Jim Sheridan
Interview By Bartley Ramsay

Jim Sheridan spent thirteen seasons with the blue and white of Finn Harps, in the process becoming the person who has made the highest number of appearances for the Donegal club. It is also fair to say that the Harps side of the early to mid seventies would also be the best ever to line out for the club and proof is in the honours they won.

Jim picked up an FAI Senior cup medal, Dublin City Cup medal, three runners up medals in the League Championship, three times runner up in the Shield/League Cup competition, fourteen amateur international caps, all to go with the President’s Cup medal won with St Patick’s Athletic and an FAI Junior Cup winners medal won with Swilly Rovers in 1967.

Although Jim had played for Harps during their junior days in various summer cup competitions he was actually playing for St Patrick’s Athletic in 1969 when Harps were elevated to senior status. Jim takes up the story “I had played around five or six games for Sligo Rovers in 1965 in the League of Ireland but the team was more Dublin based and I drifted away from the club, signing for Longford Town who were then in the Leinster Senior League.

Bertie Peacock at Coleraine signed me then to replace Allan Hunter, who had just been signed by Ipswich Town, but at the time I was stationed in Carrick-on-Shannon and found it hard to hold down a first team place. I eventually got my release from Coleraine and went back into junior football.”

This led the Rathmullen man to partake in Swilly’s run to the 1967 Junior Cup Final. “We played Orchard United from Dublin in the final played at St Pat’s ground in Inchicore and actually lost 1-0. However, it was discovered that they had played an illegal player and a replay was ordered. This was played at Oriel Park in Dundalk and this time we made no mistake running out winners by the same scoreline. Ironically enough both Dundalk and St Pats approached me to sign for them. Alan Fox was the player manager at Dundalk at the time and he was a centre-half, so I decided I would have a better chance of first team football at St Pats.”

“I stayed there for two seasons and then Harps got into the league. As a Donegal man, naturally I wanted to play for my home county club in the League of Ireland, but I had two very good seasons in Inchicore and felt I owed the club another season, and that is why I didn’t end up signing for Harps until the start of the 1970/71 season.”

Jim sights a number of people who had an influence on his career. His father John, ensured that he was reared to football and he recalls his mother washing and ironing the Rathmullen Celtic sides jerseys from an early age. Jim recalls “people like Harry and Teddy Blaney, Fr Mick (Sweeney), Fr Dan (McMenamin) and Jim Kennedy would always have been about the house and heading off to games.” Later on people like Busty Blake, who would have given me lifts into Derry to play for Foyle Harps who were basically Derry’s third side at the time, Brendan McDaid and Paddy Sweeney at Swilly Rovers, who gave me my chance to go back into senior football. Then I had three very good managers at St Patricks Athletic the late Peter Farrell, the last John Colrain and Harry McCue. Finally both Fran Fields and Patsy McGowan who gave me the opportunity not only to play for Finn Harps but also to captain the side.”

Jim has absolutely no regrets about his playing career and says “Every day was a good day, even when things weren’t going well, I loved playing and I loved training and I would have no regrets about my career. If I were to describe it, it was a fantastic adventure. I was privileged to play and captain Finn Harps for thirteen seasons. Everyone on that side was a great player and the team was like a family. There was no bitching and all the players were very close. In point of fact there was great back up, if someone was having a bad day and only giving 70%, one of the others would be putting in the work to give the extra 30% to bring the team back up.” He continues on “Those days in the seventies we had a great side and I owe a lot to Patsy McGowan for giving me the opportunity to play for the side. If anything I would have a disappointment that we didn’t win the league back then. We were good enough and on three occasions we finished runners up but never as League Champions.”

Jim describes winning the FAI Cup in 1974 as the pinnacle of his career. “You know growing up I never would have thought that it would happen. It was my home county team and there I was captain and about to lift the cup. I was filled with great pride and you know it was an incredible feeling to see thousands of fans running across the pitch at Dalymount Park in celebration. It was an unreal feeling. My caps were great, to play in a foreign land for your country and to hear the national anthem give you pride but I have to be honest when I say that day in April 1974 was definitely the best day of my career.”

When asked as to which opponent he found the hardest Jim answers without hesitation, Alfie Hale, before adding that he is a man whom I have the greatest of respect for. Jim then adds you know I played against Brendan Bradley a couple of times when he was with Athlone and Sligo Rovers but I have always considered him a team mate. Jim then throws in the names of some others like Ray Treacy, Mick Leech, Dave Wigginton and Marsden from Cork as examples of other worthy opponents. When asked as to the best player he played alongside again the answer comes back with no hesitation as Tony O’Doherty.

Jim’s son, his namesake, is of course playing for Sligo Rovers. “I am very proud to see Jim playing for his hometown club. Although he wasn’t born in Sligo he has been living here since he was six and both he and his brother John, consider Sligo home.” Sadly for Jim jnr, he has been unfortunate with a couple of injuries but the good news is that he should be totally fit for next season. John, also plays junior football for Cartron United in the Sligo/Leitrim league. Jim takes up the story again “My wife Patricia is a season ticket holder in the Showgrounds, but I don’t go to matches. I am a very good supporter but a bad spectator. I would always look for the Harps result and the Sligo results but I find it very hard to watch games. Funny a close friend of mine is always having a go at me to go and watch Jim, saying his career will not go on forever.”

Jim has recently retired from the Garda Siochana, where he reached the rank of Chief Superintendant. He laughs “you know I am probably busier now than I have ever been, I don’t appear to have any time on my hands”. One promise he will keep to himself, is that he will make it to Finn Park before the end of the season.

Our conversation covered so much more, but I could probably fill this entire programme with stories and anecdotes from Jim. Suffice to say Finn Harps are still very close to Jim’s heart and he is very proud of his achievements with Donegal’s only senior club.