Martin Sheen finishes college

Dublin (Reuters): West Wing star Martin Sheen will next month begin studying at a university in Ireland. Sheen, 66, star of box office hits such as Apocalypse Now, and Wall Street, has enrolled for a degree in English literature, philosophy and oceanography at the National University Ireland (NUI), Galway. NUI confirmed yesterday that Sheen was due to start his course in September.

The actor, whose mother hailed from the Irish county of Tipperary, has been quoted as saying he wanted to finish his education when he retired from acting as he never got his high school diploma, according to media reports. Last year NUI conferred an honorary degree on Sheen, real name Ramon Estevez, for both his acting and ''his consistent and meaningful engagement with civil society''. A dedicated supporter of liberal causes, Sheen has been arrested more than 60 times for public protests.