Brian Whelahan - Biography

Biography

Brian Whelahan was born in Banagher, 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.