John Whelan is launching a new podcast, "A Different Sky," to amplify the voices of families affected by homicide, nearly 18 years after his sister Sharon Whelan and her daughters Zarah and Nadia were murdered on Christmas Day.
The podcast aims to focus on the survivors of violent crime, exploring themes of grief, trauma, recovery, and the support systems available to victims' families. Whelan hopes the candid conversations featured in the series will not only offer solace to those experiencing similar tragedies but also help to identify and change inadequately supportive systems.
Sharon Whelan, 30, and her daughters, seven-year-old Zarah and two-year-old Nadia, were found dead in their Kilkenny farmhouse on Christmas morning in 2008. Neighbors discovered the house ablaze. Postmortem examinations revealed that the children died of smoke inhalation, while Sharon had been strangled and sustained other injuries. Brian Hennessy, a 23-year-old postal worker known to Sharon, was convicted of the murders in November 2009 and sentenced to life imprisonment.
For Whelan, the podcast is a way to honor the lives of his sister and nieces, emphasizing the joy they brought rather than the circumstances of their deaths. He noted that it took him years to confront the personal impact of the tragedy, immersing himself in work and advocacy until the COVID-19 pandemic forced a period of introspection.
Whelan is also a proponent of justice reform, particularly regarding sentencing and parole. He believes there is a public misconception about what a life sentence entails in Ireland, where prisoners can apply for parole after serving a minimum term. Whelan's advocacy group, Sentencing And Victim Equality (SAVE), successfully pushed for this minimum period to increase from seven to 12 years. However, he argues that this still places a significant burden on victims' families, who may be repeatedly drawn back into the legal process through subsequent parole reviews.
He advocates for a system similar to the one in the United Kingdom, where judges can impose minimum prison terms of 25, 30, or 35 years, or even whole-life orders for the most severe cases. "We feel there needs to be a root-and-branch reform of the justice system where victims and their families are placed at the centre of it," Whelan stated. He believes longer minimum terms would provide families with more certainty and an improved opportunity to rebuild their lives.
Whelan estimates that 60 to 70 families enter this difficult space each year, and he aims to use his experiences and the podcast to offer a path forward. "The biggest thing I want people to take away from it is hope," he said. "If people can hear others talking honestly about grief and trauma and how they’ve learned to carry what’s happened rather than letting it weigh them down, then maybe they’ll realise they’re not alone."
The first episode of "A Different Sky" is dedicated to the murder of Sharon Whelan and her daughters, with subsequent monthly episodes featuring other families impacted by homicide. Whelan remains committed to being a voice for his sister and nieces and for all those affected by such crimes long after the initial media attention fades.