William Whelan

A native of Abbeyside now living out a happy exile in Colligan, Willie Whelan’s family links to Abbeyside

date back at least to the 1830s. A member of Dungarvan Museum Society since 1994, Willie initiated the

society’s name change to Waterford County Museum. He has co-authored Desperate Haven: the Poor

Law, Famine and aftermath in Dungarvan Union, and two editions of Dungarvan: historic guide and

town trail. The museum website, developed with his brother Martin, won Heritage Council Publication

of the Year in 2002. In 2006, Best Small Museum Website was awarded to the museum at the

International Museums and the Web Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In 2016, Willie received

the Person of the Year Award from Dungarvan and West Waterford Chamber of Commerce in

recognition of his heritage work. Projects that Willie has initiated and managed for the museum include:

fundraising for the museum’s renovation, the Grattan Square Heritage Plaque Project, Dungarvan’s

heritage signage, the museum’s epublishing on Kindle, the museum’s social media accounts and this

book. He was a committee member of the group that erected the Waterford World War I memorial in

Dungarvan. In his spare time, he is Chairman of Abbeyside Scouts and does PRO work for St Pat’s Juvenile GAA and Ladies’ Football Club, and Waterford Ladies Gaelic Football Association.

Influences: Ian MacKaye, Bill Hicks, Mike Patton, Andrea Camilleri, Esbjörn Svensson,

Henry Blofeld, Timothy Williams, Chumbawamba, Commissario Montalbano, Spiral, Borgen.

Thanks to : Catherine Whelan, Paddy Whelan, John Whelan and especially Rosie, Katie, Paddy, Jack and Harry