John Flanagan the well-known builder and advocate for Tullamore and County Offaly died on 9 May 2024. He was the modest man from the Meelaghans, Puttaghan and Bachelors Walk, Tullamore who invested his whole life in making Tullamore a better place for people to live, work, bank and even pray in. In 2018 he was awarded the Offaly Person of the Year Award. John Flanagan was a realist in the Lemass mode. His focus was on getting things done. At the time Lemass came to be Taoiseach in 1959 John Flanagan was just 28 years old. It was ten more years, in 1968-9, before he got his first major break with the purchase of the Tanyard Lane property in Tullamore from the P.&H. Egan liquidator. The Bridge House, also owned by the Egan firm, was bought soon after by Christy Maye, and thirty years on Tullamore had two fine hotels, developed by the new entrepreneurs of the 1960s and 1970s, on lands that had been part of Egan’s extensive portfolio.
Perhaps John Flanagan’s greatest achievement was the building of Tullamore Court Hotel. Great in that it was against the odds and had been talked about in Tullamore for twenty years, but nothing had been done by way of building a hotel worthy of the county town.
As long ago as 1977 the Midland Tribune in a review of Tanyard Industrial Estate, Tullamore commented that John Flanagan was a man whose vision and initiative has given the Tanyard its new lease of industrial life. John Flanagan had by then been 24 years a-building, and so successfully that his building firm was one of the best-known contracting firms in the Midlands.
He established his own offices in Tanyard Lane (modest of course with no frills) and almost immediately set about using some of the six-acre site to provide facilities for other local people to set up in business and projects of various kinds. Some of the buildings on the property were suitable for conversion to new usage but John Flanagan also embarked on his own programme of factory construction. He subsequently purchased other premises in the same area from Egan Tarleton. The whole area was redeveloped in the 1990s and has emerged as a retail sector and residential sector in Tullamore, well adapted to the changing economy. It is now linked via the new road beside the Lidl development at Church Road, something that had not been envisaged when the row went on about parking in O’Connor Square and access for Tanyard businesses.
John Flanagan was awarded the Offaly Person of the Year recognition in 2018.
The citation was read by Mrs Connie Hanniffy, the first woman county councillor in Offaly. The citation provides a useful summary of John Flanagan’s achievements. Mrs Hanniffy stated that the award:
goes to a man who has made an outstanding contribution to the business, commercial and political life of Tullamore, Offaly and the wider Midlands over a lifetime spanning almost nine decades. The year 2017 marked the 20th anniversary of the opening of his landmark Tullamore Court Hotel. It was also the 40th anniversary of the founding of Tullamore Chamber of Commerce of which he served as first President.
John Flanagan was born in 1931 into to a small farming family in Cappincur, outside Tullamore, he received his education at the long forgotten Meelaghans N.S. Like the majority of his friends, his schooling ceased at the tender age of 13 when he began working for local farmers. Aged 15, he secured a position with his uncle, John Colgan, a small builder. He recalled: “That job started me on my path in the construction business. I liked it so much I decided to stay with it.”
A year later began his plastering apprenticeship with contractors Duffy & Heffernan in Tullamore. When qualified he took the brave decision to set up on his own. John Flanagan recalled that the 1950s and early 1960s was a lean period in construction in Ireland. But luck knocked on his door when he secured a maintenance contract for the then Salts Ireland factory in Kilcruttin. That contract led to further work at connecting firms in Mountmellick, Chapelizod and on the Longmile Road in Dublin. As the 1960s rolled on his firm completed many local authority housing schemes, most noticeably Kearney Park and Ardan View in Tullamore and Beechmount Park in Mucklagh.
The 1970s brought contracts from further afield such as AT Cross in Ballinasloe, Turin Church outside Mullingar and the construction of a host of premises for the Midland Health Board and the IDA throughout the region. While his industrial estate has been steadily expanding, so too had his own business as a contractor. In the 1970s his major undertakings had included construction of R.T.E transmitting Station at Ballycommon; Tullamore Vocational School; the Post Office in Portlaoise; Farm Centres in Edenderry and Portlaoise; Housing Carlow (a scheme of 57 houses); factories for Messrs Paul and Vincent; in Tullamore and Irish Cables, Athlone.
Jobs in hand [in the late 1970s] included a scheme of 40 houses in Clara for Offaly County Council; the Bank of Ireland premises at Bridge St. O’Connor Sq. Tullamore; a Welfare Home in Edenderry; reconstruction work at St. Loman’s Hospital, Mullingar.
Mr Flanagan – who for a significant period Chairman of Banagher Concrete and was active in the formation of a Chamber of Commerce in Tullamore. JF was the inaugural President of that body, serving as it still does, the industrial and commercial life of the town and district.
With the expansion of the business and his hands-on approach to every job, one of the wisest decisions he noted was to ask Quantity Surveyor, Stephen Ahern to come on board. He recalled, ‘We worked well together because we concerned ourselves over totally different aspects of the business.’
As if he hadn’t enough on his plate he became deeply involved in the campaign to save Tullamore General Hospital when it was threatened with downgrading. [This campaign was successful and thirty years later an extensive new hospital was completed on the same site.] From the Save the Hosptial campaign Tullamore Chamber of Commerce was established in 1977 with JF serving as its first President.
Following the destruction of the Church of the Assumption by fire in 1983, the Flanagan firm was successful in securing the contract for its reconstruction. The work took over 22 months to complete. JF considered this the most challenging though rewarding project of his long career.
At the building of the new Catholic church in Tullamore in late 1984, following on the fire of 31 10 1983. John Flanagan on extreme right and his beloved foreman, Jim Larkin, second from right. He had a great and appreciated team of workers.
John Flanagan recalled with fondness one Italian entrepreneur who established a cheese making business but was forced to cease production after just two years. He owed substantial back rent and to settle matters he approached John Flanagan and offered a large fridge as payment. The offer was accepted and a short time later he was approached by the late Seamus Carroll for use of the fridge to start a frozen meats business from the shed in his back garden at Marian Place. Seamus said he wouldn’t be able to pay for the fridge straight away but would do so when his venture was up and running. That was the beginnings of Carroll Meats, now Carroll Cuisine, and JF confesses that in later years he has always being successful in securing tickets to All-Ireland finals!
Aware of the need for further such units in the area, luck again knocked on his door when in 1985 he purchased the Salts Ireland Factory premises, now Kilcruttin Centre.
He recalled, ‘My wife, Kitty and I walked around the factory and she pointed out the exact position of the machine she had worked on when she was employed there.’
He was elected to Offaly County Council as a Fianna Fail representative in the mid-1980s and served as a member of Tullamore Urban District Council and the Midland Health Board. He served as chairman from 1998 to 1999. At the end of his political career he was the longest serving member of Offaly Co. Council.
Well known and all now departed friends in Fianna Fáil, Tom Feighery and E.J. Dooley
One of the many projects he involved himself with at council level was the development of a marina at Shannon Harbour. He became aware through contacts in Shannon Development that funding was available for the project. Heeding the characteristic solid advice of the then Minister Brian Cowen and through the assistance of then County Manager, Niall Sweeney, Bord na Mona and Waterways Ireland what resulted is a magnificent harbour not known by many. However, he was unsure what councillors from the south and west Offaly area thought of his meddling in their electoral area!
His interests in construction diversified into property development and the firm went on to build a host of housing schemes including Glenfircal, Roselawn, Clonminch Wood and Ballin Ri as well as projects in Roscrea, Nenagh, Carlow, Kildare, Portlaoise, Mullingar and Kilkenny.
At the Christmas Crib about 1990 with Fr Willie Cleary, councillors, county manager and members of Junior Chamber.
He was instrumental in the development of a number of other successful companies included Banagher Concrete, set up in partnership with another recipient of the Offaly Person of the Year Award, Kieran Keenaghan and Glenwood Tullamore, established in co-operation with Barney Glennon and Jim Ryan.
He also made a foray into the world of media in the early 1990s and was one of the founding directors of Midlands Radio 3 and indeed was the figure who insisted that its headquarters be based in Tullamore.
John Flanagan had long seen the need for a major hotel in Tullamore and his dream became a reality in November 1997 with the official opening of the Tullamore Court Hotel by then Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern (Jan. 1998) The hotel has thrived in the intervening 20 [now nearing thirty] years and has provided steady employment in the region as well as generating substantial business in the town and surrounds.’
With Deputy Connolly – later a minister and a good friend to development in Offaly. He was elected to the Dáil in 1969. Ger Connolly died in January 2024 (see the obit. by Seamus Dooley in this blog series).
Typical of his hands-on approach, as the hotel was being built a sub-contractor not familiar with the locality noticed him in discussion with Simon Farrell of Glenwood. When he walked away the sub-contractor asked Simon, ‘Who’s your man who’s always floating around the place?’ When Simon explained he was the hotel owner, the sub-contractor replied, ‘Yeah, and I’m Santa Clause.’
Throughout his business life, the 2017 Offaly Person of the Year award recipient is proud of his good relationships with those who worked with him, some of whom were with him join in the 2018 celebration. An impressive no strike record and no serious accidents at any of his firms despite the dangerous nature of construction and development. [For more on John Flanagan’s attitude to doing business see his interview with Paula Nolan on the Humans of Offaly Facebook page posted this week]
John Flanagan maintained a lifelong commitment to community groups from his involvement as a young man with GAA clubs in Cappincur and Tullamore to a seldom mentioned period as a valued member of St Colmcille’s Pipe Band. He was a key promoter of St Mary’s Youth and Community Centre which continues to play an all-important role in youth affairs in Tullamore today.
Durrow High Cross Committee in the 1990s. The failure to complete the works in Durrow demonstrates the significant loss of political clout in Offaly in the post 2011 period. Not something that would have pleased JF
A lifelong teetotaller, John Flanagan’s main social outlet was golf. He had been a keen playing member of Tullamore Golf club for many years and served as Club Captain.
John Flanagan was predeceased by his beloved wife Catherine (Kitty), daughter Annette, son Enda and his brother Jim. His surviving family is comprised of May, Rosaleen, Kathryn, John, Majella and Tony, daughters-in-law Lucy and Fiona, his adored grandchildren and great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, relatives, neighbours and many friends. John Flanagan will be greatly missed in Tullamore where he was known to everybody and his promotion of the town and its people greatly appreciated.
When Offaly History posted a notice of John Flanagan’s death on 9 May some of the many comments included the following:
With his visionary and well crafted developments at Hayes Cross, the Court Hotel, Roselawn, the Axis Business Park and so many other schemes around the town, Johnny made an extraordinary and singular impact on the face and life of Tullamore. No one who met him will forget his charm, wit, wisdom and generosity
I remember seeing Johnny in the Court Hotel when I was having coffee with my mother who was 99 at the time. Johnny took the time to come over to say hello to her and chat a while which cheered my mother up enormously. In spite of his success, he was always a man of the people and he contributed much to Tullamore. RIP Johnny!
Rest in Peace Johnny back with your beloved Kitty. My deepest Condolences to his family. Johnny was a great friend to myself and my late husband during our many stays in the TCH a family friend of my father’s family. Will be much missed.
John Flanagan was one of the few people who can accurately described as unique, Driven, wise, stubborn in his determination and utterly committed to the causes he embraced Johnny was generous with his time and talents. On a personal and professional level I owe him much but in that I’m not unique. Many people can steer to his loyal friendship. Condolences to his family.
The old church of 1775 in the grounds of the new Axis Business Park of 2007 gets some oversight. Never a nail or a brick was wasted by JF.
John Flanagan might well have said since 2011 ‘Whither Tullamore’. Now departed the scene his wise counsel will be missed at the many local bodies he served on. A long life well lived in the service of his town and his country. We extend our sympathy to his family and friends.
Reposing at O’Reilly’s Funeral Home, Harbour Street, Tullamore (R35FC84) on Sunday from 3pm until Removal at 6.30pm to The Church of The Assumption, Tullamore. Funeral Mass on Monday morning at 10am, followed by Burial after Mass in Clonminch Cemetery, Tullamore
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