Joe Sherlock

Joe Sherlock (26 September 1930 [cite news |url=http://archives.tcm.ie/irishexaminer/2007/09/14/story42496.asp |title=Sherlock cut age by five years for election |work=Irish Examiner |date=14 September 2007 |accessdate=2008-02-18] – 10 September 2007) was an Irish politician from County Cork. A member of Sinn Féin, then the Workers Party and then the Labour Party, he was a Teachta Dála (TD) for Cork East from 1981–1982, 1987–1992 and 2002–2007.

Joe Sherlock was born in Kildorrery, County Cork and was educated at the local national school. He worked at the local sugar factory for 18 years and first held political office in 1967 when he was elected to Mallow Urban District Council as a Sinn Féin representative. During the split in Sinn Féin in 1970, Sherlock remained with the "Official" wing of the movement. In 1974 he was elected to Cork County Council. He held both seats until the ending of the dual mandate in 2003. Sherlock was first elected to Dáil Éireann at the 1981 general election as a Workers' Party TD. It was around this time that Magill magazine stated that Sherlock had been a member of the Irish Republican Army in the 1950s around the time of its Border Campaign. Sherlock never denied this allegation.

Sherlock was re-elected in the February 1982 general election, but lost his seat in the November 1982 general election. Despite the loss of his seat he continued to be active in local politics. He was re-elected to the Dáil again in the 1987 and 1989 elections but lost his seat in the 1992 general election. Sherlock is also a former member of Democratic Left. He was elected to Seanad Éireann in 1993, serving in the upper house until 1997. He failed to be elected to the Dáil again in 1997 general election but eventually regained his seat after ten years in the 2002 general election.

In July 2005, Sherlock announced that he would not be standing again in the next general election. His son, Seán, then a member of both Cork County Council and Mallow Town Council, was elected at the 2007 general election to succeed his father.

He died on 10 September 2007 after a short illness.

References

*oireachtas-database |1=http://oireachtas.ie/members-hist/default.asp?housetype=1&HouseNum=20&MemberID=1038&ConstID=206

External links

* [http://www.electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?ID=2999 Joe Sherlock's electoral history] (ElectionsIreland.org)
* [http://www.labour.ie/press/listing/1189683373145915.html Statement by Labour Party leader Eamon Gilmore following Joe Sherlock's death] – 13 September 2007

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