Joe Sherlock

Who was Joe Sherlock?

Joe Sherlock 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 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 served as Chairperson of Mallow UDC. 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 at the February 1982 general election, but lost his seat at 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 at the 1987 and 1989 general elections but lost his seat at 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 at the 1997 general election but eventually regained his seat after ten years at the 2002 general election.