Why Pat’s a cut above the rest

A fifth generation butcher, Pat Whelan, speaks with passion about the tradition of his business and how he has taken it to a new level in the digital era.

His father, James, a farmer’s son from Dungarvan, Co Waterford and his mother, Joan Scanlon, a butcher’s daughter from Cappoquin, moved from Co Waterford to Clonmel, Co Tipperary after getting married.

They opened a butcher’s shop in the south Tipperary town more than 50 years ago. It became the foundation for the award-winning business it is today. Their son, Pat, now runs James Whelan Butchers, acclaimed as one of the most innovative in the country.