Whelo's gone :-(

Spiritoftheseventies

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

I agree, all I will ever remember Whelan for was his assault on Ronan McGarrity in the 2006 semi-final.

If thats all you remember Whelan for I feel sorry for you. Brian Mullins was no angel either but no one judges him on a few moments of madness. This thread going along predictable lines unfortunately.

moylaghshergar

blackbelt wrote: »

If you are trying to provoke a negative reaction from posters here,you're going to get yourself banned.

blackbelt, how would I get banned if I speak the truth?

Spiritoftheseventies

moylaghshergar wrote: »

blackbelt, how would I get banned if I speak the truth?

Okay to mark Whelans retirement posting this from Hill16 website.

Whelan calls time on days in blue

Ciarán Whelan has announced his retirement from intercounty football - bringing the curtain down on a 14-year career.
During that time he won six Leinster SFC medals as well as two All Star awards to add to the Leinster MFC medal he won in 1994.
Whelan is one of six Dubs who have been honoured in the ultra-competitive environment of midfield on the All Stars selections but is one of just two players who were selected on two occasions in the position.
The other Dubs selected at midfielder since the annual All Stars were inaugurated in 1971 are Brian Mullins (1976, 1977), Bernard Brogan (1979), Jack Sheedy (1994), Brian Stynes (1995), and Shane Ryan (2008).
Ciarán was named at midfielder in 1999 alongside John McDermott (Meath) and Darragh O Sé (Kerry) in 2007.
He will continue to play club football with Raheny with whom he won a Dublin IFC medal in 1997 at centre-forward.
Hill16 would like to thank Ciarán for his loyalty, dedication, passion and the quality of his performances since he donned the jersey when making his senior debut in the Leinster championship against Meath in 1996.

blackbelt

We all know the truth about Whelans less desirable moments,it is how you present the truth and snigger about it that I take exception to.

soundsham

bayviewclose wrote: »

Folks this is result of a recent poll we ran on Best dublin player from last ten years. Whelan in second behind Cluxton.
You can argue till the cows come home how strong the competition was in Poll but he is still held with some affection by Dublin fans.



http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=61557890#post61557890

so,
he's the second best in dublin,wow thats an acolade i'm sure he would treasure
as you've surely made out he's not rated at all by most of the posters here just the dubs,in relation to the top winners and leaders he hadn't got it, as much as his effort was commendable his performances were middle of the road,
being the 2nd best player in dublin is much the same as everton or aston villas second best player to draw a comparison

while it is nice to thank a player for his efforts and commitment for over 10yrs, the blowing smoke up his a** in here is a joke

premierstone

bayviewclose wrote: »

I think its a tribute to Whelan that even non county posters are flocking to this thread to make their opinions known.

Non-county And this is www.boards.ie not www.boards.dublin if you dont want people to express their true opinions on him as a footballer then why is there a thread obout him on a public forum the very fact that this thread even exists is laughable........ oh oh newsflash a very ordinary intercounty player with an unsavoury streak has retired :rolleyes:

Dublinproud

soundsham wrote: »

so,
he's the second best in dublin,wow thats an acolade i'm sure he would treasure
as you've surely made out he's not rated at all by most of the posters here just the dubs,in relation to the top winners and leaders he hadn't got it, as much as his effort was commendable his performances were middle of the road,
being the 2nd best player in dublin is much the same as everton or aston villas second best player to draw a comparison

while it is nice to thank a player for his efforts and commitment for over 10yrs, the blowing smoke up his a** in here is a joke

And all the "outsiders" that cannot give any kind of credit to any Dublin player and ruin every single thread that pertains to Dublin is also a joke!

Spiritoftheseventies

soundsham wrote: »

so,
he's the second best in dublin,wow thats an acolade i'm sure he would treasure
as you've surely made out he's not rated at all by most of the posters here just the dubs,in relation to the top winners and leaders he hadn't got it, as much as his effort was commendable his performances were middle of the road,
being the 2nd best player in dublin is much the same as everton or aston villas second best player to draw a comparison

while it is nice to thank a player for his efforts and commitment for over 10yrs, the blowing smoke up his a** in here is a joke

"Whelan is one of six Dubs who have been honoured in the ultra-competitive environment of midfield on the All Stars selections but is one of just two players who were selected on two occasions in the position.
The other Dubs selected at midfielder since the annual All Stars were inaugurated in 1971 are Brian Mullins (1976, 1977), Bernard Brogan (1979), Jack Sheedy (1994), Brian Stynes (1995), and Shane Ryan (2008)."
The evidence is there.

Spiritoftheseventies

premierstone wrote: »

Non-county And this is www.boards.ie not www.boards.dublin if you dont want people to express their true opinions on him as a footballer then why is there a thread obout him on a public forum the very fact that this thread even exists is laughable........ oh oh newsflash a very ordinary intercounty player with an unsavoury streak has retired :rolleyes:

I dont have a problem with non Dublin posters posting at all. Sure we post on other Gaa threads as you well know.
Nothing wrong with talking a player up last time i checked.

cruiserweight

Dublinproud wrote: »

And all the "outsiders" that cannot give any kind of credit to any Dublin player and ruin every single thread that pertains to Dublin is also a joke!

Careful now, I am getting sick of this. If you say something negative about anything relating to Dublin then you are anti-Dublin. If you don't then you must be a jackeen and pro-Dublin. I have seen as many negative and positive things said about other counties, Kerry, Cork etc. So can everybody please stay on topic and grow a thicker skin, this thread will be locked if it turns into Dublin vs the rest

Spiritoftheseventies

Agreed. May I give one other piece of advice. Accentuate the positive. Ill say it again. Whelan has played at the top level for thirteen years. And in that time he picked up two All Stars. And in the second last season of his career he picked up a second All Star. So nothing to suggest his performances dropped off.

cruiserweight

bayviewclose wrote: »

Agreed. May I give one other piece of advice. Accentuate the positive. Ill say it again. Whelan has played at the top level for thirteen years. And in that time he picked up two All Stars. And in the second last season of his career he picked up a second All Star. So nothing to suggest his performances dropped off.

No you may not, this is back seat moderating and you can be banned for it. Back on topic please

Lemlin

blackbelt wrote: »

I can't remember if it was Jayo,Bernard Brogan or Bryan Cullen that got man of the match.Those players get a lot of credit for getting the goals and points they scored.While Whelan got 2 points,his introduction at half time settled the Dublin team town when they were playing with 14 men and often heroes go unsung.

He nullified the threat at midfield which was Earley and this stopped a lot of ball going into the Kildare forwards where they had a numerical advantage.

If his impact on the game had been large enough he wouldn't have gone unsung. When do you see Donaghy, Cavanagh or O'Se go unsung? I think you're clutching at straws highlighting that game and I think it shows that you are failing to name one single game where Whelan really changed the course of a match.

soundsham

all stars are the new benchmark is it?
anyway if it is since 96 the following players have won more than 1 as's at midfield
John McDermott(Meath),
Anthony Tohill (Derry),
Darragh Ó Sé (Kerry),
Kevin Walsh (Galway),
Paul McGrane (Armagh),
Sean Cavanagh (Tyrone),

don't seem to remeber whelo ever putting it up to these guys

premierstone

bayviewclose wrote: »

I dont have a problem with non Dublin posters posting at all. Sure we post on other Gaa threads as you well know.
Nothing wrong with talking a player up last time i checked.

Agreed Bayview and I have respect for you personally as a poster but there is also nothing wrong with highlighting a players limitations or weaknesses either.

Also on a side-note the continous reference to the fact that Whelan won two all-stars, Im sorry but I dont see any significane in this at all, the All stars are a joke and there hasnt been a team picked in it yet that wasnt full of glaring ommissions and redic inclusions. For example using All-stars as a criteria for rating players Ciaran Whelan would be twice as good as Eamonn O'Hara and on a level par with Declan Browne and I could name numerous other comparisons that would not add-up.

Yes he was a good player and he's longevity and moments of brilliance will abviously mean he will always have a special place in the hearts of Dublin fans but to suggest he was at the very top level is a little blinkered (imo of course)

Lu Tze

As a non-dubliner i reckon a lot of ye are being fairly harsh, describing him as a "very ordinary player" etc. Sure he wouldn't be in the top 4-5 midfielders of the last 15 years, but when he was on form, he played energetic fast paced entertaining football.

So despite him lashing out, for which there is no excuse, he gave a lot of excitment to the games, and as a spectator, i think he will be missed.

Best of luck to him in whatever he goes on to do

Lemlin

bayviewclose wrote: »

Whelan gave plenty of good days in a Dublin shirt. You dont spend 13 playing at the top level for an inter county players if you are not up to it.
And I cant say off hand how many games Whelan changed on his own but I know in his prime, he was one of the top scoring midfielders in the country.
As for Cavan player, Im sure he had a good game that day but thats just one game. Not a fair criteria.

He spent 13 years playing but always went missing when it counted. Which is one of the reasons he never won an All-Ireland and Dublin didn't. When push camr to shove and hard graft was needed, Whelan faltered. That's the difference between a great player and a good one.

You can't say off hand how many games he changed but can you even name one? I'm still waiting for you to.

Yes, it is one game. McCabe had plenty of other fine days. Later that season against Meath he was again superb. As he was when he won his All-Star in '97 when Cavan won Ulster. I'm not here to discuss him though. My point is that I want you to name even ONE game where Whelan had a similar impact on a match. If he's the player you proclaim him to be, there shouldn't be a problem.

Spiritoftheseventies

soundsham wrote: »

all stars are the new benchmark is it?
anyway if it is since 96 the following players have won more than 1 as's at midfield
John McDermott(Meath),
Anthony Tohill (Derry),
Darragh Ó Sé (Kerry),
Kevin Walsh (Galway),
Paul McGrane (Armagh),
Sean Cavanagh (Tyrone),

don't seem to remeber whelo ever putting it up to these guys

So you named six midfielders there over the course of 13 years. All star midfield last year was Whelan and O Se.

Former Great

Good riddance...

Spiritoftheseventies

Lemlin wrote: »

He spent 13 years playing but always went missing when it counted. Which is one of the reasons he never won an All-Ireland and Dublin didn't. When push camr to shove and hard graft was needed, Whelan faltered. That's the difference between a great player and a good one.

You can't say off hand how many games he changed but can you even name one? I'm still waiting for you to.

Yes, it is one game. McCabe had plenty of other fine days. Later that season against Meath he was again superb. As he was when he won his All-Star in '97 when Cavan won Ulster. I'm not here to discuss him though. My point is that I want you to name even ONE game where Whelan had a similar impact on a match. If he's the player you proclaim him to be, there shouldn't be a problem.

Sorry there is not any problem anyway. Ill say it again until I drive the point home. He played at the top level for thirteen years. Second last season of his career he picked up an all star.
Which in itself says he was still performing well in the twilight of his career.

soundsham

bayviewclose wrote: »

So you named six midfielders there over the course of 13 years. All star midfield last year was Whelan and O Se.

no these were the guys who collected 2 as's while he was playing,
my point is even that now some guy's are grasping at straws and putting huge value on his 2 as's the other guys on the list dominated him as well as plenty that didn't get 2 as's......thats all

it's just that the hill 16 dedication is as blinkered as a lot of the veiws in here imo
I would go back to the start where he was mentioned as a benchmark
and its quite obvious most people here find that odd

Spiritoftheseventies

soundsham wrote: »

no these were the guys who collected 2 as's while he was playing,
my point is even that now some guy's are grasping at straws and putting huge value on his 2 as's the other guys on the list dominated him as well as plenty that didn't get 2 as's......thats all

it's just that the hill 16 dedication is as blinkered as a lot of the veiws in here imo
I would go back to the start where he was mentioned as a benchmark
and its quite obvious most people here find that odd

Yes Im not disputing anyone on that list. And they are six fine midfielders. But as a Dublin player, Whelan was second only to Mullins and maybe Bernard Brogan (sr) in the last thirty odd years.
Thats all im saying.

moylaghshergar

Man, I don't understand why the Moderators are so strict. So far i've seen nothing bad in this thread. There has been no use of bad language and no one has taken a direct hit at an other member. People have just given their opinion. Some like Whelan and regard him as a great and they are fully entitled to there opinion, others don't rate him and are also entitled to their view.

Whats wrong with a good debate as long as there is no vulgar language and it doesn't get personel.

soundsham

bayviewclose wrote: »

Yes Im not disputing anyone on that list. And they are six fine midfielders. But as a Dublin player, Whelan was second only to Mullins and maybe Bernard Brogan (sr) in the last thirty odd years.
Thats all im saying.

cool thats fine
no problem but as i said most people here would be rating him against the best in the country, where he was average like many others form lots of different counties

Former Great

He wudnt lace ciaran mcmanus"s boots

Dublinproud

Former Great wrote: »

He wudnt lace ciaran mcmanus"s boots

Dude how old are you?

cruiserweight

moylaghshergar wrote: »

Man, I don't understand why the Moderators are so strict. So far i've seen nothing bad in this thread. There has been no use of bad language and no one has taken a direct hit at an other member. People have just given their opinion. Some like Whelan and regard him as a great and they are fully entitled to there opinion, others don't rate him and are also entitled to their view.

Whats wrong with a good debate as long as there is no vulgar language and it doesn't get personel.

Because maybe based on experience of these sort of threads we are trying to avoid a crapfest that normally happens. If you wish to discuss moderating this is not the place.

Former Great wrote: »

He wudnt lace ciaran mcmanus"s boots

Former Great wrote: »

Good riddance...

Infracted for trolling

moylaghshergar

no worries cruiserweight, I see you point man.

Former Great

Dublinproud wrote: »

Dude how old are you?

Old enough dude ,why do u ask

Lemlin

bayviewclose wrote: »

Sorry there is not any problem anyway. Ill say it again until I drive the point home. He played at the top level for thirteen years. Second last season of his career he picked up an all star.
Which in itself says he was still performing well in the twilight of his career.

I'm still waiting for you to name a game where he changed the entire match? Don't know how many times I've asked now.

Yes, you could also look at that as why did he only pick up two All-Stars in 13 years? You could also look at what happened the eight years between '99 and '07? You could look at it in plenty of ways tbh. Either way, I'm not accepting All-Stars as the be all and end all.

Lemlin

bayviewclose wrote: »

Yes Im not disputing anyone on that list. And they are six fine midfielders. But as a Dublin player, Whelan was second only to Mullins and maybe Bernard Brogan (sr) in the last thirty odd years.
Thats all im saying.

Are you joking? Keith Barr. Dessie Farrell. Charlie Redmond. Paul Curran. Those are only a few of the players who have graced Dublin jerseys over the past twenty years (I can only remember as far back as the early nineties) and been far better players than Whelan.

If you want to talk about people not being fit to lace boots, most of the current Dublin panel aren't fit to lace the boots of those lads. They deserved the hype that the Dublin panel get now.

Spiritoftheseventies

Lemlin wrote: »

I'm still waiting for you to name a game where he changed the entire match? Don't know how many times I've asked now.

Yes, you could also look at that as why did he only pick up two All-Stars in 13 years? You could also look at what happened the eight years between '99 and '07? You could look at it in plenty of ways tbh. Either way, I'm not accepting All-Stars as the be all and end all.

Sorry to be fair the question is just ridiculous. I could not even name a game where Mullins changed an entire match. Or Curran. Redmond obviously changed a few games and sometimes for the wrong reasons but still a legend in eyes of many a dubs fan.
Whelan in his prime was shooting over three or four points in the championship. He had a terrific engine.
He was in a highly competive part of the field. And again he manages to get an All star in 2007 in his second last full season with Dublin. All Star is still an all star in my book. And I would say Cluxton was worth every three of his as well.

Lemlin

bayviewclose wrote: »

Sorry to be fair the question is just ridiculous. I could not even name a game where Mullins changed an entire match. Or Curran. Redmond obviously changed a few games and sometimes for the wrong reasons but still a legend in eyes of many a dubs fan.
Whelan in his prime was shooting over three or four points in the championship. He had a terrific engine.
He was in a highly competive part of the field. And again he manages to get an All star in 2007 in his second last full season with Dublin. All Star is still an all star in my book. And I would say Cluxton was worth every three of his as well.

How is it ridiculous? Because you can't answer it, that's why.

Do you actually know much about Mullins or are you going on the papers where you have heard his name banded around?

I can name games where plenty of players changed matches. Donaghy as I said against Armagh. Maurice Fitz against Dublin in Thurles. Maurice Fitz against Armagh in the All-Ireland semi. Peter Canavan for Tyrone on numerous occasions (against Cavan in 2005 if you want an example). I can even name where Dermot McCabe changed a match. If Whelan is so great, why can't you do the same for him? I'm sure Curran did change matches but I remember few of his as I was very young when he played.

You also made an outrageous claim there that he has been Dublin's best player in the past thirty years. Do you even have a clue what you are talking about? The fellas I named above have the All-Ireland to their name that Whelan doesn't. They weren't lacking when they were needed most, like Whelan was.

Spiritoftheseventies

Lemlin wrote: »

How is it ridiculous? Because you can't answer it, that's why.

Do you actually know much about Mullins or are you going on the papers where you have heard his name banded around?

I can name games where plenty of players changed matches. Donaghy as I said against Armagh. Maurice Fitz against Dublin in Thurles. Maurice Fitz against Armagh in the All-Ireland semi. Peter Canavan for Tyrone on numerous occasions (against Cavan in 2005 if you want an example). I can even name where Dermot McCabe changed a match. If Whelan is so great, why can't you do the same for him? I'm sure Curran did change matches but I remember few of his as I was very young when he played.

You also made an outrageous claim there that he has been Dublin's best player in the past thirty years. Do you even have a clue what you are talking about? The fellas I named above have the All-Ireland to their name that Whelan doesn't. They weren't lacking when they were needed most, like Whelan was.

Sorry should have said best midfielder since Mullins and Bernard Brogan (Sr) but fact that I mentioned the three together should have been obviously.
And don't know much about Mullins apart from what I saw of him from seventy six to mid eighties. And seeing that you were young when Curran played, please don't go there with me on Mullins.
As for this old chesnut about players not winning all irelands, Whelan was unlucky to arrive on scene a year after Dublin won in 1995.
There are plenty of county players who never won All Ireland winners and am I right in saying Dermot McCabe is one of them.
We will call this an honourable draw and move on.

Lemlin

bayviewclose wrote: »

Sorry should have said best midfielder since Mullins and Bernard Brogan (Sr) but fact that I mentioned the three together should have been obviously.
And don't know much about Mullins apart from what I saw of him from seventy six to mid eighties. And seeing that you were young when Curran played, please don't go there with me on Mullins.
As for this old chesnut about players not winning all irelands, Whelan was unlucky to arrive on scene a year after Dublin won in 1995.
There are plenty of county players who never won All Ireland winners and am I right in saying Dermot McCabe is one of them.
We will call this an honourable draw and move on.

Why would it be obvious? You said the best player, not midfielder. Now you are conveniently backtracking. I would have saw Stynes as better tbh and I wouldn't know any of the Dublin midfielders from the 80s but 30 years is a fairly long time to proclaim him the best. Alot would argue that Shane Ryan is better.

I wasn't go anywhere on Mullins. I know very little about his performances and I have no problem saying that. He doesn't polarise opinion like Whelan does so I'm more than willing to admit he was a legend of the game.

I'm not going on any old chestnut of players not winning All-Irelands. I'm questioning where you said Whelan was a better player than any of the '95 team, a team which had far better players than Whelan in a number of positions if you ask me.

As for him being unlucky not to have played in '95, luck bears no part in it. Dublin may not have won that All-Ireland with Whelan playing. They still may have so we'll never know. He wasn't part of the panel. Either way, he had 13 years to make his own luck and didn't.

And, as I said, I was never comparing Dermot McCabe to Whelan. I was merely pointing out that I've never seen Whelan change a game like that. The top players do it all the time. Players like Ciaran McDonald and Declan Browne. They never won an All-Ireland but are top players. They could change games. Whelan couldn't.

Spiritoftheseventies

Lemlin wrote: »

Why would it be obvious? You said the best player, not midfielder. Now you are conveniently backtracking. I would have saw Stynes as better tbh and I wouldn't know any of the Dublin midfielders from the 80s but 30 years is a fairly long time to proclaim him the best. Alot would argue that Shane Ryan is better.

I wasn't go anywhere on Mullins. I know very little about his performances and I have no problem saying that. He doesn't polarise opinion like Whelan does so I'm more than willing to admit he was a legend of the game.

I'm not going on any old chestnut of players not winning All-Irelands. I'm questioning where you said Whelan was a better player than any of the '95 team, a team which had far better players than Whelan in a number of positions if you ask me.

As for him being unlucky not to have played in '95, luck bears no part in it. Dublin may not have won that All-Ireland with Whelan playing. They still may have so we'll never know. He wasn't part of the panel. Either way, he had 13 years to make his own luck and didn't.

And, as I said, I was never comparing Dermot McCabe to Whelan. I was merely pointing out that I've never seen Whelan change a game like that. The top players do it all the time. Players like Ciaran McDonald and Declan Browne. They never won an All-Ireland but are top players. They could change games. Whelan couldn't.

"I'm not going on any old chestnut of players not winning All-Irelands. I'm questioning where you said Whelan was a better player than any of the '95 team, a team which had far better players than Whelan in a number of positions if you ask me".

Yes is the answer to that one. He would have gone straight into midfield. No question about it. Anyway Whelan in action tomorrow night for anyone interested.
THURS, SEPT 3
SFC Parnell Park St Judes V. St Brigids Thursday Sept 3rd 6-45pm
SFC Parnell Park Round Tower Clondalkin V. Kilmacud Crokes Thursday Sept 3rd 8-15pm
SFC Balgriffin Raheny V. Lucan Sarsfields Thursday Sept 3rd 8-15pm

hawker

I'm amazed at the reaction of some of the so called GAA fans on this thread.

Like him or loathe him, the fact is that Whelan was a fine footballer. Yes he had his moments but many of the top players do. Look at Mullins, O'Se and Canavan who all felt the wrath of the referee at sometime during their careers but that doesn't mean they weren't good footballers. I'm not saying Whelan didn't throw the odd sly dig but he wasn't the first and won't be the last.

I'm by no means a Dublin fan but was their a better man in his prime to run full flight in Croke Park and kick a magnificent point? A very difficelt skill to execute. Very few in my mind.

As a non-Dub and a true Gael I'd like to say best of luck to the man.

Spiritoftheseventies

hawker wrote: »

I'm amazed at the reaction of some of the so called GAA fans on this thread.

Like him or loathe him, the fact is that Whelan was a fine footballer. Yes he had his moments but many of the top players do. Look at Mullins, O'Se and Canavan who all felt the wrath of the referee at sometime during their careers but that doesn't mean they weren't good footballers. I'm not saying Whelan didn't throw the odd sly dig but he wasn't the first and won't be the last.

I'm by no means a Dublin fan but was their a better man in his prime to run full flight in Croke Park and kick a magnificent point? A very difficelt skill to execute. Very few in my mind.

As a non-Dub and a true Gael I'd like to say best of luck to the man.

Yes I have been trying to tell people about his exploits, in his early days he would run twenty yards and invariably kick over a point. I think under Tommy Carr he really flourished and i know it was said that most players found him a tough opponent to play against.

soundsham

bayviewclose wrote: »

Yes I have been trying to tell people about his exploits, in his early days he would run twenty yards and invariably kick over a point. I think under Tommy Carr he really flourished and i know it was said that most players found him a tough opponent to play against.

http://boards.ie/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=82580&d=1244944487
who?
when?
actually forget it, your right we'll never see his like again:rolleyes:

blackbelt

soundsham wrote: »

http://boards.ie/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=82580&d=1244944487
who?
when?
actually forget it, your right we'll never see his like again:rolleyes:

Whats the bottom line of this post??

soundsham

the bottom line is i disagree with the previous post to it
and a phrase like.......... "and i know it was said that most players found him a tough opponent to play against."

said by whom and where,its about as inaccurate as you could get imo,

he may be a hard man in some peoples eyes but his football skills let him down in comparison to the top players in that position

flahavaj

Always thpught he was a bit overrated. Capable of following the absolute sublime with total mediocrity.

Spiritoftheseventies

Okay time to let the man speak for himself. Whelan in an interview given to herald. And pay attention to what Mickey Harte said about him. Now if you can't listen to a man like harte you wont listen to anyone. anyone read on.

CIARÁN Whelan's debut season of 1996 marked the end of an era for Dublin football.

The All-Ireland winning team of the previous year had begun to erode, they never matched the achievements of '95 and formed a fading force, failing to land even a provincial crown again until most of that group had shuffled off into inter-county retirement.

The Raheny man, though, was one of the few green shoots of Mickey Whelan's two-year reign as Dubs boss. As a tall, athletic 19-year-old, he started at wing-forward in the Dublin team beaten by Meath in that year's Leinster final. He kicked two points, too, before moving to midfield -- his home, mostly, for the next 13 distinguished seasons in blue.

Now though, confirmation of his inter-county retirement spells the conclusion of another era in the ever colourful landscape of Dublin football. Six Leinster medals, two All Stars and a wheelbarrow full of memories later, he's decided -- not lightly, it must be said -- against going to the well and putting his 33-year-old limbs through the pain and the sacrifice one more time.

"I was clear in my own mind that this year was my last year and I kind of made up my mind that I was giving it one last go under the new management," Whelan explains. "Even if I had have played more this year, I just know from the training this year that I found it very, very tough.

"I found it tough to recover. I found it tough to get to any sort of level of performance during training. I didn't think I was able physically for another year. Also, the time factor and the commitments and the fact that I have a young family, I had to make the decision to move on from my own perspective."

Disappointments? He's had a few. The biggest and most obvious of which was the failure to land an All-Ireland with Dublin. Most recently, the Boys in Blue have exited the championship with surprisingly spectacular defeats in successive seasons, firstly to Tyrone last summer and then this year's unprecedented demise to Kerry.

"What happened against Tyrone -- you can accept that happening once," Whelan says. "But happening twice, you've got to look more closely at it. As for what went wrong, it's still kind of mind-boggling but the form going into it was good. The Kildare game, we went right to the line against a good, solid side. And we should have been in a better position going in against Kerry.

Wounds

"Whether the wounds of last year were re-opened and we dropped the head, you have to look at the whole mental preparation. There was a lot of pre-match nerves. Whether there's an issue with that I am not sure, but I think it's very hard for young players to avoid hype in Dublin as expectations can be unrealistic and maybe that adds pressure to the players."

2009 was very nearly a Ciarán Whelan-less year, though. As the grey rain battered down on Croke Park after the final whistle of last year's miserable All-Ireland quarter-final, Whelan saluted Hill 16 for what seemed like the very last time.

Paul Caffrey and his management team stepped down en masse, but almost as soon as Pat Gilroy had been appointed as his replacement, he sounded out Whelan for one last hurrah.

And Whelan, still craving the ultimate achievement, succumbed. Another year manning the middle for Dublin in front of the sky blue summer hoards. Except it didn't pan out that way.

Having abandoned his most recent seasonal blueprint of sitting out the inter-county winter and early spring, Whelan came straight in before Christmas in the regional tournament organised by the Dublin County Board. He started the first game of the league against Tyrone but a couple of injuries curtailed his championship build up and given management's stated policy of starting players purely on form, Whelan found himself benched for each of Dublin's championship matches this summer.

"It's hard to know," says Whelan of the tactic of playing the entire year at the age of 33. "If you go back and do the full year do you fatigue come the summer? Maybe you play the latter part of the league and you're that much fresher. I certainly found as the year goes on, it gets more physically demanding.

"I tried it both ways. Other years, I came back late in the league and it was quite effective. It worked. But last year, I picked up the eight-week suspension (arising from the Parnell Park brawl with Meath) which affected my build-up to the championship. So I just wanted to make sure I had game time coming into the championship football. I picked up a knock before the Meath game this year and I missed a few pre-championship challenge games, which didn't help. The management ran with the two boys (Darren Magee and Ross McConnell), who were probably in better form at that given time. So I've no issues with that.

"I think Darren and Ross have the ability to go on and prove to be a very good partnership. Maybe with me gone, it will take a bit off the pressure off them," he adds.

Those with memories mature enough to recall Dublin's 'Golden Era' of the '70s likened Whelan's early explosion onto the sky blue canvas to that of Brian Mullins. He could soar with the best of them and had the ability to burst forward with power and speed, leaving a trail of flailing defenders in his wake. He was at one stage, the most prolific midfielder in the country.

Later in his career, when Caffrey took control in the capital, Whelan's game was re-shaped. He did most of his best work between the two 45s and it's a period of his footballing life that he recalls fondly, despite the recurring theme of "what could have been".

Professional

"When Pillar came in and we won four Leinsters in-a-row, he brought with him a good management structure and a very professional approach to the set up," Whelan explains. "Whatever about Tyrone and Kerry, Mayo in 2006 was a huge opportunity. To be seven points up with 20 minutes to go was a huge opportunity missed.

"Obviously in 2002, we were on the crest of a wave as well. We came so close to beating Armagh and maybe if we had have gotten over that we were very young and a fresh and maybe innocent team -- which maybe in some ways wasn't a bad thing back then. Fellas were just playing with a lot of freedom and there was no fear."

There were always two Ciarán Whelans, though. The one which, in the words of Tyrone manager Mickey Harte, provided "the oxygen for Dublin, their crowd, their forwards, everything". Then there was Ciarán Whelan, pantomime villain among opposing supporters.

The man they loved to hate. The 'Battle of Omagh', the brawl with Meath in Parnell Park last summer, spats with Ronan McGarrity and Nigel Crawford -- Whelan's devastating potential always attracted 'special' attention from opposition players and he has been fair game for abuse from the sidelines.

"I was never a player to hold grudges, what happens on the pitch in the heat of battle should stay on the pitch, it's a contact sport. I never hesitated to hold up my hand and apologise for any incidents which should not have happened."

Whelan will play for Raheny against Lucan in Balgriffin on Thursday night in the last 16 of the Dublin SFC, conscious that having missed so much club football over the last 14 years, "it would be nice to get back and enjoy a bit of club football."

But does he see a way back for Dublin, now shorn of their totemic midfielder?

"Yes, they can recover but it will be a serious challenge," he reckons. "All our games are in Croke Park. I think ultimately that's going against Dublin, because I think that when you get to the quarter-final stage, tactically, managers have seen Dublin three or four times in Croke Park. They've seen our style of play.

"Kerry would have used a different game plan when they were playing Sligo or Antrim down in provincial grounds. I just think unfortunately, the position that Dublin are in, they can be put up there and over-hyped a small bit and it's very, very difficult for the players for them to get away from it.

"But I firmly believe that you don't become a bad team overnight." Whelan states. "I have the height of respect for all the players within the Dublin squad who give a massive personal commitment for the betterment of Dublin football. I have been lucky to play with some great players over the years. Yeah, OK, we have to look at where things went wrong, but I don't think we are as bad as we are portrayed. I don't think the Kerry game justifies where Dublin football is at."
http://www.herald.ie/sport/the-dubs/ive-been-lucky-to-play-with-great-men--whelan-1874640.html

soundsham

There were always two Ciarán Whelans, though. The one which, in the words of Tyrone manager Mickey Harte, provided "the oxygen for Dublin, their crowd, their forwards, everything". Then there was Ciarán Whelan, pantomime villain among opposing supporters.

you could replace c.w. in that sentance with any servant of a few years in any county in that statement,anyone who was retiring, its waffle padding,usual stuff trotted out by pundits and managers after games
ok so what did mickey harte say, that he geed up the crowd and moved ball to the forwards......eh thats what all midfielders do but he embellished it

he didn't say he really could do with him for tyrone,no he wasn't saying that expected more of him when tyrone walked all over him last year,that he should have retired then
no he was being nice to him as everyone will be in print to a guy retiring,noone will dis. him in the papers ffs

Spiritoftheseventies

soundsham wrote: »

There were always two Ciarán Whelans, though. The one which, in the words of Tyrone manager Mickey Harte, provided "the oxygen for Dublin, their crowd, their forwards, everything". Then there was Ciarán Whelan, pantomime villain among opposing supporters.

you could replace c.w. in that sentance with any servant of a few years in any county in that statement,anyone who was retiring, its waffle padding,usual stuff trotted out by pundits and managers after games
ok so what did mickey harte say, that he geed up the crowd and moved ball to the forwards......eh thats what all midfielders do but he embellished it

he didn't say he really could do with him for tyrone,no he wasn't saying that expected more of him when tyrone walked all over him last year,that he should have retired then
no he was being nice to him as everyone will be in print to a guy retiring,noone will dis. him in the papers ffs

To give you the full context of the remark taken from an invertiew with Mickey Harte in January of this year, here is intro.

"Probably their finest moment was Dublin, 2005. The litany of switches at half-time in the drawn game are legendary, but some are forgotten. For instance, Philly Jordan played that second half at corner back.

"We felt Ricey [Ryan McMenamin] would give us some drive at wing-back," recalls Donnelly, "so we switched him there and Philly says to Seán Cavanagh, 'I'm not on!' Seán says, 'No, you're corner-back.' Philly said afterwards, he didn't know which was the bigger shock, thinking he was off or at corner-back! But your play starts from your full-back line and if you have someone like Philly who can burst out, it breaks the next line and suddenly the whole field opens up.

"The key that day was Ciaran Whelan. At half-time I said Whelan was the oxygen for Dublin – their crowd, their forwards, everything. In the first half he had won six clean balls and we said to Joe [McMahon], 'Joe, you have to step on that oxygen line.'"

blackbelt

soundsham wrote: »

the bottom line is i disagree with the previous post to it
and a phrase like.......... "and i know it was said that most players found him a tough opponent to play against."

said by whom and where,its about as inaccurate as you could get imo,

he may be a hard man in some peoples eyes but his football skills let him down in comparison to the top players in that position

Maybe so in comparison to the best midfielders in the country but I still don't see the point in you posting a link to a picture with Whelan on the ground.Doesn't that go against the negative things some posters here have been saying about him in relation to being dirty??I mean we can't have it both ways now.So he obviously was sinned against too.

Spiritoftheseventies

blackbelt wrote: »

Maybe so in comparison to the best midfielders in the country but I still don't see the point in you posting a link to a picture with Whelan on the ground.Doesn't that go against the negative things some posters here have been saying about him in relation to being dirty??I mean we can't have it both ways now.So he obviously was sinned against too.

Yes think poster should state what his intent in posting that picture was because it went up on another thread as well.

Reillyman

Was banned for the last month from this forum, what a way to mark my return by expressing my sheer delight that Cíaran Whelan is leaving...

/awaits ban...

dcr22B

Reillyman wrote: »

Was banned for the last month from this forum, what a way to mark my return by expressing my sheer delight that Cíaran Whelan is leaving...

/awaits ban...

Are you David Brady in disguise?

Anything a bit more sensible to add to this debate?

Mike...

dcr22B wrote: »

Whelo, best of luck with the future and thanks for 14 great years and even though you never quite got the Holy Grail, you're an All Ireland champion in my eyes.

Don't Champions get medals....:p

I won't miss this guy,
Not a sportsman and he added nothing to the game