|
Father Michael O'Flanagan - Republican Priest. |
||
|
Fr. Michael
O’Flanagan was born in 1876 near Castlerea, Co. Roscommon. He went
to school at Cloonboniffe and then attended secondary school at
Summerhill College, Sligo. On graduating in 1894 he entered St.
Patrick’s College, Maynooth, where he was ordained for the Diocese
of Elphin in 1900. Following ordination he returned to Summerhill
College and worked there as a teacher for a number of years. Between
1912 and 1914 he served in Rome.
He was appointed as curate to the parish of Ahamlish in North Sligo in 1914. Shortly afterwards he became involved in the first (of many) acts of social defiance. The incident came to be known as the "Cloonerco Bog Fight" where he agitated for turbary rights for the local people against the wishes of the Congested District Board and his own bishop. In response Fr. O’Flanagan was transferred from Cliffoney to Crossna in Co. Roscommon from where he was to play a prominent role in the War of Independence during the following years. In 1917 his eloquence was a major contributory factor in the success of Sinn Féin candidate Count Plunkett in the first election contested by the republicans, which came to be known as "the election of the snows". In the Summer of 1918 he was suspended from clerical duties because of his activities with Sinn Féin. He was Vice-President of Sinn Fein from 1917 and was chosen to recite the invocation at the first meeting of the newly proclaimed Dáil Éireann in January 1919. He opposed the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921 but did not play a major part in the subsequent Civil War.
A book (in Irish) by Labhrás Breathnach about the Plunkett family (left) with Count Plunkett on cover. A poster produced for the North Roscommon Election in which the resolution of Sligo Corporation to support the candidacy of Count Plunkett was reported (centre) and a pin-badge for the same event (right). He was president of Sinn Féin from 1933 to 1935 but he was expelled from the party for participating in a Radio Éireann (2RN) broadcast in January 1936. He was one of the few Catholic priests who defended the Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War, siding with such notable republicans as Peadar O'Donnell, George Gilmore and Frank Ryan. From 1932 he had been working on the preparation of County Histories in Irish and the first to be published was for his native Roscommon. "Stair na gCondae 1 – Ros Comáin" was published in 1938. The same year he was allowed to again say Mass in public and he died in Dublin on 8th August 1942 at the age of 66. He was buried in Glasnevin Cemetery on August 10th. His graveside oration was given by "Sceilg" "Ar dheasláim Dé go raibh d'anam glan Gaedhealach, a shagairt is dílse agus is dúthrachtaighe d'ar mhair riamh i nÉirinn"
Graveside Oration (left) by Sceilg. 10 August 1942. 4 pages. Printed by "The Kerryman" Ltd. and published by "The National Aid Auxiliary Committee", Dublin. The Strength of Sinn Féin. (right) Presidential Address by Rev. Michael O'Flanagan. Dublin. 14 October 1934. 11 pages. Published by Sinn Féin Standing Committee, 16 Parnell Square, Dublin.
Images not to scale.
|
"They have fooled you again. Michael O'Flanagan (1876 - 1942). Priest, Republican, Social Critic" by Denis Carroll. The Columba Press 1993. 271 pages paperback.
"Father Michael O'Flanagan. Republican Priest. The Story of his life with extracts from his speeches"
by Desmond Greaves. A Connolly Association Pamphlet. 1955. 20 pages paperback. (First edition: 1954)
Rare postcard by Stanley of Dublin, with facsimile signature and date: March 1919. |
|
|
This collection for Father Michael O'Flanagan is now in Roscommon County Library. If you have anything of interest please contact us. |
||
