Galway arts students will have Hollywood actor as classmate

Arts students at NUI Galway could find themselves sitting next to Hollywood actor Martin Sheen who has enrolled for the new academic term.

The Emmy Award winning actor, whose mother is from Ireland, has enrolled for an arts degree in English Literature, Philosophy and Oceanography.

A spokesperson for NUI Galway said the new college year would start on September 4th, but they did not yet know when Sheen was due to arrive in Galway.

The college expects to have more details next week, but it is understood that Sheen will be starting at the university at the end of September or beginning of October.

The actor has been quoted as saying that he wanted to finish his education after he retired from acting as he never got his high school diploma.

Born and raised in Dayton, Ohio, he is best known in more recent years for his role as President Bartlett in the series The West Wing and as Captain Willard opposite Marlon Brando in the classic film Apocalypse Now. He has visited Galway on a number of occasions and was very taken by the university.

His late mother, Mary Ann Phelan was from Terryglass, Co Tipperary and he still has relations in Borrisokane where he and his family have spent holidays. His late father, Francisco Estevez, was a Spaniard.

The actor, whose real name is Ramon Gerard Antonio Estevez, has been married to Janet Templeton for 45 years and is father of Charlie Sheen, Emilio Estevez, Renee Estevez and Ramon Estevez.

He has been arrested over 70 times, mainly for liberal protests. In April of this year, he was conferred with an honorary arts degree by NUI Galway both for his acting and his "consistent and meaningful engagement with civil society - in particular through his concerns for his country and its role in the wider international community".