Proud of a descent from a famed warrior king, and fighting at the side of another in one of Ireland's most decisive battles against a foreign invader, the Whelans are heirs to a truly illustrious heritage.
• They ultimately paid a terrible price for taking up the sword of freedom, while many of their descendants forged much different lives for themselves in foreign lands.
• In the creative world of art, Michael Whelan is the American illustrator and artist who has executed artwork for books by Stephen King and Anne McCaffrey, in addition to album covers for The Jacksons and Meat Loaf.
