Sharkey had a small part in "Father Ted" where he played a priest named Father Shaft in two episodes. His most famous line, coming after a nun asked him what he thought of all the work being done in Africa by priests, was "Sure I wouldn't know, I'm from Donegal". Sharkey was also a farmhand in the Irish TV series "Celebrity Farm" where he was the fourth farmhand to be evicted. Sharkey's difficult relationship with the other celebrity contestants was the subject of news media attention. He refused to join cast members on a reunion show on RTÉ One's "The Late Late Show", choosing to appear on the rival network, TV3's "The Dunphy Show" instead.