30 Facts About Kevin Sharkey

Kevin Sharkey was born on 3 June 1961 and is an Irish artist, political activist, and former television presenter and actor.

Kevin Sharkey sought a nomination to run in the 2018 Irish presidential election, but withdrew his bid on 17 September 2018.

Kevin Sharkey was given up for adoption and raised by the Sharkey family in Killybegs, County Donegal.

Kevin Sharkey was a runner-up in the all Ireland Disco dancing championship at Zhivago nightclub at the age of 16.

Kevin Sharkey says his relationship with his adoptive parents was sometimes abusive, eventually resulting in him being put into foster care when aged 12.

Kevin Sharkey suffered physical abuse; the school was the subject of a police investigation and a national scandal in 1996.

Kevin Sharkey has had many different career paths, including being a chef, a fisherman, a singer-songwriter, and a TV presenter.

Kevin Sharkey was Ireland's first ever bi-racial television presenter on a show called Megamix, and presented British television music show The Roxy from 1987.

Kevin Sharkey was briefly a photographer and a model, photographed by David Bailey.

Kevin Sharkey wrote the latter group's 1989 single Everybody Wants to Dance Like Josephine Baker.

Kevin Sharkey had a small part in Father Ted, playing a priest named Father Shaft in two episodes.

Kevin Sharkey refused to join cast members on a reunion show on RTE One's The Late Late Show, choosing to appear on the rival network, TV3's The Dunphy Show instead.

Irish singer and songwriter Bob Geldof was the first person to buy a Sharkey painting, with other collectors of his work including Charles Saatchi, Rosie Huntington Whitley, Michael Portillo, Courtney Love, Whitney Houston, Matt Lucas, and the President of Ireland Michael D Higgins.

Kevin Sharkey's art is considered abstract, modern work, with bright, textured colours.

Kevin Sharkey's style is regarded as stylistically diverse with many of his works being visually different from each other.

Kevin Sharkey has had exhibitions in Dublin, London, Ibiza, Amsterdam and New York City.

Kevin Sharkey's work has included, Samantha Mumba's bust and 'Moolah'.

Kevin Sharkey paintings were included in the music video of Estelle and Kanye West's 2008 hit single, American Boy.

Kevin Sharkey filed for damages over the portrayal of his work being "liked by a dangerous killer and drug addict".

Kevin Sharkey denied these allegations as the purportedly stolen paintings were his.

Kevin Sharkey told police that he had destroyed the paintings in 2014 because they "were inferior works of art".

In late 2005, Kevin Sharkey announced his intention to take the Irish State to the European Court of Human Rights in order to force the recognition of same-sex partnerships, specifically civil partnerships.

Kevin Sharkey cited personal reasons for this, decrying the fact that if he were to marry his long-term male partner Ade Antigha in Spain, where the two were living at the time, the marriage would not be recognised by Irish law.

Kevin Sharkey cited the "dedication" of its then deputy leader, Mary Lou McDonald TD as his reason for doing so.

Kevin Sharkey however left the party in 2016 because he felt he was just being used as a "poster boy".

In May 2016, Kevin Sharkey voiced his opposition to Irish government spending on foreign aid, as well as the influx of immigration in Ireland.

In March 2018, Kevin Sharkey announced his candidacy for the 2018 Irish Presidential Election, on an "Ireland First" platform.

Kevin Sharkey later withdrew from the race, calling it a "circus".

Kevin Sharkey became engaged to his girlfriend, Italian art dealer Carmen Sant Angelo, in 2010.

In 2016, while struggling with his finances, Kevin Sharkey briefly became homeless while living in Dublin.