Brian Whelahan (born 23 August 1971) is an
Irish former
hurler who played as a left wing-back at senior level for the
Offaly county team.
Born in
Banagher
Banagher ( or ) is a town in Republic of Ireland, Ireland, located in the midlands, on the western edge of County Offaly in the province of Leinster, on the banks of the River Shannon. The town had a population of 3,000 at the height of its ...
,
County Offaly
County Offaly (; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. It is named after the Ancient Ireland, ancient Kingdom of UÃ ...
, Whelahan first played competitive hurling whilst at school in St Brendan's Community School. He arrived on the inter-county scene at the age of fifteen when he first linked up with the Offaly minor team, before later lining out with the under-21 side. He made his senior debut during the
1989 championship. Whelahan went on to play a key role for Offaly during a hugely successful era for the team, and won two
All-Ireland
All-Ireland (sometimes All-Island) is a term used to describe organisations and events whose interests extend over the entire island of Ireland, as opposed to the separate jurisdictions of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. "All-Irelan ...
medals, four
Leinster
Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland.
The modern province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, which existed during Gaelic Ireland. Following the 12th-century ...
medals and one
National Hurling League
The National Hurling League is an annual Inter county, inter-county hurling competition featuring teams from Ireland and England. Founded in 1925 by the Gaelic Athletic Association, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation within the l ...
medals. He was an All-Ireland runner-up on two occasions.
As a member of the
Leinster
Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland.
The modern province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, which existed during Gaelic Ireland. Following the 12th-century ...
inter-provincial team on a number of occasions, Whelahan won two
Interprovincial Cup medals. At club level, he won a record four
All-Ireland
All-Ireland (sometimes All-Island) is a term used to describe organisations and events whose interests extend over the entire island of Ireland, as opposed to the separate jurisdictions of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. "All-Irelan ...
medals with
Birr, while he also claimed seven
Leinster
Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland.
The modern province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, which existed during Gaelic Ireland. Following the 12th-century ...
medals and twelve
championship
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this sys ...
medals.
Throughout his career, Whelahan made 55 championship appearances, second only to
Joe Dooley Joseph Dooley may refer to:
*Joseph Brannon Dooley (1889–1967), United States federal judge
*Joe Dooley (basketball) (born 1966), basketball player
*Joe Dooley (Seir Kieran hurler) (born 1963), Irish hurling manager and former player
*Joe Doo ...
in Offaly's all-time rankings. His retirement came following the conclusion of the
2006 championship.
Whelahan's father,
Pad Joe, and his brothers,
Simon and
Barry, also played with Offaly.
In retirement from playing, Whelahan became involved in team management and coaching. At club level, he took charge of club sides
Camross and
Kiltormer before serving as manager of the Offaly senior team for a two-year spell.
Whelahan is widely regarded as one of the greatest hurlers in the history of the game. During his playing days, he won four
All-Star
An all-star team is a group of people all having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and has been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry.
Sports
"All-star" as a sport ...
awards, as well as being the first person to be named
Texaco Hurler of the Year
The Texaco Hurler of the Year was a hurling award, created in 1958, that honoured the achievements of a hurler of outstanding excellence. The award was part of the Texaco Sportstars Awards, in which Irish sportspeople from all fields were honou ...
on two occasions. He has been repeatedly voted onto teams made up of the sport's greats, including at left wing-back on the
Hurling Team of the Millennium in 2000.
Playing career
Colleges
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
Pádraig Horan (born 21 April 1950) is an Irish former hurler who played as a full-forward for the Offaly senior team.
Horan made his first appearance for the team during the 1968–69 National League and subsequently became a regular member ...
, Offaly's All-Ireland winning captain of 1981, was the trainer of the team. Whelahan was a substitute on the team that captured both Leinster and All-Ireland titles in 1986.
Club
In 1991 Whelahan tasted his first success with
Birr. As captain of the team he collected his first
championship
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this sys ...
medal following a narrow 1–12 to 1–11 defeat of
Seir Kieran. He later added a
Leinster
Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland.
The modern province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, which existed during Gaelic Ireland. Following the 12th-century ...
medal to his collection following a 2–14 to 0–3 trouncing of
Ballyhale Shamrocks
Ballyhale Shamrocks is a Gaelic games club located in the parish of Ballyhale in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is a member of the Kilkenny branch of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). Founded in 1972, the club was a amalgamation of three team ...
. On 29 March 1992 Whelahan lead his team out against
Kiltormer at
Semple Stadium
FBD Semple Stadium is the home of hurling and Gaelic football for Tipperary GAA and for the province of Munster. Located in Thurles, County Tipperary, it is the second largest GAA stadium in Ireland (after Croke Park), with a capacity of 45,690 ...
for the All-Ireland final. A 0–15 to 1–8 defeat was Birr's lot on that occasion.
After a period of decline, Birr bounced back in 1994. A narrow 0–8 to 0–6 defeat of Seir Kieran once again gave Whelahan his second championship medal. The subsequent provincial campaign saw Birr draw 0–10 to 1–7 with
Oulart-the Ballagh. Birr won the replay by 3–7 to 2–5, giving Whelahan a second Leinster medal. On 17 March 1995 Whelahan lined out in a second All-Ireland decider, this time with
Dunloy providing the opposition. A 0–9 apiece draw was the result on that occasion. The replay was much more conclusive, with Whelahan collecting his first
All-Ireland
All-Ireland (sometimes All-Island) is a term used to describe organisations and events whose interests extend over the entire island of Ireland, as opposed to the separate jurisdictions of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. "All-Irelan ...
medal following a 3–13 to 2–3 victory.
In 1997 Birr and Seir Kieran renewed their rivalry in the county championship. A 0–14 to 2–4 victory gave Whelahan his third championship medal. He later added a third Leinster medal to his collection following an 0–11 to 0–5 defeat of
Castletown. The subsequent All-Ireland final on 17 March 1998 saw Birr take on
Sarsfield's of Galway.
Darren Hanniffy scored the only goal of the game after just five minutes and gave Birr a lead that they would never surrender. A 1–13 to 0–9 victory gave Whelahan his second All-Ireland medal.
After surrendering their titles later that year, Birr bounced back in 1999. A 3–15 to 1–11 defeat of
St. Rynagh's gave Whelahan a fourth championship medal. A subsequent 1–16 to 0–11 defeat of Castletown gave Whelahan a fourth Leinster medal. Birr's All-Ireland quest came to an end with an All-Ireland semi-final defeat by
Athenry
Athenry (; ) is a town in County Galway, Ireland, which lies east of Galway city. Some of the attractions of the medieval town are its town wall, Athenry Castle, its priory and its 13th-century street-plan. The town is also well known by virt ...
.
Whelahan won further championship medals in 2000 against Seir Kieran and in 2001 against
St. Rynagh's, as Birr retained their status as the kingpins of Offaly hurling. Once again Birr defeated Castletown in the provincial decider to give Whelahan his fifth Leinster medal. Once again Birr qualified for the All-Ireland final on 17 March 2002 with
Clarinbridge providing the opposition. A
Declan Pilkington goal inside sixty seconds was the perfect start, although the Westerners did recover to lead by 1–4 to 1–2 at the break. With wind advantage, Birr took control and secured a 2–10 to 1–5 victory. It was Whelahan's third All-Ireland medal.
Birr continued their dominance in 2002 with Whelahan winning a seventh championship medal following a 3–12 to 2–7 defeat of
Kilcormac/Killoughey. He later added a sixth Leinster medal to his collection following a low-scoring 2–5 to 1–2 defeat of
Young Irelands in deplorable conditions. Birr later faced
Dunloy in the All-Ireland decider on 17 March 2003. At the third time of asking Birr finally retained the title with a 1–19 to 0–11 victory. It was Whelahan's fourth All-Ireland medal.
In 2003 Birr defeated
Ballyskenach by 1–18 to 1–11 to secure their fifth successive county championship. It was Whelahan's eighth championship medal overall.
A record six-in-a-row proved beyond Birr, however, Whelahan won his ninth championship medal in 2005 as his side trounced
Coolderry by 0–20 to 0–5.
It was the start of another great run of success for Birr as the club retained their titles in 2006 and 2007. Later that year Whelahan won his seventh and final Leinster medal as Birr narrowly defeated
Ballyboden St. Enda's by 1–11 to 0–13. Birr later had the chance to make history by becoming the first club side to win five All-Ireland titles, however,
Portumna
Portumna (- meaning 'the landing place of the oak') is a market town in the south-east of County Galway, Ireland, on the border with and linked by a Portumna bridge, bridge to County Tipperary. The town is located to the west of the point where ...
easily defeated Whelahan's side by 3–19 to 3–9 in the decider.
In 2008 Whelahan won a remarkable twelfth championship medal as Birr defeated
Kinnitty
Kinnitty () is a village in County Offaly, Ireland. It is located 13 km east of Birr, County Offaly, Birr on the R440 road, R440 and R421 road, R421 roads. The village is in a Civil parishes in Ireland, civil parish of the same name.
Name a ...
by 1–15 to 0–15. It was a fourth successive county title for Birr.
Minor and under-21
By the late 1980s Whelahan had earned a call-up to the
Offaly
County Offaly (; ) is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of UÃ Failghe. It was formerly known as King's County, in honour of Philip II of Spain ...
minor hurling team. In 1987 he captured a
Leinster
Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland.
The modern province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, which existed during Gaelic Ireland. Following the 12th-century ...
medal in that grade following a 2–13 to 0–12 victory over
Kilkenny
Kilkenny ( , meaning 'church of Cainnech of Aghaboe, Cainnech'). is a city in County Kilkenny, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is located in the South-East Region, Ireland, South-East Region and in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinst ...
. 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 an
All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Minor Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the Electric Ireland GAA Hurling All-Ireland Minor Championship) is an annual Inter county, inter-county hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Associ ...
medal. It was Offaly's second minor title ever.
Two years later in 1989 Whelahan was captain of the minor side as he captured a second Leinster medal following a 4–13 to 0–13 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. He won a
Leinster
Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland.
The modern province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, which existed during Gaelic Ireland. Following the 12th-century ...
medal 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 medal to his collection following a 2–10 to 0–12 defeat of Kilkenny.
Galway
Galway ( ; , ) is a City status in Ireland, city in (and the county town of) County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lough Corrib and Galway Bay. It is the most populous settlement in the province of Connacht, the List of settleme ...
provided the opposition in the subsequent All-Ireland decider, however, Whelahan's side were completely 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 medal to his collection, following a 1–15 to 2–10 defeat of Kilkenny, before later leading his team out in the All-Ireland final.
Waterford
Waterford ( ) is a City status in Ireland, city in County Waterford in the South-East Region, Ireland, south-east of Ireland. It is located within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster. The city is situated at the head of Waterford H ...
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
Whelahan was still a member of the Offaly minor team when he made his senior championship debut in the All-Ireland semi-final against
Antrim on 6 August 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 honour 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
Leinster
Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland.
The modern province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, which existed during Gaelic Ireland. Following the 12th-century ...
medal following a 1–19 to 2–11 win over
Dublin
Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
.
At the start of 1991 Offaly reached the final of the
National Hurling League
The National Hurling League is an annual Inter county, inter-county hurling competition featuring teams from Ireland and England. Founded in 1925 by the Gaelic Athletic Association, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation within the l ...
.
Wexford
Wexford ( ; archaic Yola dialect, Yola: ''Weiseforthe'') is the county town of County Wexford, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Wexford lies on the south side of Wexford Harbour, the estuary of the River Slaney near the southeastern corner of the ...
were the opponents on that occasion, however, after a tense game Offaly secured a 2–6 to 0–10 victory and Whelahan collected a National League medal.
After a few years out of the limelight Offaly bounced back in 1994. That year Whelahan added a second Leinster medal to his collection following a 1–18 to 0–14 victory over Wexford. On 4 September 1994, Whelahan lined out in his first All-Ireland decider in the senior grade.
Limerick
Limerick ( ; ) is a city in western Ireland, in County Limerick. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and is in the Mid-West Region, Ireland, Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. W ...
provided the opposition and were five points ahead with five minutes left in the game. 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 the 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. As well as being named
man of the match
In team sport, a player of the match award (also known as man of the match or woman of the match) is often given to the most outstanding player in a particular match. This can be a player from either team, although the player is generally chose ...
, Whelahan collected an
All-Ireland
All-Ireland (sometimes All-Island) is a term used to describe organisations and events whose interests extend over the entire island of Ireland, as opposed to the separate jurisdictions of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. "All-Irelan ...
medal. 1994 was not without its controversy for Whelahan either, as he was named
Texaco Hurler of the Year
The Texaco Hurler of the Year was a hurling award, created in 1958, that honoured the achievements of a hurler of outstanding excellence. The award was part of the Texaco Sportstars Awards, in which Irish sportspeople from all fields were honou ...
but, due to irregularities in the voting system, he was sensationally omitted from the All-Star team.
In 1995 Offaly retained the provincial title following a 2–16 to 2–5 trouncing of Kilkenny, giving Whelahan a third Leinster medal. On 3 September 1995, he lined out in a second consecutive All-Ireland decider, this time with Clare providing the opposition. 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 (born 18 February 1975) is an Irish retired hurler who played as a full-forward for the Clare senior team.
Born in Tubber, County Clare, Taaffe first played competitive hurling during his schooling at Our Lady's College. He ...
first timed a long range free straight into the net to give Clare a one-point lead. After a quick equaliser
Anthony Daly sent over a 65-metre free to give his team the lead again.
Jamesie O'Connor
Jamesie O'Connor (born 28 July 1972) is an Irish former hurler who played as a midfielder for the Clare senior hurling team.
O'Connor made his first appearance for the team during the 1992–93 National League and became a regular member o ...
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 1–13 apiece 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 (, ) is a Gaelic games stadium in Dublin, Ireland. Named after Archbishop Thomas Croke, it is referred to as Croker by GAA fans and locals. It serves as both the principal national stadium of Ireland and headquarters of the Gaelic At ...
by the Offaly supporters it was decided that the result would not stand and that Clare and Offaly would meet for a third time. Whelahan's side won the third game and qualified to play Kilkenny in the
All-Ireland final on 13 September 1998. On that day Whelahan delivered one of his greatest ever 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 2–16 to 1–13. 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.
Offaly were now in decline, however, they were still regarded as a force in the championship. The team reached the All-Ireland final on 10 September 2000 via the "back door" once again, where they faced Kilkenny. In one of the most one-sided finals in years, Offaly were trounced by 5–15 to 1–14.
The following six years proved disappointing for Whelahan and for Offaly with no Leinster or All-Ireland titles being won. Following a loss to Clare in the 2006 All-Ireland qualifiers, Whelahan decided to retire from inter-county hurling.
Inter-provincial
Whelahan also lined out with
Leinster
Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland.
The modern province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, which existed during Gaelic Ireland. Following the 12th-century ...
in the inter-provincial hurling championship and enjoyed much success. He won his first
Railway Cup
The GAA Interprovincial Championship () or Railway Cup (''Corn an Iarnróid'') is the name of two annual Gaelic football and hurling competitions held between the provinces of Ireland. The Connacht, Leinster, Munster and Ulster GAA teams are co ...
medal in 1998 as Leinster narrowly defeated
Connacht
Connacht or Connaught ( ; or ), is the smallest of the four provinces of Ireland, situated in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uà Fiachrach, Uà Briúin, Uà Maine, C ...
by 0–16 to 2–9. A second Railway Cup winners' medal followed in 2004.
Managerial career
Club
In 2009 Whelahan made the leap to team management when he took over as manager of the Laois club side
Camross. His two-year tenure saw some progress, however, Camross were defeated by
Rathdowney-Errill in the 2010 championship decider.
Whelahan took over as manager of Galway-based
Kiltormer in 2012. Once again, his two-year term in charge yielded little in terms of success.
Offaly
On 23 October 2013, it was announced that Whelahan was set to take over from
Ollie Baker as the Offaly senior hurling manager following his recommendation for the role by the senior hurling manager selection committee. His tenure got off to a difficult start as Offaly were trounced by
Kilkenny
Kilkenny ( , meaning 'church of Cainnech of Aghaboe, Cainnech'). is a city in County Kilkenny, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is located in the South-East Region, Ireland, South-East Region and in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinst ...
in
Nowlan Park
Nowlan Park (; ), known for sponsorship reasons as UPMC Nowlan Park, is the principal Gaelic Athletic Association stadium in Kilkenny, Ireland. Named after James Nowlan, the longest serving President of the GAA, the stadium hosts major hurling ...
in the opening round of the
Leinster Senior Hurling Championship
The Leinster GAA Hurling Senior Championship, known simply as the Leinster Championship, is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Leinster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest inter-county hur ...
. A tight win in round one of the qualifiers against
Antrim saw them go through to the next round against
Tipperary. Tipp proved too strong for Whelahan's team and his first season in charge of the senior team had come to an end. Whelahan was re-appointed for a second year in charge of the Offaly hurlers on 30 October 2014.
Political involvement
In 2009 Whelahan was selected as a
Fine Gael
Fine Gael ( ; ; ) is a centre-right, liberal-conservative, Christian democratic political party in Ireland. Fine Gael is currently the third-largest party in the Republic of Ireland in terms of members of Dáil Éireann. The party had a member ...
candidate for
Offaly County Council
Offaly County Council () is the local authority of County Offaly, Ireland. As a county council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. The council is responsible for housing and community, roads and transportation, urban planning and ...
in the
local elections
Local may refer to:
Geography and transportation
* Local (train), a train serving local traffic demand
* Local, Missouri, a community in the United States
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''Local'' (comics), a limited series comic book by Bria ...
. In spite of a high-profile campaign, Whelahan failed to be elected. In spite of this, Whelahan was elected to Birr Town Council.
Personal life
Born in
Banagher
Banagher ( or ) is a town in Republic of Ireland, Ireland, located in the midlands, on the western edge of County Offaly in the province of Leinster, on the banks of the River Shannon. The town had a population of 3,000 at the height of its ...
,
County Offaly
County Offaly (; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. It is named after the Ancient Ireland, ancient Kingdom of UÃ ...
, Whelahan was born into a family that had a strong association with hurling. His father,
Pat Joe Whelahan
Patrick Joseph Whelahan (born 1945), better known as Pad Joe Whelahan, is an Irish people, Irish hurling Manager (Gaelic games), manager and former player. He played hurling with his local club St Rynagh's GAA, St Rynagh's and with the Offaly ...
, played with Offaly for thirteen years and won ten county championship medals with
St Rynagh's, while his mother played
camogie
Camogie ( ; ) is an Irish stick-and-ball team sport played by women. Camogie is played by 100,000 women in Ireland and worldwide, largely among Irish communities.
A variant of the game "hurling" (which is played by men only), it is organised ...
with Offaly and Leinster.
After leaving school Whelahan worked for Tullamore Frozen Foods for twelve years. In 1994 he later bought a pub in Birr. That same year Whelahan married his wife Mary and together they have four children – Aaron, Dawn, Aoibhe and Brooke.
Honours
Team
;Birr
*
All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Club Championship, known simply as the All-Ireland Club Championship, is an annual Inter county, inter-county hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest inter-coun ...
(4): 1995, 1998, 2002, 2003
*
Leinster Senior Club Hurling Championship
The Leinster Senior Club Hurling Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the AIB Leinster GAA Hurling Senior Club Championship) is an annual hurling competition organised by the Leinster GAA, Leinster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Associa ...
(7): 1991, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2007
*
Offaly Senior Hurling Championship (12): 1991 (c), 1994, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
;Offaly
*
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship, known simply as the All-Ireland Championship, is an annual Inter county, inter-county hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest-tier competition for ...
(2):
1994
The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations.
In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...
,
1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...
*
Leinster Senior Hurling Championship
The Leinster GAA Hurling Senior Championship, known simply as the Leinster Championship, is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Leinster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest inter-county hur ...
(3):
1990
Important events of 1990 include the Reunification of Germany and the unification of Yemen, the formal beginning of the Human Genome Project (finished in 2003), the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the separation of Namibia from South ...
,
1994
The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations.
In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...
,
1995
1995 was designated as:
* United Nations Year for Tolerance
* World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War
This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...
*
National Hurling League
The National Hurling League is an annual Inter county, inter-county hurling competition featuring teams from Ireland and England. Founded in 1925 by the Gaelic Athletic Association, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation within the l ...
(1):
1990–91
*
Walsh Cup (3): 1990, 1993, 1994
*
Leinster Under-21 Hurling Championship
The Leinster GAA Under-20 Hurling Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the oneills.com Leinster GAA Under-20 Hurling Championship), is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Leinster Council of the Gaelic Athletic ...
(3): 1989, 1991, 1992
*
All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Minor Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the Electric Ireland GAA Hurling All-Ireland Minor Championship) is an annual Inter county, inter-county hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Associ ...
(2): 1987, 1989
*
Leinster Minor Hurling Championship
The Leinster GAA Hurling Minor Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the Electric Ireland Leinster GAA Hurling Minor Championship, is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Leinster Council of the Gaelic Athletic ...
(2): 1987, 1989
;Leinster
*
Railway Cup
The GAA Interprovincial Championship () or Railway Cup (''Corn an Iarnróid'') is the name of two annual Gaelic football and hurling competitions held between the provinces of Ireland. The Connacht, Leinster, Munster and Ulster GAA teams are co ...
(2): 1998, 2004
Individual
;Awards
*
Hurling Team of the Millennium: Left wing-back
*Leinster Hurling Team of the Last 25 Years (1984–2009): Ring wing-back
*
Texaco Hurler of the Year
The Texaco Hurler of the Year was a hurling award, created in 1958, that honoured the achievements of a hurler of outstanding excellence. The award was part of the Texaco Sportstars Awards, in which Irish sportspeople from all fields were honou ...
(2): 1994, 1998
*
All-Stars (4): 1992, 1995, 1998, 1999
*
GAA Hall of Fame
The GAA Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for Gaelic games in Ireland. The hall opened in the Cusack Stand, Croke Park, Dublin
Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the ...
Inductee: 2013
* In May 2020, a public poll conducted by
RTÉ.ie named Whelahan in the half-back line alongside
Pádraic Maher and
Tommy Walsh in a team of hurlers who had won All Stars during the era of ''
The Sunday Game
''The Sunday Game'' is RTÉ's main Gaelic games television programme. It is shown on RTÉ2 every Sunday during the Football Championship and Hurling Championship seasons. It is one of RTÉ2's longest-running shows, having been on air since 1 ...
''.
* Also in May 2020, the ''
Irish Independent
The ''Irish Independent'' is an Irish daily newspaper
A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray backgrou ...
'' named Whelahan at number three in its "Top 20 hurlers in Ireland over the past 50 years".
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Whelahan, Brian
1971 births
Living people
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship winners
Birr hurlers
Hurling managers
Irish publicans
Irish sportsperson-politicians
Leinster inter-provincial hurlers
Members of Offaly County Council
Offaly inter-county hurlers
People from Banagher, County Offaly