Bartley, Patrick Joseph Plunkett Sheridan

Bartley, Patrick Joseph Plunkett Sheridan (1878–1948), journalist and local government official, was born 6 May 1878, son of William Bartley, farmer, and Mary Bartley (née Plunkett) of Prospect House, Mountnugent, Co. Cavan. Little is known of his early years, but he was said to have been ‘in business’ 1891–8 and was the Anglo-Celt correspondent for Virginia, Oldcastle, and Mountnugent till 1898. From 1899 to 1908 he managed his large farm; he was clerk (1898–1922) of Oldcastle board of guardians. As a journalist, he found evidence that was instrumental in preventing the indictment of three men for murder at Ballyhaise and Virginia, Co. Cavan; and in 1902 he co-founded, published, and edited Sinn Féin, a monthly review printed in Oldcastle with Irish ink on Irish paper. This was arguably one of the first times that the words ‘Sinn Féin’ appeared in print. From 1916 Bartley was the Co. Cavan representative on the Sinn Féin national executive. He was interned in Ballykinlar (November 1920–December 1921). In 1922–30 and 1932–4 he was an inspector for the Department of Local Government and Public Health, being latterly responsible for the registers of births, deaths, and marriages. Having been county commissioner of Mayo (1931–2), Galway (1931–2), Leix (1934–42), and Westmeath (1935–42), he was appointed county manager of Leix–Offaly (1942–5). A noted long-distance racing cyclist, Bartley was also prominently identified with the GAA in Co. Cavan. He died 23 April 1948. He married Teresa Mary Bartley of Co. Meath; they had three sons and two daughters.