Question: What was the man whom Dr. Diarmuid Whelan wrote his doctoral thesis on?

Related documents: [0]  [DOC] Conor Cruise O'Brien (3 November 1917 – 18 December 2008) often nicknamed "The Cruiser", was an Irish politician, writer, historian and academic. His opinion on the role of Britain in Ireland and in Northern Ireland changed during the 1970s, in response to the outbreak of The Troubles. He saw opposing nationalist and unionist traditions as irreconcilable and switched from a nationalist to a unionist view of Irish politics and history. O'Brien's outlook was always radical and the positions he took were seldom orthodox. He summarised his position as intending "to administer an electric shock to the Irish psyche". [END] 
[1]  [DOC] Dr. Diarmuid Whelan (11 August 1971 – 1 June 2010) was an Irish academic in the history department of UCC. Born in Cork, he studied at Christian Brothers College, Cork and UCC. He wrote his doctoral thesis on Conor Cruise O'Brien. [END]  
Answer: an Irish politician
an Irish politician