Clan Flanagan of Upperthird, A Brief History
The Ancient Clan:
Ó Flannagáin of Uachtar Tíre (in English, Flanagan of Upperthird), as a clan originated in Waterford independently of several other clans of the same name in pre-Christian Ireland. Early history of the Clan is rather sketchy from our standpoint in the early 21st Century and so this short essay is necessarily a brief overview.
What is known of the Clan from early times is that it was based in Uachtar Tíre or Upperthird which is a Barony of Waterford. The Clan was pre-eminent over the other clans in the area and anecdotally was considered a powerful clan within the region.
It is also known that the Clan was disposed by the le Poher (Powers) Family who came to Ireland in the 12th Century with Strongbow’s invasion force. Not much else is known of the Clan's early history and certainly no records of Chieftains or characters of note are available thus far.
The Modern Clan:
Fast forward to the first decade of this century (21st) and a generic Flanagan Clan was registered with the Clans of Ireland by Gary Flanagan from the USA in the early 2000's. This clan is going strong and represents the other various Flanagan clans known today and can be found at www.clanflanagan.org.
A group of Flanagans from Australia and Ireland with the appropriate family research presented an application for the registration of a separate Flanagan Clan to the Finte na hÉireann (Clans of Ireland) Board of Directors for consideration. Based on the evidence of familial association with the Barony of Upperthird and the numbers supporting the application, the Board honoured the Clan with official recognition.
Flanagan of Upperthird or Ó Flannagáin of Uachtar Tíre was first registered mid 2012 and maintains a web presence at www.oflannagain.org plus on Facebook with a page dedicated to the Clan.
Membership and Administration:
Membership is open to any descendant of the Ancient Clan Ó Flannagáin of Uachtar Tíre as well as those with a strong interest in supporting/promoting the aims of the Clan as well as the Clans of Ireland.
The Clan is administered by an Executive Committee consisting of three (3) descendants of the ancient Clan Ó Flannagáin of Uachtar Tíre, with several positions yet to be filled on the Executive Council.
The list of registered members is currently undergoing an audit and so anyone wishing to register as an official clan member should do so by contacting the Ard-Rúnaí or Secretary in the first instance for a copy of the registration paperwork. Simply email membership(at)oflannagain.org or look the clan up on Facebook using the traditional Irish spelling of “Ó Flannagáin”.