Patrick James Whelan (c. 1840 – 11 February 1869) was a suspected Fenian sympathiser executed following the 1868 assassination of Irish journalist and politician Thomas D'Arcy McGee. He maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings, but the government needed somebody to blame, and although the evidence against Whelan was entirely circumstantial, he was "the perfect candidate". Questions about his guilt continue to be voiced, as his trial was "marred" by political interference, dubious legal procedures, allegations of bribing witnesses and easily discredited testimony.