ames Whelan was born at Aillbrack, Miltown Malbay, Co Clare, IRELAND. He was born at the height of the Irish Potato Famine. Miltown Malbay, is a small village on the west coast of Ireland in County Clare. The Whelan's were probably from a townland known as Aillbrack, {later spelled Aylebrack or Islebrack}. {A townland is an area of perhaps 200 - 400 acres, not very large and hard to locate when you are there.} It has been reported that his father John Whelan, husband of Hana Lillis *Whelan, was a stone mason. It makes some sense, since there are more rocks than trees, etc. in that part of Ireland. James was in the Civil War and installed high line wire for the Union army at Iron Mountain and before he came to the Ten Mile Community in 1968 Route 1 Poplar Bluff, MO. He and his brother Patrick first bought property together and later on James bought all the property from, Stephen Rosen Pleasant Kearbey.