Brian Whelahan
Encyclopedia
Brian Whelahan is an Irish
sportsperson. He currently plays hurling
with his local club Birr
and was a member of the Offaly
senior inter-county team from 1989 until 2006. His selection on the GAA Hurling Team of the Millennium, the only player selected who was still playing at the time of selection, sees him widely regarded as one of the greatest hurlers in the history of the game.
Whelahan's status as one of the all-time greats is self-evident. In a senior inter-county career that lasted for seventeen years he won two All-Ireland
titles, three Leinster
titles, one National Hurling League
title and two Railway Cup titles. In a senior club career that has lasted since 1988 Whelahan has won four All-Ireland
club titles, seven Leinster
club titles and twelve county titles.
Whelahan has also been the recipient of many awards and honours off the field. In 1994 his hurling prowess earned him the prestigious Texaco Hurler of the Year
award, however, that same year he was controversially omitted from the All-Stars team due to irregularities in the voting system. Four years later in 1998 he received this honour for the second time, thus becoming the first player ever to win the accolade on two occasions. In 2000 Whelahan became the only player from the modern era to be named on the prestigious GAA Hurling Team of the Millennium
, thus cementing his reputation as one of the all-time greats. He is currently manager of the Camross Senior hurling team in County Laois.
, County Offaly
in 1971. He was born into a family that had a strong association with the game of hurling. His father, Pat Joe Whelahan played with Offaly for thirteen years and won ten senior county championship medals with St. Rynagh's
, while his mother played camogie
with Offaly and Leinster. Whelahan was educated locally at St. Brendan’s Presentation Brothers national school, where he started off his hurling career under the tutelage of Bro. Vincent and Tony Samson. He later attended St. Brendan's community school
where he joined the school hurling team. Pádraig Horan
, Offaly's All-Ireland winning captain of 1981, was trainer of the team. Whelahan was a substitute on the team that captured both Leinster and All-Ireland colleges' titles in 1986. After leaving school he worked for Tullamore Frozen Foods for twelve years. Whelahan later bought a pub in Birr in 1994, called Whelahans. That same year Whelahan married his wife Mary and together they have four children - Aaron, Dawn, Aoibh and Brooke. Brian was selected by the Fine Gael
party to run as a candidate in the Birr Electoral Area in the 2009 Local Elections, alongside fellow Birr businessman Nigel Craughwell and sitting Fine Gael County Councillor, Percy Clendennen.
team. The club is one of the most successful in the Offaly SHC. In a long career Whelahan has won twelve county titles in all - 1991, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008. Seven of these county wins were converted into Leinster
club titles in 1991, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2002 and 2007. In turn, four of these were subsequently converted into four All-Ireland
club titles in 1995, 1998, 2002 and 2003. As a result of this Birr is the most successful club in the history of the All-Ireland hurling competeition and Whelahan is just one of a small number of players who have four All-Ireland club medals.
Whelahan added three consecutive county championship titles to his collection in 2005, 2006 and 2007. The third of these victories was subsequently converted into a seventh Leinster club hurling title following a 1-11 to 0-13 victory over Ballyboden St Endas. The subsequent All-Ireland final pitted Birr against Portumna
of Galway. Birr made a dream start to the game with goals coming inside the first ten minutes. But Portumna, with their speed and skill coming to the fore, pulled clear to lead by 3-19 to 3-9 at the full-time whistle.
In 2008 Whelahan won a twelfth county championship winners' medal to leave him just one behind St. Rynagh's Damien Martin
who has a record thirteen county medals. Birr later qualified for the Leinster club final, however, fierce rivals Ballyhale Shamrocks were the winners on that occasion.
minor hurling team. In 1987 he captured a coveted Leinster
title in that grade following a victory over Kilkenny
. Offaly later played Tipperary
in the All-Ireland final. After an exciting hour of hurling Offaly emerged victorious by 2-8 to 0-12, giving Whelahan a minor All-Ireland
winners' medal. It was Offaly's second minor title.
Two years later in 1989 Whelahan was captain of the side as he captured a second Leinster title following a trouncing of Kilkenny in a replay. Offaly later lined out against Clare
in the All-Ireland final. After an exciting game Offaly were the winners by 2-16 to 1-12, giving Whelahan a second All-Ireland medal in the minor grade.
That same year Whelahan was also a key member of the Offaly under-21 team. That year he won a Leinster
title in that grade following a 3-16 to 3-9 win over Kilkenny. The subsequent All-Ireland final saw Offaly take on Tipperary. A high-scoring game saw Whelahan's side being defeated by 4-10 to 3-11.
Two years later Whelahan added a second Leinster winners' medal to his collection that year before later playing in a second All-Ireland under-21 final. Galway
provided the opposition on that occasion, however, Whelahan's side were comletely outclassed as the men from the West won by 2-17 to 1-9.
The following year Whelahan was captain of the Offaly under-21 team. He added a third Leinster winners' medal to his collection that year before later leading his team out in the All-Ireland final. Waterford
provided the opposition on that occasion, however, both sides finished level. The replay saw Waterford win the game by 0-12 to 2-3, leaving Whelahan with a third All-Ireland under-21 runners-up medal.
in the All-Ireland semi-final of 1989. Offaly were the hot favourites going into the game, however, victory went to the Ulster men on a score line of 4-15 to 1-15. The significance of this victory was not lost on Offaly team as the entire team gave the Antrim players a guard of honor and a standing ovation as they left the field.
In 1990 Offaly were the masters of Leinster once again, with Whelahan picking up his first senior Leinster
winners' medal following a 1-19 to 2-11 win over Dublin
. Whelahan later lined out in the subsequent All-Ireland semi-final, however, Galway were the victors on that occasion by 1-16 to 2-7.
At the start of 1991 Offaly reached the final of the National Hurling League
. Wexford
were the opponents on that occasion, however, after a tense game Offaly took the victory and Whelahan won a coveted National League winners’ medal. Offaly lost their provincial crown later that year.
After a few years out of the limelight Offaly bounced back in 1994. That year Whelahan added a second Leinster winners’ medal to his collection following a 1-18 to 0-14 victory over Wexford. After defeating Galway in the All-Ireland semi-final, Whelahan later lined out against Limerick
in the All-Ireland final. With five minutes left in the game Limerick were five points ahead and were coasting to victory. It was then that one of the most explosive All-Ireland final finishes of all-time took place. Offaly were awarded a close-in free which Johnny Dooley
stepped up to take. Dooley was told by the management team to take a point; however, he lashed the ball into the Limerick net to reduce the deficit. Following the puck-out Offaly worked the ball up field and Pat O'Connor struck for a second goal. The Offaly forwards scored another five unanswered points in the time remaining to secure a 3-16 to 2-13 victory. This victory gave Whelahan a coveted All-Ireland
winner’s medal. 1994 was not without its controversy for Whelahan either, as he was named Texaco Hurler of the Year
but, due to irregularities in the voting system, was sensationally omitted from the All-Star team.
In 1995 Offaly retained the Leinster title following a 2-16 to 2-5 trouncing of Kilkenny. It was Whelahan's third provincial winners’ medal. Down
fell to Offaly in the subsequent All-Ireland semi-final, allowing Offaly to advance to the championship decider and attempt to defend their title. It was the first ever meeting of these two sides in the history of the championship. The game developed into a close affair with Offaly taking a half-time lead. Four minutes from the end substitute Éamonn Taaffe
first timed a long range free straight into the net to give Clare a one-point lead. After a quick equalizer Anthony Daly
sent over a 65-metre free to give his team the lead again. Jamesie O'Connor
pointed soon afterwards and at the full-time whistle Clare were the 1-13 to 2-8 winners.
In 1998 Offaly had another controversial year. Whelahan's side reached the Leinster final but lost to Kilkenny. This defeat prompted their manager, Babs Keating, to describe the Offaly hurlers as "sheep in a heap", and he promptly resigned. It looked as if Offaly's championship hopes were in disarray, however, they overcame Antrim
in the All-Ireland quarter-final and qualified to meet Clare in the semi-final. The first game against Clare ended in a draw and had to be replayed, however, the replay was ended early because of a time-keeping error by the referee. Following a protest on the pitch of Croke Park
by the Offaly supporters it was decided that Clare and Offaly would meet for a third time. Whelahan's side won the third game and qualified to play Kilkenny in the final. On that day Whelahan delivered one of his greatest performances. Despite suffering from flu, he started in defence and was later moved to full-forward where he scored 1-6. Offaly reversed the Leinster final defeat by winning the All-Ireland final by 6 points. Whelahan had captured his second All-Ireland medal and was once again honoured as Texaco Hurler of the Year, the first player to win the title on two occasions.
Whelahan and Offaly reached the All-Ireland final again in 2000 but were defeated by Kilkenny by 5-15 to 1-14. It was the most one-sided All-Ireland final in decades and it marked the end of the great Offaly team of the 1990s. In spite of that disappointment Whelahan was named on the Gaelic Athletic Association
's Hurling Team of the Millennium, becoming the only hurler chosen who was still playing the game. This single honour marked Whelahan as the single greatest player of his era and as the greatest right wing-back of all-time.
The following six years proved disappointment for Whelehan and for Offaly with no Leinster or All-Ireland titles being won. Following a loss to Clare in the 2006 qualifiers Whelahan decided to retire from inter-county hurling.
in the inter-provincial hurling championship and enjoyed much success. He won his first Railway Cup medal in 1998 as Leinster narrowly defeated Connacht
by 0-16 to 2-9. A second Railway Cup winners' medal followed in 2004.
candidate for Offaly County Council
representing the Birr
district.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
sportsperson. He currently plays hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
with his local club Birr
Birr GAA
Birr GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the town of Birr in County Offaly, Ireland. The club is almost exclusively concerned with hurling and are one of the most successful club hurling teams in the country.-Honours:...
and was a member of the Offaly
Offaly GAA
The Offaly County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Offaly GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Offaly...
senior inter-county team from 1989 until 2006. His selection on the GAA Hurling Team of the Millennium, the only player selected who was still playing at the time of selection, sees him widely regarded as one of the greatest hurlers in the history of the game.
Whelahan's status as one of the all-time greats is self-evident. In a senior inter-county career that lasted for seventeen years he won two All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in Ireland....
titles, three Leinster
Leinster Senior Hurling Championship
The Leinster GAA Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1888 for the top hurling teams in the province of Leinster in Ireland....
titles, one National Hurling League
National Hurling League
The National Hurling League is an annual hurling competition between the county teams of Ireland. Contested by 35 teams , it operates on a system of promotion and relegation between four different divisions, with Division One...
title and two Railway Cup titles. In a senior club career that has lasted since 1988 Whelahan has won four All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship
The All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship is an annual hurling tournament played between hundreds of senior hurling clubs in Ireland. The Tommy Moore Cup is awarded to the winners. The current champions are Clarinbridge...
club titles, seven Leinster
Leinster Senior Club Hurling Championship
The Leinster Senior Club Hurling Championship is an annual Hurling tournament played between the winners of the senior club hurling championships of the counties in Leinster. The current holders of the Leinster title are Ballyhale Shamrocks from Kilkenny. The first Leinster senior club hurling...
club titles and twelve county titles.
Whelahan has also been the recipient of many awards and honours off the field. In 1994 his hurling prowess earned him the prestigious Texaco Hurler of the Year
Texaco Hurler of the Year
The Texaco Hurler of the Year is a hurling award, created in 1958, that honours the achievements of a hurler of outstanding excellence. The award is part of the Texaco Sportstars Awards, in which Irish sportspeople from all fields are honoured....
award, however, that same year he was controversially omitted from the All-Stars team due to irregularities in the voting system. Four years later in 1998 he received this honour for the second time, thus becoming the first player ever to win the accolade on two occasions. In 2000 Whelahan became the only player from the modern era to be named on the prestigious GAA Hurling Team of the Millennium
GAA Hurling Team of the Millennium
The GAA Hurling Team of the Millennium was announced by GAA President Seán McCague at a special dinner at Croke Park on 24 July 2000. The initiative was sponsored by An Post who issued special commemorative stamps of the Millennium team members. The team was chosen to comprise, as a...
, thus cementing his reputation as one of the all-time greats. He is currently manager of the Camross Senior hurling team in County Laois.
Biography
Brian Whelahan was born in BirrBirr
Birr is a town in County Offaly, Ireland. Once called Parsonstown, after the Parsons family who were local landowners and hereditary Earls of Rosse. It is also a parish in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe....
, County Offaly
County Offaly
County Offaly is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Uí Failghe and was formerly known as King's County until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. Offaly County Council is...
in 1971. He was born into a family that had a strong association with the game of hurling. His father, Pat Joe Whelahan played with Offaly for thirteen years and won ten senior county championship medals with St. Rynagh's
St. Rynagh's GAA
St. Rynagh's is a Gaelic Athletic Association club that encompasses the towns of Cloghan and Banagher in County Offaly, in Ireland. Formed in 1961, the club gained almost immediate success - winning the senior championship in 1965. St. Rynagh's went on to appear in three All-Ireland club finals...
, while his mother played camogie
Camogie
Camogie is an Irish stick-and-ball team sport played by women; it is almost identical to the game of hurling played by men. Camogie is played by 100,000 women in Ireland and world wide, largely among Irish communities....
with Offaly and Leinster. Whelahan was educated locally at St. Brendan’s Presentation Brothers national school, where he started off his hurling career under the tutelage of Bro. Vincent and Tony Samson. He later attended St. Brendan's community school
Community school
The term "community school" refers to types of publicly funded school in England, Wales, the Republic of Ireland, the United States, Australia, Canada and New Zealand to a school that serves as both an educational institution and a centre of community life. A community school is both a place and a...
where he joined the school hurling team. Pádraig Horan
Pádraig Horan
Pádraig Horan is a retired Irish hurling manager and former player. He played hurling with his local club St. Rynagh’s and with the Offaly senior inter-county team from 1970 until 1986. Horan later served as manager of both the Offaly and Laois senior inter-county teams.-Club:Horan played his...
, Offaly's All-Ireland winning captain of 1981, was trainer of the team. Whelahan was a substitute on the team that captured both Leinster and All-Ireland colleges' titles in 1986. After leaving school he worked for Tullamore Frozen Foods for twelve years. Whelahan later bought a pub in Birr in 1994, called Whelahans. That same year Whelahan married his wife Mary and together they have four children - Aaron, Dawn, Aoibh and Brooke. Brian was selected by the Fine Gael
Fine Gael
Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
party to run as a candidate in the Birr Electoral Area in the 2009 Local Elections, alongside fellow Birr businessman Nigel Craughwell and sitting Fine Gael County Councillor, Percy Clendennen.
Club
Whelahan plays his club hurling with his local BirrBirr GAA
Birr GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the town of Birr in County Offaly, Ireland. The club is almost exclusively concerned with hurling and are one of the most successful club hurling teams in the country.-Honours:...
team. The club is one of the most successful in the Offaly SHC. In a long career Whelahan has won twelve county titles in all - 1991, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008. Seven of these county wins were converted into Leinster
Leinster Senior Club Hurling Championship
The Leinster Senior Club Hurling Championship is an annual Hurling tournament played between the winners of the senior club hurling championships of the counties in Leinster. The current holders of the Leinster title are Ballyhale Shamrocks from Kilkenny. The first Leinster senior club hurling...
club titles in 1991, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2002 and 2007. In turn, four of these were subsequently converted into four All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship
The All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship is an annual hurling tournament played between hundreds of senior hurling clubs in Ireland. The Tommy Moore Cup is awarded to the winners. The current champions are Clarinbridge...
club titles in 1995, 1998, 2002 and 2003. As a result of this Birr is the most successful club in the history of the All-Ireland hurling competeition and Whelahan is just one of a small number of players who have four All-Ireland club medals.
Whelahan added three consecutive county championship titles to his collection in 2005, 2006 and 2007. The third of these victories was subsequently converted into a seventh Leinster club hurling title following a 1-11 to 0-13 victory over Ballyboden St Endas. The subsequent All-Ireland final pitted Birr against Portumna
Portumna GAA
Portumna GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the town of Portumna in County Galway. The club is almost exclusively focused on hurling.-History:...
of Galway. Birr made a dream start to the game with goals coming inside the first ten minutes. But Portumna, with their speed and skill coming to the fore, pulled clear to lead by 3-19 to 3-9 at the full-time whistle.
In 2008 Whelahan won a twelfth county championship winners' medal to leave him just one behind St. Rynagh's Damien Martin
Damien Martin
Damien Martin is an Irish retired sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club St. Rynagh's and was a member of the Offaly senior inter-county team from the 1960s until the 1980s. Martin has the distinction of being presented with the very first All-Star award...
who has a record thirteen county medals. Birr later qualified for the Leinster club final, however, fierce rivals Ballyhale Shamrocks were the winners on that occasion.
Minor & under-21
By the late 1980s Whelahan had earned a call-up to the OffalyOffaly GAA
The Offaly County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Offaly GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Offaly...
minor hurling team. In 1987 he captured a coveted Leinster
Leinster Minor Hurling Championship
The ESB Leinster Minor Hurling Championship is the Minor "knockout" competition in the game of Hurling played in the province of Leinster in Ireland. The series of games are organised by the Leinster Council...
title in that grade following a victory over Kilkenny
Kilkenny GAA
The Kilkenny County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland and is responsible for Gaelic Games in County Kilkenny. The county board has its head office and main grounds at Nowlan Park and is also responsible for Kilkenny inter-county teams...
. Offaly later played Tipperary
Tipperary GAA
The Tipperary County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or C is one of over 30 regional executive boards throughout the world. These executive boards are known as County Boards even though some no longer correspond to the area under the jurisdiction of the counties from which their names...
in the All-Ireland final. After an exciting hour of hurling Offaly emerged victorious by 2-8 to 0-12, giving Whelahan a minor All-Ireland
All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Minor Championship is an annual competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1928 for competitors under eighteen years of age in the game of hurling played in Ireland.The series of games are played during the summer months with the All-Ireland final...
winners' medal. It was Offaly's second minor title.
Two years later in 1989 Whelahan was captain of the side as he captured a second Leinster title following a trouncing of Kilkenny in a replay. Offaly later lined out against Clare
Clare GAA
The Clare County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Clare GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Clare. The county board is also responsible for the Clare inter-county teams....
in the All-Ireland final. After an exciting game Offaly were the winners by 2-16 to 1-12, giving Whelahan a second All-Ireland medal in the minor grade.
That same year Whelahan was also a key member of the Offaly under-21 team. That year he won a Leinster
Leinster Under-21 Hurling Championship
For the Senior equivalent see: Leinster Senior Hurling ChampionshipThe Leinster U-21 Hurling Championship or for sponsorship reasons the Erin Leinster Under-21 Hurling Championship is an U-21 hurling tournament. The first tournament took place in 1964 when Wexford were crowned champions. Wexford...
title in that grade following a 3-16 to 3-9 win over Kilkenny. The subsequent All-Ireland final saw Offaly take on Tipperary. A high-scoring game saw Whelahan's side being defeated by 4-10 to 3-11.
Two years later Whelahan added a second Leinster winners' medal to his collection that year before later playing in a second All-Ireland under-21 final. Galway
Galway GAA
The Galway County Boards of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Galway GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Galway. The county boards are also responsible for the Galway inter-county teams.Unlike all other counties in Ireland,...
provided the opposition on that occasion, however, Whelahan's side were comletely outclassed as the men from the West won by 2-17 to 1-9.
The following year Whelahan was captain of the Offaly under-21 team. He added a third Leinster winners' medal to his collection that year before later leading his team out in the All-Ireland final. Waterford
Waterford GAA
The Waterford County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Waterford GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for all levels of Gaelic games in County Waterford. The County Board is also responsible for the Waterford inter-county teams. The county...
provided the opposition on that occasion, however, both sides finished level. The replay saw Waterford win the game by 0-12 to 2-3, leaving Whelahan with a third All-Ireland under-21 runners-up medal.
Senior
By this stage Whelahan was also a member of the Offaly senior hurling team. He made his championship debut against AntrimAntrim GAA
The Antrim County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Antrim GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Antrim. The county board is also responsible for the Antrim inter-county teams...
in the All-Ireland semi-final of 1989. Offaly were the hot favourites going into the game, however, victory went to the Ulster men on a score line of 4-15 to 1-15. The significance of this victory was not lost on Offaly team as the entire team gave the Antrim players a guard of honor and a standing ovation as they left the field.
In 1990 Offaly were the masters of Leinster once again, with Whelahan picking up his first senior Leinster
Leinster Senior Hurling Championship
The Leinster GAA Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1888 for the top hurling teams in the province of Leinster in Ireland....
winners' medal following a 1-19 to 2-11 win over Dublin
Dublin GAA
Dublin County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association , or Dublin GAA, is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Dublin. The county board is also responsible for the Dublin inter-county teams...
. Whelahan later lined out in the subsequent All-Ireland semi-final, however, Galway were the victors on that occasion by 1-16 to 2-7.
At the start of 1991 Offaly reached the final of the National Hurling League
National Hurling League
The National Hurling League is an annual hurling competition between the county teams of Ireland. Contested by 35 teams , it operates on a system of promotion and relegation between four different divisions, with Division One...
. Wexford
Wexford GAA
The Wexford County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Wexford GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Wexford. The county board is also responsible for the Wexford inter-county teams.-History:Hurling has been played in...
were the opponents on that occasion, however, after a tense game Offaly took the victory and Whelahan won a coveted National League winners’ medal. Offaly lost their provincial crown later that year.
After a few years out of the limelight Offaly bounced back in 1994. That year Whelahan added a second Leinster winners’ medal to his collection following a 1-18 to 0-14 victory over Wexford. After defeating Galway in the All-Ireland semi-final, Whelahan later lined out against Limerick
Limerick GAA
The Limerick County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Limerick GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Limerick...
in the All-Ireland final. With five minutes left in the game Limerick were five points ahead and were coasting to victory. It was then that one of the most explosive All-Ireland final finishes of all-time took place. Offaly were awarded a close-in free which Johnny Dooley
Johnny Dooley
Johnny Dooley is an Irish former hurling manager and player. He played hurling with his local club Seir Kieran and was a member of the Offaly senior inter-county team from 1991 until 2002...
stepped up to take. Dooley was told by the management team to take a point; however, he lashed the ball into the Limerick net to reduce the deficit. Following the puck-out Offaly worked the ball up field and Pat O'Connor struck for a second goal. The Offaly forwards scored another five unanswered points in the time remaining to secure a 3-16 to 2-13 victory. This victory gave Whelahan a coveted All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in Ireland....
winner’s medal. 1994 was not without its controversy for Whelahan either, as he was named Texaco Hurler of the Year
Texaco Hurler of the Year
The Texaco Hurler of the Year is a hurling award, created in 1958, that honours the achievements of a hurler of outstanding excellence. The award is part of the Texaco Sportstars Awards, in which Irish sportspeople from all fields are honoured....
but, due to irregularities in the voting system, was sensationally omitted from the All-Star team.
In 1995 Offaly retained the Leinster title following a 2-16 to 2-5 trouncing of Kilkenny. It was Whelahan's third provincial winners’ medal. Down
Down GAA
The Down County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Down GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Down...
fell to Offaly in the subsequent All-Ireland semi-final, allowing Offaly to advance to the championship decider and attempt to defend their title. It was the first ever meeting of these two sides in the history of the championship. The game developed into a close affair with Offaly taking a half-time lead. Four minutes from the end substitute Éamonn Taaffe
Éamonn Taaffe
Éamonn Taaffe is an Irish sportsperson. He plays hurling with his local club Tubber and was a member of the Clare senior inter-county team in the 1990s. Taaffe scored Clare's only goal in their 2-point victory over Offaly in the 1995 All-Ireland Final. This was Clare's first All-Ireland win in 81...
first timed a long range free straight into the net to give Clare a one-point lead. After a quick equalizer Anthony Daly
Anthony Daly (hurler)
Anthony Daly is an Irish hurling manager and former player. He is the current manager of the Dublin senior hurling team....
sent over a 65-metre free to give his team the lead again. Jamesie O'Connor
Jamesie O'Connor
Jamesie O'Connor is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club St. Joseph's Doora-Barefield and with the Clare senior inter-county team from 1993 until 2004.-Biography:...
pointed soon afterwards and at the full-time whistle Clare were the 1-13 to 2-8 winners.
In 1998 Offaly had another controversial year. Whelahan's side reached the Leinster final but lost to Kilkenny. This defeat prompted their manager, Babs Keating, to describe the Offaly hurlers as "sheep in a heap", and he promptly resigned. It looked as if Offaly's championship hopes were in disarray, however, they overcame Antrim
Antrim GAA
The Antrim County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Antrim GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Antrim. The county board is also responsible for the Antrim inter-county teams...
in the All-Ireland quarter-final and qualified to meet Clare in the semi-final. The first game against Clare ended in a draw and had to be replayed, however, the replay was ended early because of a time-keeping error by the referee. Following a protest on the pitch of Croke Park
Croke Park
Croke Park in Dublin is the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association , Ireland's biggest sporting organisation...
by the Offaly supporters it was decided that Clare and Offaly would meet for a third time. Whelahan's side won the third game and qualified to play Kilkenny in the final. On that day Whelahan delivered one of his greatest performances. Despite suffering from flu, he started in defence and was later moved to full-forward where he scored 1-6. Offaly reversed the Leinster final defeat by winning the All-Ireland final by 6 points. Whelahan had captured his second All-Ireland medal and was once again honoured as Texaco Hurler of the Year, the first player to win the title on two occasions.
Whelahan and Offaly reached the All-Ireland final again in 2000 but were defeated by Kilkenny by 5-15 to 1-14. It was the most one-sided All-Ireland final in decades and it marked the end of the great Offaly team of the 1990s. In spite of that disappointment Whelahan was named on the Gaelic Athletic Association
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
's Hurling Team of the Millennium, becoming the only hurler chosen who was still playing the game. This single honour marked Whelahan as the single greatest player of his era and as the greatest right wing-back of all-time.
The following six years proved disappointment for Whelehan and for Offaly with no Leinster or All-Ireland titles being won. Following a loss to Clare in the 2006 qualifiers Whelahan decided to retire from inter-county hurling.
Provincial
Whelehan also lined out with LeinsterLeinster GAA
The Leinster Council is a Provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, rounders and handball in the province of Leinster. The Leinster Council has been partnered with the European County Board to help develop Gaelic Games in Europe...
in the inter-provincial hurling championship and enjoyed much success. He won his first Railway Cup medal in 1998 as Leinster narrowly defeated Connacht
Connacht GAA
The Connacht Council are a Provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, rounders and handball in the province of Connacht.-Constituent counties:*Galway*Leitrim*Mayo*Roscommon*Sligo-Special counties:...
by 0-16 to 2-9. A second Railway Cup winners' medal followed in 2004.
Political Campaign
On March 20, 2008, Whelehan was confirmed as a Fine GaelFine Gael
Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
candidate for Offaly County Council
Offaly County Council
Offaly County Council is the local authority which is responsible for County Offaly in Ireland. The Council is responsible for housing and community, roads and transportation, urban planning and development, amenity and culture, and environment. The head of the council has the title of Cathaoirleach...
representing the Birr
Birr
Birr is a town in County Offaly, Ireland. Once called Parsonstown, after the Parsons family who were local landowners and hereditary Earls of Rosse. It is also a parish in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe....
district.