Wheelo Retires

****

Favourite Dubs player of the last 10 years alongside Jayo
Seems very young to Retire and still Dublins best MF's by a long way
Damn Shame

Whelan: I'm calling time

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SWANSONG: Dublin's Ciarán Whelan in action against Paul Galvin of Kerry during the All-Ireland SFC quarter-final at Croke Park

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By Conor McKeon

Tuesday September 01 2009

CIARAN Whelan has announced his retirement from inter-county football.
The veteran midfielder had flagged his intention to walk away after 14 years of service with Dublin in the days after their massive All-Ireland quarter-final defeat to Kerry but having met with management since, he has now confirmed his decision to hang up his inter-county boots.
"Deep down in my own mind, I knew this would be the last year," Whelan told the Herald. "I discussed it with the family at home and the way the year turned out, playing a limited amount of time and given the amount of commitment and effort that goes into it. It's really a time factor."
The Raheny clubman, who amassed six Leinster titles and two All Stars after making his debut in the 1996 Leinster final against Meath, revealed that he could no longer give the commitment required for another season at the top level and said that physically, he had found last season a struggle, but stressed that he had no regrets.
"My body isn't recovering as quick as I'd like," Whelan explained. "Every year the commitments are getting bigger. I reached the stage in my own head where I was quite clear that it was time to move on. But I've enjoyed every minute of it. For 14 years it's been a childhood dream come true. I wouldn't change any bit of it."
The 33 year-old cut a peripheral figure this season, starting all four of Dublin's championship matches on the bench, though his services were required in each leg of their successful Leinster campaign.
He was summoned to the fray after just 15 minutes of the Kerry tie as Pat Gilroy's men were blitzed by an early Kingdom salvo, prompting some criticism of management for failing to start their most decorated and established midfielder.
However, Whelan is adamant that this season was always going to be his last, regardless of how it panned out on a personal level and stressed that he had "no issues" with the selection of Ross McConnell and Darren Magee in the two midfield spots.
"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," he said. "Even if I had played more, I just know from the training this year that I found it very, very tough."
A former captain of the Dubs in 2003 and 2004 under Tommy Lyons' stewardship, Whelan added that the collapse to Kerry was still "mind-boggling" but added that there was "definitely a way back for this Dublin team."
He is, however, set to play for Raheny against Lucan Sarsfields in Thursday night's Evening Herald Dublin SFC last 16 tie and confirmed his intentions to continue playing club football for at least another season.

WILL NOT BE MISSED.

Think he was a bit peeved about his underuse this year. Can't blame him really. Class act and will be sorely missed!

Best of luck to him. He's served his time. 14 years on any IC team is a long time and will take its toll. He'll be doing media work from next year I bet. He should at any rate. Sub Whelan for Spillane I say!

Last 14 years with the Dubs is like a dog's life - equivalent of 98 years!!

Can't imagine what it was like for Wheelo but 14 years of supporting the Dubs has left me broken, bolli*ed, banjaxed, browbeaten, befuddled, bipolar, babbling, baffled, baleful, ballistic, belligerent, bawling, bitchy, bad-tempered, bulemic, bleary-eyed, bewildered and bamboozled!

And then there were the bad days ........

Sad to see him go. He'll be a huge loss. Shame he'll never get a Celtic cross after putting in so much time and effort in over the years.

On a side note, who will now get the blame for
1) starting melees in Croke Park?
2) the worlds sea level rising?
3) the re-emergence of communism? and
4) every other event that happens worldwide?

Shinners wrote:Sad to see him go. He'll be a huge loss. Shame he'll never get a Celtic cross after putting in so much time and effort in over the years.

On a side note, who will now get the blame for
1) starting melees in Croke Park?
2) the worlds sea level rising?
3) the re-emergence of communism? and
4) every other event that happens worldwide?

He has only retired, he hasnt died!!

I know! I suppose the only thing he cant get blamed for now will be the melees.
Now that he's no longer playing IC football he'll have more time to unleash destruction and devastation around the world

Jayo Cluxton wrote:Think he was a bit peeved about his underuse this year. Can't blame him really. Class act and will be sorely missed!

Plenty of players will testify to this.

Good enough footballer who never seemed to give more than 40 minutes. Inspirational at times, maddening at others if your'e a Dub.
He never seemed to master Dara O'Se however and memories of him outside Dublin will not linger too long.

Fogra... Hardly a role model to hold up to your children as his impetuosity got the better of him all too frequently.

There are a few words and phrases applicable to him and his style that spring to mind but let's leave it at that.......

Great mid fielder.

And maybe it is an age thing with me but years ago players did PUNCH each other, full blooded punches, and got sent off and served their suspension. Whelo and the rest these days only pretend but the media blows it up into something awful.

I am not saying the good old days were right and manly and all that crap, all violence is caused by cowardice (think about it) but (I am saying that Whelan was much maligned for little.

Best Dub since the immortal Mullins for inspiration.

Boxty - that is a media load of s***e that Whelan didn't play for 70 mins. No MF can dominate for 70 mins but Whelo was as good as any I've seen. Personally I think Dara is overrated for the last 3/4 seasons where I have not seen him play 35 mins - never mind 70.

Give a dog a bad name etc.

i always thought he got a lot of unfair criticism for the things that happened on a field, plenty of other guys across the country punched/elbowed/clothes-lined guys and escaped the criticism - everything Whelan done was microscoped to the last.

No doubt he was a player who other teams targetted during games in an attempt to get him sent off and sometimes he obliged. He was one of Dublins better footballers over the last decade or so and its unfortunate he retires without winning an All Ireland - but there are plenty like him.

Jayo Cluxton wrote:Boxty - that is a media load of s***e that Whelan didn't play for 70 mins. No MF can dominate for 70 mins but Whelo was as good as any I've seen. Personally I think Dara is overrated for the last 3/4 seasons where I have not seen him play 35 mins - never mind 70.

Give a dog a bad name etc.

For all the talk and adulation levelled at Mick O'Connell I've never seen him give a consistently good hour in the many times I've seen him. Magnificent soaring catches, long range points, astute passing - all the attributes but seemed to "nod off" for 10 minutes here and there. Ciaran Whelan has been somewhat similar over his career and has some of O'Connell's attributes.

For me the ideal M/F pairing would have been Mullins and Jacko in a complementary manner. Both tremendous footballers and easily the 2 best midfielders I've seen.

I feel that McDermott (Meath) O'Hara (Sligo) Walsh (Galway) and McGrane (Armagh) made equal if not greater contributions to their counties than Whelan did to his. A good footballer - yes. A great - not remotely.
And as for Patriques comment that he was the most inspirational Dub since Mullins - pah! Surely the late Mick Holden gets the nod for this "award".

I agree re Mullins and Jacko and don't think Wheelo would be too upset to be put in the same bracket as McDermott. Tohill also springs to mind as a very good one too.