I am no expert, but I understand there are two spellings in Ireland, Whelan and Phelan. My gr-grandfather was shown sometimes as Whelan and Sometimes as Phelan in various records. A few years ago while in Ireland I checked the two phone books for Ireland, one for Dublin, the second for the rest of Ireland. there were about 200 Phelan spellings in both books, none other then that. I understood there that Whelan is used interchangeably with Phelan, although Whelan is used about twice as often as Phelan, they are the same name. My own name is spelled Phalin, but that is an american derivation. Larry Phalin