Prof. Christopher Whelan

Dear Yvonne, Karl and Alan, I was sorry to hear of the loss of Christy. I am afraid I only just heard about his passing tonight, when I asked Paula Halpin if she had heard how he was doing. I am so very sorry for your loss. This is a very sad time for all of you. I remember Christy growing up was such a lovely gentle and kind man, of great integrity. He always had a smile for everyone and that sparkle in his eye. Christy obviously adored his family, and was very proud of each one of you. Thinking of you you all, and sending much love from myself Maria, Terry, and Robert Murphy.
(I don’t know if you know Yvonne, but our Annette died last October, and our Michael died last November, both unexpected).

My deepest condolences to all of Chris's family - it was an enormous pleasure working with him at UCD in the very brief time I was there, he made the move from Australia, and back again, so much easier through the sheer force of of lovely personality on top of his calm skillful competence. Chris was an excellent scholar as well as the best colleague one could hope for, he'll be sorely missed, he was one the very best.

Sincere sympathy to Yvonne, Alan, Karl, and extended family.
He will be greatly missed in the sociology community.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a h'anam dílis.

My sincere condolences. Chris leaves a great legacy in the international social science community with his work on poverty and social class – as well as his ability to connect and create networks. But above all was such a kind academic. He served on my PhD committee and supported me for many years after, always generous with his time and sharing his knowledge. I will miss him dearly. My thoughts are with his family and loved ones.

I wish to send all Chris's family, Yvonne, Alan and Karl my best wishes and condolences. Adam

Sincere condolences to Yvonne and all the Whelan family and friends on the sad loss of Chris. R.I.P.

My deepest sympathies to Chris's near and dear. He was a great scholar and an extremely nice man. For those of us who were young scholars in the 1990s, he was very important, together with Robert Erikson and John Goldthorpe and others, in establishing social networks in studies of inequality, poverty, and social cohesion, something we still benefit from. Many in the European sociology community are saddened to learn about his passing.

Sincere condolences to Yvonne, Karl, Alan and families on the loss of Chris. It was a beautiful send off yesterday. When I last saw him he spoke for four hours & apart from learning twenty new things from him, his eyes only fully lit up when telling stories of his family and grandchildren. He repeatedly talked about what a great life he had. His legacy is a lovely one. RIP

to Yvonne, Carl and Alan and all the family. sending you our heartfelt condolences. Another great man gone too soon. My dad’s dearest friend, a great academic and a devoted husband,father and granddad. He loved you all so much.So sad for you all but he will live forever in your hearts. love from Louise, Adrian and family. XX

Deepest sympathy to you all on the death of your beloved Chris. The beautiful ceremony celebrating his life was a fitting tribute to your much loved husband, father, father in law & grandfather . Despite your grief may you be comforted by precious memories of many happy times spent together during his full & well lived life.

I worked with Chris, albeit briefly, at the ESRI. For me, he was a 'gentleman' in the most positive sense of the word. My condolences to his family and friends; you must miss him terribly.

Deepest sympathy to Yvonne, Alan and Karl on Chris's death. A lovely man, and a wonderful colleague, he has left a lasting mark in his work on poverty, sociology and social policy. You can all be truly proud of him. His loss will be deeply felt.

John and Eithne

Sincere Condolences to Yvonne, Karl & Alan and extended Family. Chris was a lovely man and a great character, always with a smile. He leaves a marvellous legacy. May he Rest In Peace. Love Pierce / Lyn & Family Sligo

I am very sorry to learn of Chris's passing. He made such an immense contribution to sociology in Ireland. Sincere condolences to his family.

Sincere condolences to Yvonne and all the family

My deepest condolences to Yvonne, Alan, Karl and the whole family. Chris was a lovely man. He will be really missed.

My sincere condolences to Karl and all of the family on the passing of Christopher. My thoughts are with you at this sad time.

I first knew Chris as a student at UCD, where he regularly and incisively challenged our lecturers and professors, making our classes far more interesting and worthwhile than they would otherwise have been (even if our teachers were unhappy at being put on the spot!). We also worked at the ESRI at the same time, during which I sometimes babysat Karl for Chris and Yvonne. And there were many parties attended by all of us, especially those hosted by Sandra and her late husband, Bill - my late husband, Steve, also thoroughly enjoyed those nights and the great company - happy times and much fun.
In the midst of his own illness, Chris wrote a truly wonderful eulogy for Bill's send-off. His strength and courage were amazing.
Chris' accomplishments will live on and make a difference in many people's lives. His legacy also lives on through his family. Yvonne was the light of his life - we are all here for you, Yvonne.
We will always remember you, Chris - the world has lost a super-smart, witty guy and we feel the loss already. Rest in Peace.
My sincere condolences to Yvonne, Karl, Alan, and the whole family. Mary

Deepest sympathy, prayers and thoughts for you Yvonne, family and friends on the untimely death of your beloved husband, friend, a much loved father, adored grandfather and mentor to so many. May Chris rest in peace. May lovely memories of happy times support you all in these sad days.

My deepest sympathy to Yvonne, Karl and Alan, and his wider family.

I first got to know Chris when I was a Research Assistant at the ESRI between 1976 and 1978. Then, he was an inspiring example of a social scientist -rigorous, passionate, committed to change, but also warm and humorous. He was generous with his knowledge to waves of young researchers, perhaps because he was, in the words of his beloved Bob Dylan, 'forever young'.

Having undertaken important work on industrial relations, he progressed, with a number of his colleagues, to sustained, insightful and passionate analysis of poverty and social class in Ireland. I suspect that we have still not fully understood or mined his remarkable body of work.

Returning to the ESRI in the early 1990s, I found Chris just as passionate, productive, and still as warm and life-loving. I have great memories of attending international soccer matches, followed by 'refreshments' and heated arguments on all sorts of social, political and musical issues.

Visiting him in recent months, I was struck by the courage and wisdom with which he faced severe illness. Inspirational as ever, he reminded me to keep sight of the joys and gifts of life and relationships of love.

Chris will be missed by beloved his Yvonne and family, but will also remain in our hearts and an inspiring model of a social scientist.

My deepest sympathy to Yvonne, Karl and Alan. I have happy memories of many good times and great conversations with Chris, starting from my earliest years as a colleague in the ESRI. RIP.

Sincere condolences to Yvonne and all the family on the passing of your beloved husband Chris.May he Rest In Peace.

My deepest sympathies to Yvonne and all of Chris’s family. While at at UCD I was fortunate to bump into Chris at the gym a few times and every time we would always end up having great twenty minute conversations about politics and the world. Always witty, insightful, and kind, he will be missed very much.

Sincere condolences to Alan and the wider family. Rest in peace.

Chris was an outstanding scientist and a great person. I remember many meetings and enlightening conversations with him. The last encounter was at University College Dublin three years ago when he came to my lecture and we had a very fruitful discussion. I will miss this wonderful colleague. My thoughts are with his family

Sincere condolences to Yvonne and all the family on the loss of your beloved Chris.

Yvonne, Karl and Alan. I am so sad to learn of the death of your lovely husband and father. Chris was a wonderful man - warm, kind, affable and concerned about the welfare of others and of the world. His work and his person were in harmony. He was a man of honour and integrity and it was a great pleasure to have known him.

My deepest sympathies to Yvonne, Karl and Alan on Chris' passing. Chris was a wonderful colleague, friend and mentor to me at the ESRI. It was a privilege to work with him on a number of projects going back to the 1990s, including several social inclusion papers. Much as others faced with seemingly intractable problems might ask 'what would MacGyver do', I found myself asking 'what would Chris do?' This usually yielded a practical solution when faced with an impossible deadline or when a 'detailed' set of reviewer comments might otherwise have floored me. Hard to imagine a world without him!

Sincere sympathy to you Yvonne and your family so sorry I won't be there.

Sympathies to Yvonne, Chris’ soulmate, to his sons Karl and Alan, his grandchildren and his many friends and colleagues. Chris was not only bright and relentlessly productive, he was passionate about class inequality and generous with his time and support for many people including me. I knew him for 50 years- back to the ESRI in the 1970s. A gentleman. The world of academia is poorer for his absence. At Dheis De…

Chris was an important and appreciated member of the international social science community. He is missed by a large number of scholars around the world.
May he rest in peace.

My deepest condolences to Yvonne and the wider family and friends.

Chris has always been such a positive, friendly, kind and thoughtful person throughout my childhood. In later years, I would regularly bump into him in the UCD gym, forever keen to discuss and gossip on all things fitness and sociology.

RIP Chris.

Orlagh and I send our deepest sympathy to Yvonne, the love of his life, to Carl and Alan, of whom he was so proud, and to the wider family with whom he was so closely involved.

Chris and I were Research Assistants together in the ESRI 1971-4 and he became a treasured friend. The was such positivity and exuberance about him, he loved analyzing and discussing well almost everything. We managed to open the ESRI to unionization and we helped out in Rory Quinn’s campaign in Dublin Soth East in 1973 (afterwards we would blame each other for Quinn’s defeat by 39 votes!) He was great fun, great company, and he knew more Bob Dylan lyrics than anyone else I came across.I helped himself and Yvonne sand the floors of their first new house. Happy days.

There was so much to admire about Chris. The love for Yvonne. His marathon times. His voracious reading. His egalitarian and liberal values. His commitment to social justice, to research, to careful argument. His great contribution to the Social Science in Ireland and Europe. His work will stand fast.

I managed to spend some time with Chris and Yvonne during the past difficult period. I never once heard him complain or feel sorry for himself. Courageous and clear headed to the end.

Rest In Peace dear friend, you fought the good fight.

Deepest sympathy to Yvonne and family. Chris was a colleague for many years at ESRI and while different disciplines he had great insights. A joy to meet and talk with.

I am so so sorry to hear of Chris’s passing Yvonne. He was a true gentleman. I pray that all the wonderful memories you have of him comfort you when you most need it. His song may be over but his melody lingers on. May he rest in peace. Much love to you and your family x

Thanks Chris for your generosity of time, knowledge, advice, and mentoring, at many points over my career, and for your immense contribution to Irish sociology.

From the days we sat together in Westland Row, I have been touched by knowing Chris. He made his journey through life with utmost integrity. Faithful to his Pearse Street roots, he used his brilliant intellect, engaging mind and tender heart to make things better for our wider community. I remember being in awe at the publications he was involved with in ESRI challenging government. “Thatcher would never stand for that, you would be disbanded” being my only cogent reply. He continued in the same vein through the years. A very stylish midfielder with Home Farm, he threw the ‘brothers’ into despair with his desire to play the ball on the floor. He maintained his love for the game and Gunners down the years.

Yet it is his love for you Yvonne and family that is his crowning achievement.
Truly someone to admire.
I have been blessed by knowing him.
Much love to you Yvonne and deep condolences to Karl, Alan and their families.

Our deepest sympathies to Yvonne and their children. It was a delight to know Chris over the years, such a humble and kind gentleman. You are all in our prayers and we are thinking of you during this difficult time and always.

My sincere condolences to Yvonne, Karl, Alan and the extended family. My memories and interactions with Chris stem from the times we overlapped at the ESRI. Aside from his excellence at work, his great, excellently delivered stories created a warm, friendly atmosphere

To Alan and family. Sending you my deepest condolences at this difficult time. Thinking of you over these coming days.

Marvellous memories of an amazing man, the Friday night Starsky and Hutch sleepovers, his colourful rants at Match of the day in Thorndale, icecreams on Dollymount strand in those fashionable flares, the music debates ... Beatles, Stones .. Dylan. The shouting from a corner on Springdale road on those Marathon days as he flew by, to Stephens' days in Coolnevaun celebrating surrounded by family, always ensuring everyone was topped up and ok, and there was always many an excellent humorous story always! I have great memories of my uncle Chris and it's incredibly sad to see him go, but what an incredible life he had one to be celebrated! Our sincere condolences to my Auntie Yvonne, my cousins Karl and Alan

My sincere sympathies to Yvonne, Karl, Alan, and all your family, on the deeply sad loss of Chris. His professional contributions as a sociologist were second to none, both as a scholar of international renown and in the role he played in shaping the discipline in Ireland. But in addition to his sharp and penetrating mind, he was terrific fun, a man of wit and irreverent good humour, and above all of course, deeply devoted to his family. I liked and admired him greatly over the many years I've known him. Solas na bhflaitheas (innár chreid sé!) dá anam uasal.

Deepest sympathies to dear Yvonne, Carl, Alan and to all Chris's beloved grandchildren, all of whom he loved greatly and was so proud of.
Chris was one of the good guys.
May love be what you remember most.

RIP
.

My sincere condolences to Yvonne, Chris's soulmate, sons Karl and Alan, and all of Chris's family. I was fortunate to have him as a close friend and mentor for over thirty years. He was a wonderful person, smart, funny, kind, and thoughtful. The world is a smaller place without him.

Sincere condolences on the passing of Chris to Yvonne, Alan ,Karl and extended family,may his soul rest in peace.

My condolences to Alan and all of the family at this difficult time. Thinking of you all over the coming days.

Deepest sympathy to Yvonne and beloved family of Chris. He was a wonderful man. I loved his warmth and hospitality in Coolnevaun when we were hungry students.

Deepest sympathy to Yvonne and family on the loss of your beloved Chris.Sorry I cannot be with you at this time but you are all in my thoughts and prayers.May Chris rest in peace.

Can I extend our deepest sympathies to you all. Chris contributed so much to Irish sociology and was such a vital presence adding so much to many gatherings, formal and informal. We hope your wonderful memories of your time together are of some solace to you at this sad time for you all.
very best

Mary Murphy and staff of Department of Sociology, Maynooth University

To Alan and family, so very sorry for your loss. Hope you find comfort in your happy memories and the knowledge of a full life well-lived. xxxx

Sincere condolences to Yvonne, Karl, Alan and the extended families. A wonderful academic and such a kind gentleman- always had time for a chat and a smile.

Our sincere condolences to Yvonne, Karl, Alan and the extended family. I have very fond memories of Chris as a colleague in the ESRI and environs (including fun evenings in Smyths). He brought Ad to his first Irish match when Ad had just moved to Dublin. He was always so friendly and enthusiastic. RIP.

Ide and Ad

To aunty Yvonne, cousins Karl and Alan and extended Whelan family. Thoughts and condolences on the very sad passing and loss of uncle Chris.

Our sincere condolences on the passing of Chris. What a lovely man! Thinking of you all at this very sad time.
Denise and David

Farewell by Anne Brontë

Farewell to thee! but not farewell
To all my fondest thoughts of thee:
Within my heart they still shall dwell;
And they shall cheer and comfort me.
O, beautiful, and full of grace!
If thou hadst never met mine eye,
I had not dreamed a living face
Could fancied charms so far outvie.

If I may ne'er behold again
That form and face so dear to me,
Nor hear thy voice, still would I fain
Preserve, for aye, their memory.

That voice, the magic of whose tone
Can wake an echo in my breast,
Creating feelings that, alone,
Can make my tranced spirit blest.

That laughing eye, whose sunny beam
My memory would not cherish less; -
And oh, that smile! whose joyous gleam
Nor mortal language can express.

Adieu, but let me cherish, still,
The hope with which I cannot part.
Contempt may wound, and coldness chill,
But still it lingers in my heart.

And who can tell but Heaven, at last,
May answer all my thousand prayers,
And bid the future pay the past
With joy for anguish, smiles for tears?

Rest In Peace beautiful Chris.

Sending so much love to Yvonne, Alan, Karl and family ❤

Love Fiona, Tim, Dillon, Vito, Romy, Sienna and Phoebe XXXXXXX

Chris guided me through a post-grad in UCD over a decade ago and we have kept in touch via email ever since. I am so sad at the loss of my virtual mentor and friend.

My heartfelt condolences to the Whelan family at this sombre time.

My deepest sympathies to Yvonne and to Chris's family. Chris made a great and rigorous contribution to Irish life. Chris and I shared an office for a lively year fifty years ago in the ESRI.

Sincere condolences to you and your family, Yvonne. My thoughts and sympathies are with you at this sad time.

My deepest sympathies to you Yvonne, Karl and Alan on your loss. Chris was a wonderful man who had a big heart. He found time for everyone and had that rare gift to make you feel special. Big hugs to his beloved grandchildren Jessica, Abby, Ellie and Cillian. Lou and family.

My condolences to you Yvonne and your family on your great loss. Chris was a wonderful man and will be sadly missed. May god give you and your family the courage and strength to face this sad time.