and they take pride in the quality of the food they produce.' Meanwhile, Mattie McGrath took the issue to the floor of the Dáil on Wednesday when he called for an apology from Ken O'Flynn, who hosted the influencer. 'A deputy brought an outside person into this House with a tripod and camera. That person made appalling videos and denigrated the excellent staff of this House in the restaurant and the excellent cuisine on offer there,' he told the Dáil. Meanwhile, there will be no apology from Richie Herlihy. 'These politicians should have more on their plate with the state they have the country in, instead of this handbags' he told us on Friday. 'I told the truth that day, food I got was shocking, and some of them politicians including Mattie McGrath should be busy working on the real problems in this country. There have been threats to public safety from the people they have let into Ireland. Should be more on their agenda to be keeping the Irish people safe than to be attacking me about a bit of banter with a bit of truth in it!' We were unable to contact Deputy O'Flynn. Emotive fox-hunting issue attracted outsiders to the Dáil, some of whom arrived on all fours Rural based TDs Danny Healy-Rae and Independent Ireland's Michael Collins were criticised on Wednesday for trying to stop the passage of a Bill to ban fox hunting at its first stage. Ruth Coppinger of People Before Profit introduced it in the Dáil. She was gobsmacked when the two deputies spoke against it and Danny called for a vote. It is common practice for Bills to go through on the nod for a full debate at the next stage. The Dublin West TD said it was 'unprecedented' for a TD to try to prevent a Bill from reaching second stage and a full airing in the Dáil. 'I have introduced many controversial things, as have other TDs, and I have never stopped a Bill from going to second stage. I have been told to put on the big-girl pants and allow debate, but here we have a stifling of the freedom of debate and freedom of speech.' Coppinger urged the Government not to back the call to block it . But Healy-Rae said he got calls 'from every corner of Kerry' asking him 'to ensure that we stop this at the start'. Farmers are losing hens and lambs to foxes, he said. 'They're all over the place. They're coming into towns and villages. They're in and out of bins and they're everywhere. They've completely taken over the place.' Collins said foxes are a danger to young lambs and native birds, and controls are needed for 'pests' such as the fox and the hare. People Before Profit TD Ruth Coppinger during a protest against fox hunting on Tuesday. Photograph: Gráinne Ní Aodha/PA Wire 'We have to have some kind of controls, because the next thing is you'll be inside here looking to see if we can protect the rat or the mouse or whatever. And nobody wants to protect the human being, that's the problem here.' As he spoke, a strange noise, like an animal bleating, came from the public gallery where anti-blood sports campaigners were sitting. Collins, a TD for Cork South-West, stopped and looked around. He said: 'Sorry, is that a lamb or what?' Meanwhile, the following evening, as the Dáil voted on whether or not to scupper legislation to outlaw the killing of foxes for 'sport' without a full hearing, one interested observer was spotted sitting stock still at a back door around the services side of the building, as if listening intently. The Bill passed to the next stage. And the little Leinster House fox hurried away. This fox had a particular interest in proceedings at Leinster House Turning the page from one generation of political journalist to the next A big crowd escaped from Leinster House after the weekly voting bloc on Wednesday and streamed down the road towards Hodges Figgis bookshop for the launch of Gavan Reilly's latest opus: The Secret Life of Leinster House. Among the TDs was Government-supporting Independent Barry Heneghan, currently sans moustache, but that could change by next week. Barry was in good form, having just voted against the Government and in favour of Sinn Féin's pro-Palestine Bill seeking to prevent the Irish Central Bank from facilitating the sale of Israeli bonds in the European Union. Veteran newsman and political commentator Sean O'Rourke did the honours at the launch in a lengthy and entertaining speech on how political journalism has changed down through the years. He drew on his own early years with the Irish Press group, focusing on one particular day in the 1980s when the Evening Press released three editions. The early edition trumpeted that Fianna Fáil minister Séamus Brennan was 'on the brink' of resigning. The next edition, a couple of hours later, had 'pressure' mounting on Séamus to go. And the headline on the final, late evening edition, announced that Brennan was staying on. Gavan, whose wife Ciara is a daughter of former GAA president and Kilkenny hurling great Nicky Brennan, could not have spoken for as long as Sean even if he wanted to. Midway through his speech he realised he forgot to order the takeaway for the babysitter and wrapped things up pretty sharpish after that. 'This book will provide an important public service,' said our own Pat Leahy in his review last week. The Secret Life of Leinster House (published by Gill Books at €17.99) clips along at a fair pace and does a good job of explaining for outsiders and aspiring anoraks how the whole place does or doesn't work. Committee meetings could be blink-and-you-miss-it affairs if early indications are accurate The committees are cranking into action after a much-delayed start and a lot of fuss over who would get those coveted committee chairs. The lesser vice-chair prizes are now being decided. This week, the Health Committee voted on a deputy for Pádraig Rice, Social Democrats TD for Cork South-Central. There were two contenders: Fine Gael's Colm Burke from across the way in Cork North-Central and Martin Daly, Fianna Fáil TD for Roscommon-Galway. Colm was a minister of state at the Department of Health in the last government, while Martin, a first-time deputy, is a GP based in Galway and a former president of the Irish Medical Organisation. He is Fianna Fáil's spokesperson on health. Dr Daly, with his extensive experience in the medical world, was seen as favourite for the position. But Colm, who was an MEP and then a senator before he was elected to the Dáil in 2020, proved a very strong campaigner. He got the job, thanks to support from Sinn Féin. A thank-you, perhaps, for Colm signing a cross-party letter sent by Sinn Féin to the Minister for Housing urging him to release immediate funding for the Tenant in Situ Scheme in Cork city. The scheme allows councils to buy rental properties when landlords put them on the market. Colm was the only Government TD to sign the letter. Timing will be a major bone of contention at forthcoming committee meetings. In its desire to please everyone and come up with all sorts of new committees on all sorts of subjects, the time available for sittings has been truncated. Too many com-mit-tees and not enough meeting rooms or staff to cope. This explains why the much-anticipated meeting of RTÉ and the Media Committee was conducted at a breakneck pace by chairman Alan Kelly. They could have gone on for hours, but in a lucky break for RTÉ, this wasn't possible. He had to be out of the room after 2½ hours — and that included their private session — to make way for the daintily titled Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform, Digitalisation, and Taoiseach.
