The funeral of TP Whelehan, the long-serving former wine critic of The Irish Times, took place in Dublin yesterday. Mr Whelehan, who wrote a weekly wine column for the paper from 1960 to 1987, died last week.
Many figures from the wine trade attended the funeral Mass in St John the Baptist Church in Blackrock. The eulogy was delivered by TP’s brother Harry Whelehan, the former attorney general.
The late Mr Whelehan wrote his column at a time when wine sales in Ireland were considerably lower than they are today, and consumer knowledge and education were much less well developed.
Against this background, his column stood out as hugely influential in the development of wine appreciation in Ireland. He was considered one of the most informed wine tasters in Ireland, tasting 4,000 or more wines each year.
Mr Whelehan ran a substantial family business, distributing pharmaceutical and other products. It was sold to the Verbena Group in 2010.
Mr Whelehan and his wife Anne had three children: Rebecca, Kevin and David, who has followed in his father’s footsteps in developing an expertise in wine. He runs the wine shop and restaurant, Whelehan’s Wines, in Loughlinstown in south Dublin.