Niall Sheehy was a Gaelic footballer from Tralee, County Kerry. He played Gaelic football and hurling with his local club John Mitchels, he also played hurling with Austin Stacks. He was also a member of the senior Kerry county football team from the 1958 until 1965, where he was nicknamed "Eusébio" for his kicking ability.^[1] He also played for the Kerry county hurling team. His father was John Joe Sheehy. His brothers - Seán Óg and Paudie - both won All-Ireland titles with Kerry in the 1960s. Sheehy captained Kerry to the All-Ireland final in 1964, but lost out to Galway.^[2] He also won an All-Ireland Junior Hurling Championship medal in 1961, Kerry's first All Ireland Hurling title since 1891, as well as 3 National Hurling League Div 2 titles.^{[citation needed]}

At club level Sheehy was part of the famed John Mitchels team of the 1950s and 1960s, winning seven Kerry Senior Football Championships (1952, five in a row from 1959 to 1963 and again in 1966).^{[citation needed]}