Member of famous Offaly hurling family to take over four-time All-Ireland club hurling champions

September 22, 2021 0 By HearthstoneYarns

A MEMBER OF the Whelehan family will be back in charge of four-time All-Ireland winning club Birr next season with Barry Whelehan having being appointed as the Offaly club’s new senior hurling boss.

The Whelahan brothers celebrating their 2001 Leinster club final victory.

Source: INPHO

Congratulations and best of luck to Barry Whelehan who has been announced as our new senior hurling manager for 2019 💚❤️ pic.twitter.com/AJzP4pxPnY

— Birr GAA (@BirrCLG) December 9, 2018

Source: Birr GAA/Twitter

The former Offaly senior takes over at the helm of a club where he was a player at the heart of some of their best triumphs alongside his brothers Brian and Simon, with their father Pad Joe the highly successful manager. 

Birr won four All-Ireland and seven Leinster senior club titles between 1991 and 2007. Barry was wing-back on the team that defeated Galway’s Sarsfields in the All-Ireland final in 1998, and midfield on the victories in the deciders in 2002 against Galway’s Clarinbridge and in 2003 against Antrim’s Dunloy.

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Brian, Simon, Pad-Joe and Barry Whelehan

Source: INPHO

In recent times he has been involved in coaching with Birr underage teams and St Brendan’s CS sides, while also taking charge in camogie of the Offaly senior team and local club Shinrone.

Birr last won the Offaly senior hurling title in 2008 when Pad Joe Whelehan was in charge and since then have lost out in deciders in 2011, 2013 and 2016, with their new manager lining out at midfield in that last final loss. They were defeated at the quarter-final stage of this year’s championship against Belmont.

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