Editing Martin Sheen (section)

===Academic pursuits===
After the end of filming of ''The West Wing,'' Sheen planned to further his education: "My plan is to read [[English literature]], [[philosophy]] and [[theology]] in [[Galway]], Ireland, where my late mother came from and where I'm also a citizen."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://breakingnews.iol.ie/entertainment/story.asp?j=138251744&p=y38z5z45x |title=Sheen to study in Galway |date=March 30, 2005 |website=Breaking News.ie |access-date=March 30, 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929122549/http://breakingnews.iol.ie/entertainment/story.asp?j=138251744&p=y38z5z45x |archive-date=September 29, 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Speaking after an honorary arts doctorate was conferred on him by the National University of Ireland, Sheen joked that he would be the "oldest undergraduate" at the [[NUI Galway|National University of Ireland (NUI), Galway]], when he started his full-time studies there in the autumn of 2006. Although expressing concern that he might be a "distraction" to other students at NUI Galway, he attended lectures like everyone else. Speaking the week after filming his last episode of ''The West Wing,'' he said, "I'm very serious about it." He once said, "I never went to college when I was young and am looking forward to giving it a try... at age 65!"<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/front/2006/0408/2314898038HM1MARTINSHEEN.html |title='President Bartlett' retiring to new role at NUIG |date=April 4, 2006 |newspaper=[[The Irish Times]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023165939/http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/front/2006/0408/1142365532972.html |archive-date=October 23, 2012}}</ref> On September 1, 2006, Sheen was among the first to register as a student at NUI Galway, where he took classes in English literature, philosophy, and [[oceanography]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nuigalway.ie/news/main_press.php?p_id=345 |title=Martin Sheen among first to register as a student at NUI Galway, Ireland |date=September 1, 2006 |website=NUI Galway |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012112258/http://nuigalway.ie/news/main_press.php?p_id=345 |archive-date=October 12, 2007}}</ref>

Sheen maintains links with Galway and "heartily" supported [[Michael D. Higgins]] (himself an alumnus of NUI Galway) in the [[2011 Irish presidential election]], having become a "dear friend" of Higgins while studying there.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.galwaynews.ie/21331-president%E2%80%99-sheen-adds-lustre-michael-d-bid-%C3%A1ras |title='President' Sheen adds lustre to Michael D bid for Áras |last=Ní Fhlatharta |first=Bernie |date=September 2, 2011 |newspaper=[[Galway City Tribune]] |access-date=June 3, 2019 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120826035032/http://www.galwaynews.ie/21331-president%E2%80%99-sheen-adds-lustre-michael-d-bid-%C3%A1ras |archive-date=August 26, 2012}}</ref>