Ciarán Whelan

Irish Gaelic footballer

Ciarán Whelan (born 28 February 1976 in Raheny, County Dublin) is a Gaelic footballer who plays for the Raheny club and, formerly, for the Dublin county team. He is right footed but can kick with both feet and usually plays in midfield. He was a member of the Dublin squad between 1996 and 2009. He never won an all Ireland and is to this day known as possibly one of the best high fielders in the country. Lately, Whelan has become a Gaelic football pundit for RTÉ's The Sunday Game.

He collected six Leinster Senior Football Championship medals coming in 2002,2005 and 2006 and 2007, 2008 and 2009. He finished the 2005 Leinster and All Ireland Championships with a total of three points compared to the one goal and ten points he scored in the league. He captained the Dublin side in 2003 and 2004. He also won an All Star in 1999 and has been nominated many times, his last nomination coming in 2005 the same year in which he captained Leinster in the Railway Cup. He has started the 2006 Championship well, with a solid performance against Longford and then a far better performance against Laois, a game in which he dominated midfield. He played a 'man of the match' performance against Offaly in the Leinster final and set up Jason Sherlock for the winning goal. Unfortunately, Whelan suffered an eye injury against Westmeath which forced him off and also affected him in the defeat to Mayo. Whelan showed his reckless side with a poor tackle on Mayo's Ronan McGarrity which forced McGarrity off. He was nominated for an all star for his 2006 performances in Midfield with Dublin. Whelan was awarded his second all star in October 2007 at the Vodafone all stars awards ceremony. Ciaran's best point from play in Croke Park was against Kildare in the Leinster Final of 2000. With Dublin leading by 4 points in the first half, Whelan made a surging run of 30 metres and ploughed a beautiful point off his left (weaker) side from 45 metres in to the Hill 16 end. Dublin would ultimately self destruct in the second half of that final. Another marvellous point came a year later in Thurles against Kerry in the first quarter final game. In the second half Dublin were down by 2 points and Whelan made a trademark surge down the touchline and made a brilliant point from 30 metre range right on the side line. This point was scored in the Killinan end of the ground with Dublin supporters situated here. He announced his retirement from inter county football on 1 September 2009.

Whelan received a suspension of eight weeks in the controversial 2006 National League clash between Dublin and Tyrone. A game which resulted in disciplinary action against 9 players involved in the game. Whelan, Bryan Cullen, Kevin Bonner and Alan Brogan were all exonerated from all charges along with the Tyrone trio of Kevin Hughes, Michael McGee and Owen Mulligan. The official reason given for the exoneration was stated as 'a technicality'. He finished the 2006 National Football League with a single point.

Whelan was captain on the winning side for Leinster against Ulster in the 2005 Railway Cup which was played in Parnell Park. Leinster claimed the Martin Donnelly Cup for the 28th time.

Whelan plays his club football for Raheny, a Dublin AFL Division 1 side on the northside of County Dublin. Whelan played in the side that won the 2007 Division 2 playoff to win participation in Division 1 for the 2008 season.

Whelan helped Ireland defeat Australia in the 1999 International Rules Series by scoring a Goal and an Over. He also played in the 2001 International Rules Series.

# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1 30 July 1996 Croke Park, Dublin Meath 0–2 0–8 : 0–10 Leinster Championship final 2 27 May 2001 Croke Park, Dublin Longford 0–5 2–19 : 1–13 Leinster Championship Quarter final 3 17 June 2001 Croke Park, Dublin Offaly – 1–12 : 0–13 Leinster Championship Semi final 4 15 July 2001 Croke Park, Dublin Meath 0–3 0–14 : 2–11 Leinster Championship final 5 22 July 2001 Croke Park, Dublin Sligo 1–2 3–17 : 0–12 Qualifiers Round 4 6 4 August 2001 Semple Stadium, Thurles Kerry 0–1 2–11 : 1–14 All Ireland Quarter final 7 11 August 2001 Semple Stadium, Thurles Kerry 0–1 1–12 : 2–12 All Ireland Quarter final replay 8 1 June 2002 Dr. Cullen Park, Carlow Wexford 0–2 0–15 : 1–10 Leinster Championship Quarter final 9 23 June 2002 Croke Park, Dublin Meath – 2–11 : 0–10 Leinster Championship Semi final 10 14 July 2002 Croke Park, Dublin Kildare 0–1 2–13 : 2–11 Leinster Championship Final 11 5 August 2002 Croke Park, Dublin Donegal 0–1 2–8 : 0–14 All Ireland Quarter final 12 17 August 2002 Croke Park, Dublin Donegal 0–4 1–14 : 0–7 All Ireland Quarter final replay 13 1 September 2002 Croke Park, Dublin Armagh 1–1 1–13 : 1–14 All Ireland Semi final 14 1 June 2003 Croke Park, Dublin Louth 0–3 1–19 : 0–9 Leinster Championship Quarter final 15 15 June 2003 Croke Park, Dublin Laois – 0–14 : 0–16 Leinster Championship Semi final 16 28 June 2003 St. Tiernach's Park, Clones Derry 0–1 3–9 : 1–9 Qualifiers Round 2 17 5 July 2003 Croke Park, Dublin Armagh – 0–11 : 0–15 Qualifiers Round 3 18 6 June 2004 Croke Park, Dublin Westmeath – 0–12 : 0–14 Leinster Championship Quarter final 19 12 June 2004 Parnell Park, Dublin London – 3–24 : 0–6 Qualifiers Round 1 20 3 July 2004 Carrick on Shannon, Leitrim Leitrim – 1–13 : 0–4 Qualifiers Round 2 21 10 July 2004 O'Moore Park, Portlaoise Longford 0–3 1–17 : 0–11 Qualifiers Round 3 22 1 August 2004 Croke Park, Dublin Roscommon 0–2 1–14 : 0–13 Qualifiers Round 4 23 14 August 2004 Croke Park, Dublin Kerry – 1–8 : 1–15 All Ireland Quarter final 24 15 May 2005 Croke Park, Dublin Longford 0–1 2–23 : 0–10 Leinster Championship Preliminary Quarter final 25 5 June 2005 Croke Park, Dublin Meath – 1–12 : 1–10 Leinster Championship Quarter final 26 19 June 2005 Croke Park, Dublin Wexford 0–1 1–17 : 2–10 Leinster Championship Semi final 27 17 July 2005 Croke Park, Dublin Laois 0–1 0–14 : 0–13 Leinster Championship Final 28 13 August 2005 Croke Park, Dublin Tyrone – 1–14 : 1–14 All Ireland Quarter final 29 27 August 2005 Croke Park, Dublin Tyrone – 1–14 : 2–18 All Ireland Quarter final replay 30 4 June 2006 Pearse Park, Longford Longford – 1–12 : 0–13 Leinster Championship Quarter final 31 25 June 2006 Croke Park, Dublin Laois – 3–17 : 0–12 Leinster Championship Semi final 32 16 July 2006 Croke Park, Dublin Offaly – 1–15 : 0–9 Leinster Championship Final 33 13 August 2006 Croke Park, Dublin Westmeath – 1–12 : 0–5 All Ireland Quarter final 34 27 August 2006 Croke Park, Dublin Mayo – 2–12 : 1–16 All Ireland Semi final 35 3 June 2007 Croke Park, Dublin Meath 0–1 1–11 : 0–14 Leinster Championship Quarter final 36 17 June 2007 Croke Park, Dublin Meath 0–1 0–16 : 0–12 Leinster Championship Quarter final replay 37 24 June 2007 Croke Park, Dublin Offaly 0–1 1–12 : 0–10 Leinster Championship Semi final 38 15 July 2007 Croke Park, Dublin Laois 0–2 3–14 : 1–14 Leinster Championship Final 39 11 August 2007 Croke Park, Dublin Derry – 0–18 : 0–15 All Ireland Quarter final 40 26 August 2007 Croke Park, Dublin Kerry – 0–16 : 1–15 All Ireland Semi final 41 29 June 2008 Croke Park, Dublin Westmeath 0–1 0–13 : 1–8 Leinster Championship Semi final 42 20 July 2008 Croke Park, Dublin Wexford – 3–23 : 0–9 Leinster Championship Final 43 16 August 2008 Croke Park, Dublin Tyrone – 1–8 : 3–14 All Ireland Quarter final 44 7 June 2009 Croke Park, Dublin Meath – 0–14 : 0–12 Leinster Championship Quarter final 45 28 June 2009 Croke Park, Dublin Westmeath 0–1 4–26 : 0–11 Leinster Championship Semi final 46 12 July 2009 Croke Park, Dublin Kildare 0–1 2–15 : 0–18 Leinster Championship Final 47 3 August 2009 Croke Park, Dublin Kerry – 1–7 : 1–24 All Ireland Quarter final