Actor Martin Sheen has stated how proud he is after discovering his uncle Micheal Fieland was a leading figure in the IRA and stated he hoped he would have followed him if he was alive in Ireland at the time.
The actor also said he was delighted to discover that his mother’s brother from Tipperary had not taken part in the assassination of Michael Collins.
Sheen took part in the NBC series ‘Who Do You Think You Are’ which traces famous persons' roots, reports the Irish Independent.
He visited Kilmainham Jail in Dublin where his uncle was incarcerated and stated: "I'm enormously proud of him."
"I would like to hope that if I had been here in Ireland at the time, I would have followed him.
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"And I would have been as committed as he was."
Fieland went on to fight for the IRA against the Free State in the Civil War.
"When I was in Ireland and discovering the involvement of my uncle in the Rising and the Civil War . . . I was afraid he might have been in on the plan to assassinate Mick Collins," he said.
But as it turned out he was in prison when Mick Collins was assassinated and I was deeply relieved."
"I have been involved in a lot of campaigns for peace and social justice and I had the same kind of commitment in those areas that he had here."
Sheen, whose real name is Ramon Estevez, was born to a Spanish father and Irish mother, Mary-Anne Fieland from Borrisokane in Co Tipperary.
She came to the U.S. during the War of Independence, fleeing the war Sheen believes for her own safety and may have been a volunteer also. She always talked about returning to Ireland but never did.
"And so it was a very, very satisfying moment for me to know that she, too, was involved."
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.YoungPike | Jul 11, 2012, 11:18 AM EDT
I agree with STEVENSTAR and as I've said before, I prefer the British to the Americans. The USA has done far worse things than the British ever did!
STEVENSTAR | Apr 12, 2012, 08:26 PM EDT
WHAT AN IDIOT MORE IN HIS LINE TO GO AND SORT HIS DRUG ADDICT SON... I'M ISISH I LIVE IN IRELAND AND I WAS BORN HERE AND LIKE MOST OF US DECENT HARD WORKING IRISH PEOPLE . WE WISH YOU AMERICANS WOULD KEEP OUT OF OUR AFFAIRS. AND ALSO JUST TO LET YOU KNOW MOST OF US IRISH DESPISE ANYTHING OR ANYONE WHO HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE IRA .... MARTIN SHEEN IS AN EMBARRASSMENT TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE 'NOT; TO US IRISH PEOPLE....
TayandCake | Feb 08, 2012, 07:53 PM EST
Martin Sheens a sound man
McNamara31 | Feb 08, 2012, 12:43 PM EST
The Irish Independent quotes the name as "Michael Fieland" in the following:"The actor said he was also relieved to discover that his mother's brother, Michael Fieland, from Co Tipperary, had no part in the assassination of revolutionary leader Michael Collins." Its not unusal to have many variations of the same name ie: Phelan/Whelan origin from Ó Faoláin or just a simple transcription error.
IrelandNorth | Feb 06, 2012, 07:28 AM EST
GeorgeDillon/carrickcourt/padraigoclerigh! An unwritten English condition of the Anglo-Irish Treaty (AIT), 1921/-'22 was that the 'British' side wanted Collins' head on silver platter for running their revenge regiment for 1916 (i.e. Black 'n' Tans) ragged with his IRA flying columns. Ergo. Effective assassination. awoken32! Yes, indeed. Charlie's tops. slainte9! A case of too many chiefs and too few indians. Probably why there were so many splits. hooligan6a! Fighting enemies beats deserting to their armies. katieherk! It's along way to Tipperary, not least when you're a Defence Force deserter (DFD) in an enemy army marching away from home. pilib04! Two military bodies trade under the banner of Oglaigh na h'Eireann/Irish Volunteer (or more correctly Volunteer of Irland). I was a member of one Oglaigh na h'Eireann. Woodman! The War of Independence wasn't just fought by proxy post AIT/Civil War. I have it on reliable authority that Defence Force personnel were on the ground in Derry in 1972 pre-Bloody Sunday to engage Crown Forces, withdrawing to minimise casualties due to too many Oglaigi in the field, as also due to political ambivalence.
Woodman | Feb 06, 2012, 12:20 AM EST
hooligan6a Listen to Republican Ron Paul and maybe you will learn something. The USA has a lot of enemies, and is creating more all the time. Maybe it's time we stopped before it ends in disaster.
Woodman | Feb 06, 2012, 12:12 AM EST
Not all is what it seems. While the Defense Minister, Collins continued to covertly arm the IRA in what is now Northern Ireland and ordered the assassination of British General Wilson when he learned that Wilson was behind pograms against the Irish in the North. he placed great hopes that the forthcoming border commission would enlarge the Irish Free State.Michael Collins was killed during an IRA ambush, no one else was killed or wounded on either side. And the massive head wound seemed like it came from close range. Do we really know what happened?
pilib04 | Feb 05, 2012, 06:47 PM EST
hooligan6a, i would hasten to add that of course the civil war could be considered a war of national liberation. the free staters were funded and armed by the largest imperialist power at the time, britain! so of course, the IRA that fought the free staters was anti-imperialist. of course at this point you are simply splitting hairs. as for martin sheen, i was merely pointing out that he does not have to support imperialist adventures in order to support the oglaigh na h'eireann! slan go foill, mo chara.
hooligan6a | Feb 04, 2012, 09:52 PM EST
pilib04, Spoken like a true Marxist. Problem is I don't think the Irish Civil war would be considered a war of national liberation.
pilib04 | Feb 04, 2012, 09:23 PM EST
hooligan6a, martin sheen has no problem with wars of national liberation including the american one. however, he is consistently anti-imperialist whether brit or yank!!!
pilib04 | Feb 04, 2012, 09:06 PM EST
katie, right on the mark. Phelan is Martin's mother's maiden name. What I don't understand is how such a story could appear in this blog without making the obvious connection between Martin Sheen, his mother Mary Phelan and Martin's uncle Sean Proisias O'Faolain(John Francis Whelan). Sean was a member of the IRA, sided with Republicans against the freestaters, and was also a member of the Gaelic League. Sean was a friend of Frank O'Connor another famous Irish writer. HOW ON EARTH COULD THIS SEAMUS O'SEAGHDHA (JAMES O'SHEA) BE THAT IGNORANT NOT TO MAKE THE CONNECTION. And more importantly how could he possibly come up with the spelling of Martin's mom? IS HE WEST BRIT? Only the English try to anglicize our language!
katieherk | Feb 04, 2012, 05:51 PM EST
THE NAME IS PHELAN, NOT FIELAND!!! GET YOUR STORY STRAIGHT. ACTUALLY IT'S MY MAIDEN NAME AND WE'RE FROM THE VERY SAME AREA SO WE MUST BE RELATED. TIPPERARY IS THE COUNTY AND WE STILL RELATIVES LIVING IN UPPERCHURCH,
hooligan6a | Feb 04, 2012, 05:35 PM EST
Strange, Sheen is against the US fighting their enimies, but thinks it is great for the Irish to be killing their own.
slainte9 | Feb 04, 2012, 02:05 PM EST
Doesn't everyone have a relative who was a captain in the IRA? I guess there were no privates.
merefalow | Feb 04, 2012, 12:41 PM EST
i knew charlie was ok..
Sparklet | Feb 04, 2012, 11:57 AM EST
Probably easier for Martin to be proud of his IRA heritage than of Charlie.
awoken32 | Feb 04, 2012, 11:57 AM EST
An so should charlie be proud of his uncle was apart of the struggle,as am i of my great grandfather,they were patriots for their cultures an people,not like the politicans or some indoctrinated people today,im proud that charlie sheen has roots in ireland,because no matter what is life style or the corrupted presstitutes in the media attacked him for standing out an speaking his mind some of it was over the top,BUT A LOT OF WHAT HE SAYS WAS TRUE,HE IS A FREE THINKER AN ITS A CREDIT TO HIM IN THE FICKLE WORLD OF HOLLYWOOD
padraigocleirigh | Feb 04, 2012, 10:07 AM EST
Shot and killed in an ambush is a more accurate description of Michael Collins's death. Historian Meda Ryan illuminates that tragic day in Ireland's history in her brilliant book, "The Day Michael Collins Was Shot." Incidentally, Ms. Ryan was raised in Bandon, not far from Beal na mBlath where the 22 August 1922 ambush took place .
carrickcourt | Feb 04, 2012, 10:03 AM EST
Michael Collins was shot and killed by IRA members during action in the Irish Civil War. How does that sound? I find 'Who Do You Think You Are' more family history drama then detailed family history. Interesting that I learned more about Martin Sheen's mother's history here then in the actual 'Who Do You Think You Are' program.
GeorgeDillon | Feb 04, 2012, 09:16 AM EST
Sheehan and columnist O'Shea are pretty ignorant about elementary Irish history. Michael Collins was NOT ASSASSINATED. I've corrected that nonsense here on at least three earlier occasions. Is there no one at Irish Central with knowledge of Irish history?