Whelan still feels pain of Blue murder in Croker

IT ended in ignominy for Ciarán Whelan. Pure and utter ignominy. A proud and celebrated inter-county career finishing on the scrapheap of all scrapheaps — as a losing substitute.

Like Mayo’s David Brady in the 2006 All-Ireland final, he entered the fray to limit the damage done by Kerry. To stick a flower in a tank gun already smoking. A thankless and futile job.

He deserved better.