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John Sheahan (born 19 May 1939) is an Irish musician and composer. He joined The Dubliners in 1964 and played with them until 2012 when The Dubliners' name was retired following the death of founding member Barney McKenna. Sheahan is the last surviving member of the definitive lineup of the Dubliners.
He went to school at the local Christian Brothers in Marino, Dublin, where he received his first musical education, learning the tin whistle. This experience was shared with Paddy Moloney, who later founded The Chieftains, and Leon and Liam Rowsome, sons of the piper Leo Rowsome. When he was about twelve years old he began to take an active interest in music and soon he was to transfer the musical knowledge gained on the whistle to a fiddle he found lying around at home. Enthusiastically supported and encouraged by his parents, he attended the Municipal School of Music (now known as the Dublin Institute of Technology) where he studied classical violin for more than five years.
During this time he continued to maintain his interest in Irish traditional music, which sometimes led him to improvise on the classics by putting in a few embellishments. His tutor would not approve his "composing"; however, Sheahan continued to apply the classical technique to his traditional playing which would ultimately lead to the development of his unique style, gaining him a number of awards at various feiseanna (festivals of Irish traditional music, dancing, poetry and literature). His interest in American bluegrass fiddle music also influenced his style, as can be heard in tunes like "Flop Eared Mule" (also called "Donkey Reel"), recorded with The Dubliners in 1968, 1969 and 1983.
After 50 years of playing and after the death of founding member Barney McKenna, in the autumn of 2012, Sheahan announced the retirement of The Dubliners by the end of the 50th-anniversary tour. The last formation of the band featured Sheahan himself, Sean Cannon, Eamonn Campbell, Patsy Watchorn and Gerry O'Connor.
In April 2014, Sheahan was awarded two Irish Film and Television Awards for the television documentary John Sheahan – A Dubliner. On 10 April 2014 Sheahan was part of Ceiliúradh at which he and other Irish musicians performed at the Royal Albert Hall for the Irish presidential visit to the UK. He sang a verse of "The Auld Triangle" and played the fiddle to accompany other musicians. In June 2014 he performed at a special fundraising concert in Dublin raising money in aid of cystic fibrosis. In September 2014, he performed with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra conducted by Gearoid Grant, live in Meeting House Square for Culture Night 2014.
In 2020, at the age of 80 Sheahan released his first solo album, which contains a collection of unrecorded compositions he had written over the past 50 years.
On September 13, 2024, Sheahan and Phil Coulter announced a new live stage show on The Late Late Show. The show, entitled The Dubliners Encore, is being produced by Coulter, and will tour Europe in 2025.
Sheahan contributed as a guest to several albums. Artists and groups with whom he has worked include:
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