Patrick J. Whelan - Life

Life

Only known photograph of Whelan, and later reproduction

Whelan was born in County Galway, a younger son of William Whelan and Mary Sullivan of Galway. He became apprenticed to a tailor at the age of 14. Meanwhile, his brother John was alleged to have committed arson against a police station in Tallaght. Whelan then led a "wandering life" traveling around England, before moving to Canada in approximately 1865.

In Quebec City he worked as a tailor. There he joined the Volunteer Cavalry against the Fenians; however, some of his actions led to a military review on suspicions his sympathies lay with the Irish raiders. He was arrested, but eventually released without charge.

He is believed to have moved between Buffalo, New York and Hamilton, Ontario and finally Montreal, Quebec for a year before marrying Bridget Boyle in 1867. Boyle, who was thirty years older than Whelan, was an upper class woman and later the couple settled down with Whelan working as a merchant tailor in Ottawa.

On December 31, 1867, two men including one identifying himself as "Smith, of the Grand Trunk" went to the home of McGee where they were welcomed into the library of the house by McGee's brother. One of the visitors, commonly believed to be Whelan, told McGee that he had come to warn the family that renegades were plotting to burn down the house at 4am the following morning. He was thanked for the information, which seemed credible given the animosity against McGee, and given a note to take to the police station relating the known information about the alleged arson attempt and requesting two officers be sent to the house for protection. However, Whelan did not deliver the note to police until 4:45am the following morning, after the supposed arsonist had failed to arrive.

On March 17, 1868, Whelan acted as the Assistant Marshal of the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Ottawa.