JJ Whelan here for the GAA Gathering

The GAA Gathering gets under way today at 2pm. Fun for all the family.Among the visitors from San Francisco to Kilcullen this weekend is JJ Whelan, a patriarch of the Irish community in the Golden Gate city, who left Kilcullen in the early 1950s, writes Brian Byrne. He's pictured above with local dance teacher Jennifer Landers, at an event last evening in the Heritage Centre.

JJ has two grandsons playing in the Maurice O'Mahony Gathering Cup game, and told the Diary that he couldn't not come back to his home town for that.

He was at the Midsummer Night's Gathering of the County Kildare Federation of History Groups last night in the Heritage Centre, partly by accident because he had slipped across from Fallons to see photographs of himself and contemporaries when he was involved in boxing and football here before he emigrated. He was able to contribute some memories of his own to the evening, and was later presented with a copy of 'On the One Road', James Durney's history of unrest in Kildare 1913-1994.

JJ Whelan, Nessa Dunlea, and author James Durney.

JJ was heavily involved in GAA activities in San Francisco from 1960 on, and also shared his late wife Vera's passion for the Irish Dancing scene. He received a special award last year for his contribution to that area across the United States over 50 years.

His daughters Sharon and Sheila are also very involved in dancing, and have won North American Irish dancing championships. They set up their own dance academy, the Whelan Academy of Irish Dance, in San Francisco in 1995. Three years ago they joined with Patricia Kennelly, to form the Whelan-Kennelly Academy.

Vera Whelan was a native of Ballyshannon, Co Kildare. She passed away in 2008.