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  • "You'll Have One?" - Martin Sheen Won't Forget His Visit To "Páidí Ó Sé's"

"You'll Have One?" - Martin Sheen Won't Forget His Visit To "Páidí Ó Sé's"

"You'll Have One?" - Martin Sheen Won't Forget His Visit To "Páidí Ó Sé's"
Arthur James O'Dea
By Arthur James O'Dea
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All-Ireland winners' medals and a few stories about Páidí Ó Sé; two things that no self-respecting Kerry person can be found without.

With five of the medals to his name, Tomás Ó Sé is better set than most to have plenty of the latter also.

On the fifth anniversary of the Kerry legend's untimely passing, we revisit one of Tomás' funniest memories of his larger-than-life uncle.

When Páidí wasn't busy generating stories through football, his eponymous pub in Ventry was the location for many incredible scenes.

Writing in his autobiography, Tomás recalled a time when famed American actor - and many people's favourite U.S. President - Martin Sheen found himself situated within "Páidí Ó Sé's Pub".

Not that Páidí was immediately aware of who his esteemed guest was:

'Who's Martin Sheen?' says Páidí.

We told him, 'A big American actor.'

And out with Páidí, 'Martin, how are you? Welcome,' like they were old friends.

As Tomás reveals, his uncle had some previous with Hollywood royalty. When Tom Cruise had been filming nearby a few years earlier, "Páidí Ó Sé's" had become a hot spot for Cruise's extensive security detail:

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Ever since then he'd tell people in the pub that he'd been on the phone to Cruise about this and that: 'We keep in contact,' that kind of blackguarding.

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Spotting the opportunity to extend his portfolio of A-list friends, it did not take long for Páidí to make Sheen feel "right at home".

Little was Páidí to know however, Sheen was a recovering alcoholic - not that it hampered his enthusiasm to make the actor as comfortable as possible:

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We got a weakness laughing when he offered Sheen a drink, only for the actor to reply that he was an alcoholic and, you know, didn't drink anymore.

'That's all right,' says Páidí, 'You'll have one?'

The pair did manage to strike up a good conversation about football however, the wall of Ó Sé's pub a veritable shrine to past and present Gaelic Football glories.

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When Sheen finally brought himself to leave Ventry, Tomás did point out that his uncle was quick not to miss an opportunity to pass on his regards to his 'other' Hollywood friend:

Páidí tore out the door and roared, 'Martin! Martin! Martin! Martin!' across the road until Sheen rolled down the window, 'Say hello to Tom for me will you.'

With no amount of stories regarding Ó Sé's antics ever enough, the visit of Sheen brought to mind another famous visitor that felt the full effect of Ventry's warm embrace.

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As a younger man, Ó Sé welcomed American music legend Dolly Parton to Kerry - and the results are incredible.

We are unlikely to know the like of him again.

You can watch it all below.

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See Also: The 9 Reasons That Junior B Is The Toughest Grade Of All

 

 

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