Mikey Sheehy

Michael "Mikey" Sheehy (born 28 July 1954) is an Irish Gaelic football selector and former player.

By the early 1970s, Sheehy had joined the Kerry minor football team; however, he had no success in this grade, as Cork dominated the provincial championship.

His league and championship career at senior level with the Kerry county team spanned fifteen seasons from 1973 to 1988.

Born in Tralee, County Kerry, Sheehy's father, Jim Sheehy, had played with the Laune Rangers club in his youth.

Sheehy first played competitive Gaelic football during his schooling at Tralee CBS.

Sheehy subsequently joined the Kerry under-21 team, winning two All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship medals in 1973 and 1975.

By this stage he had also joined the Kerry senior team, making his debut during the 1973-74 league.

He won his first county senior championship title with the club in 1973, following a defeat of West Kerry.

He quickly progressed onto the Kerry under-21 team, where he captured a Munster Under-21 Football Championship title in 1973, following a one-goal defeat of Cork.

Sheehy's side later qualified for the All-Ireland final with Mayo providing the opposition.

A 2–13 to 0–13 score line gave Kerry the victory, and gave Sheehy an All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship winners' medal.

Sheehy made his senior inter-county debut for Kerry in the 1973–1974 National Football League campaign.

Kerry reached the final of the competition and recorded a victory, following a replay, over Roscommon.

Sheehy retained his place as a substitute for Kerry's unsuccessful Munster Senior Football Championship campaign.

Over the course of the next fifteen seasons, Sheehy won eight All-Ireland SFC medals, beginning in 1975, followed by a record-equalling four championships in-a-row from 1978 to 1981 and three championships in-a-row from 1984 to 1986.

A second county winners' medal followed two years later, in 1975, following a win over Mid Kerry.

Two years later, in 1975, Sheehy secured a second Munster title, following a nine-point trouncing of Waterford.

Kerry later qualified for the All-Ireland final with Dublin providing the opposition.

A 1–15 to 0–10 score line gave Kerry the victory, and gave Sheehy a second All-Ireland under-21 winners' medal.

After being chosen on the Munster inter-provincial team for the first time in 1976, Sheehy was an automatic choice on the starting fifteen for the following seven years.

During that time he won five Railway Cup medals.

In retirement from playing, Sheehy became involved in team management and coaching.

Austin Stacks retained their title in 1976 before later representing the county in the provincial club series, and even reaching the final.

A narrow 1–7 to 0–8 defeat of St Finbarr's gave Sheehy a Munster club winners' medal.

He later lined out at Croke Park for the All-Ireland final against Ballerin of Derry.

The Ulster champions took an early lead, courtesy of two first-half goals.

Sheehy, however, scored two late points, one from an acute line-ball and one from a 45-metre free, giving Austin Stacks a 1–13 to 2–7 win, and Sheehy an All-Ireland club winners' medal.

He first appeared for the Austin Stacks club at underage levels, before winning an All-Ireland medal with the senior team in 1977.

Sheehy also won one Munster medal and five county club championship medals.

Sheehy made his debut on the inter-county scene at the age of sixteen when he was picked on the Kerry minor team.

He played two championship seasons with the minors, and was a Munster Minor Football Championship runner-up on both occasions.

He also won eleven Munster SFC medals, three National Football League medals and was named Footballer of the Year in 1979.

Sheehy was named in the right corner-forward position on the Football Team of the Century in 1984.

He played his last game for Kerry in July 1987.

Sheehy was one of only two players from the modern era to be named on that team, and was also included (also in the right corner-forward position) on the Football Team of the Millennium in 1999.

Sheehy also won seven All-Stars, while his tally of eight All-Ireland medals, albeit one as a non-playing substitute, is also a record which he shares with fellow Kerry players Páidí Ó Sé, Pat Spillane and Denis "Ógie" Moran.

His scoring tally of 29-205 was a record which stood for 25 years.

Sheehy played his club football with the local club, Austin Stacks, in Tralee.

In 2012 he was appointed as a selector with the Kerry senior team.

Since then he has helped steer the team to one All-Ireland title and four successive Munster titles.