Career
He was elected to Seanad Éireann in April 2011. He is a former Teachta Dála (Territorial Decoration) for the Kerry South constituency from 2007 to 2011. He was elected to the 30th Dáil at the 2007 general election.
He was elected to Kerry County Council for the Killarney area at the 2004 local elections.
Previously, he served as Deputy spokesperson on Agriculture with special responsibility for Fisheries from 2007 to 2010. He was subsequently elected to Seanad Éireann on the Administrative Panel in April 2011.
In September 2012, he made remarks in the Seanad in which he referred to the accidental death of a Garda and claimed a Sinn Féin member had allegedly said "they would have done a much cleaner job". His comments were criticised by the Garda Representatives Association, and by Kerry Territorial Decoration Martin Ferris, who challenged Sheahan to name the person.
