Humphrys genealogy

Genealogy research by Mark Humphrys.


My ancestors - Flanagan - Contents


Michael Flanagan

  

Michael Flanagan buried with his parents at Glasnevin Cemetery.
See full size.




Michael Flanagan,
born 24 September 1872, Portmahon House, Co.Dublin.
His father Alderman Michael Flanagan was a wealthy and successful market gardener, who ran a big Dublin business. He was a nationalist Dublin Corporation councillor and Alderman.
Michael's father was a religious Catholic, and went to mass daily.
The family home was a big house, Portmahon House, Rialto, Co.Dublin.

See Michael attending funeral of Laurence Dunne in 1886 with his father.
Michael wanted to be a solicitor, but his father wanted him to get involved in the farming.
Liam Cosgrave said: "Whatever else the sons were, none of them were farmers". The result was, like his brothers, he became a "gentleman".
Michael used play tennis with Irish player Joshua Pim, who won Wimbledon in 1893 and 1894. The story was (of course) that he could beat him.
Finola Flanagan heard that Michael travelled on business and spent time out of Ireland. Think he was in America. But he returned to Ireland and needed his father's financial support.
He is listed in 1901 census living at home with parents in Portmahon House. Occupation listed as "farmer's son", unmarried.

He had a relationship around 1904-1907 with Muriel Jackson [born 9 Apr 1882].
With her he had a secret family, whose existence was only uncovered in 2021.
He had 3 children with her. They were born in 1905, 1906 and 1907.
Their relationship probably ended before late 1910, when she was pregnant by another man.

His mother died in April 1910.
He is listed in 1911 census living at home with widowed father in Portmahon House. He is listed as an "agriculturalist" along with his father. Not married. Also living there are his brother Frank and sister Louisa.
He didn't marry.
His sister Louisa married W.T. Cosgrave (first prime minister of Ireland) in 1919.
Their son Liam Cosgrave (born 1920) recalled Michael Flanagan living at Portmahon House in the 1920s with father and Frank.

Michael dies, 1929:
He died before his father. He died of cancer of throat. They said "he didn't change his pipe" [Liam Cosgrave].
He died at Portmahon House, 19 Mar 1929, age 56 yrs.
See death cert from here. Lists him as bachelor, of independent means.
See item in Irish Independent, March 20, 1929.
Funeral 21 Mar 1929. Mass celebrated by Fr. Paddy Flanagan. Also present was Fr. John Flanagan.
He was bur with his mother at Glasnevin Cemetery. (Father buried there in 1931.)
See item in Evening Herald, March 21, 1929.
Identical item in Irish Independent, March 22, 1929.





Death of Michael Flanagan.
From Irish Independent, March 20, 1929.



Funeral of Michael Flanagan.
From Evening Herald, March 21, 1929.


  

Michael Flanagan had a secret family

I discovered in Oct 2021 that Michael Flanagan had a secret family with a Protestant woman called Muriel Jackson.


DNA matches

What first led me to this were the DNA results for my mother and for me.


Documents say it is Michael Flanagan

With the help of Mo Jackson, I got an outline of the Jackson family and it was immediately clear who the link was.


Conclusion

Michael Flanagan is father of Cecil and Ronald and Henry. This is now proved by DNA.
He is NOT father of Phyllis or Edna. This is now proved by DNA.

Cecil and Ronald and Henry are 1st cousins of my mother. That would sure explain the DNA matches!
They are also 1st cousins of the Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave.

We can only speculate as to why Michael did not marry Muriel:

  



Michael and Muriel's children

  
Michael Flanagan,
born 24 September 1872.
He had a relationship around 1904-1907 with Muriel Jackson [born 9 Apr 1882].
She was Church of Ireland. He was Catholic.
The 1911 census entry, claiming she is "married" 7 years, is evidence that their relationship started in 1904.
Michael and Muriel clearly never married. (Or else the 1911 census would use his real name not a fake name. And the children would be Flanagan.)
It is unclear how long they stayed together. By late 1910, she is pregnant with another man's child, so her relationship with Michael is probably over.
Michael and Muriel had issue (proved by DNA):


  1. Cecil Jackson,
    born 17 Mar 1905, 11 David Rd, Glasnevin, Co.Dublin.
    See birth cert from here. No father listed on birth cert.
    He was a bookmaker. See him renewing his bookmaker's licence in notice in Evening Herald, October 28, 1949. His address is given as 9 Somerset St.
    He mar Maura ----.
    Death cert says he is mechanic, of 88 Lr Mount St, Dublin.
    Though death notice says he is of 2 Connolly Gardens, Inchicore.
    He died 17 Aug 1956, Sir Patrick Dun's Hospital, Dublin, age 51 yrs. See death cert from here.
    See death notice in Evening Herald, August 18, 1956.
    Funeral Mon 20 Aug 1956, bur Mount Jerome Cemetery, Dublin.
    Maura fl 1956.
    They had issue:

    1. Peter Jackson.
      DNA match to me and my mother on Ancestry.


  2. Ronald Jackson,
    born Michael Ronald Jackson, 25 Mar 1906, 11 David Rd, Glasnevin, Co.Dublin.
    See birth cert from here. No father listed on birth cert.
    His mother died 1934.
    He lived at family home, 9 Somerset St, Ringsend.
    "Ml. Jackson" is listed at 9 Somerset St in [Thom's, 1939, p.1481] and [Thom's, 1945, p.1205] and [Thom's, 1951, p.1217]. Think entry actually shows his mother's old name.
    At mar he is "meter tester" for Dublin Corporation. Living 88 Lr Mount St, Dublin.
    He mar 2 Mar 1954 [him age 47, her age 29] to Eileen Goodman [Ellen Frances Goodman, born 30 May 1924, Dublin, dau of James Goodman].
    See mar cert. Gives him a fictional father of "John Jackson".
    They lived at 9 Somerset St.
    "Ml. Jackson" is listed at 9 Somerset St in [Thom's, 1958, p.898].
    He died 17 Dec 1972, age 66 yrs.
    He was bur Mount Jerome Cemetery, Dublin.
    Eileen lived at 9 Somerset St until her death 2002.
    Somerset St was always rented, never owned, but the family managed to stay there for 90 years.
    She died 20 Apr 2002, age 77 yrs.
    They had issue:

    1. Mo Jackson.
      DNA match to me and Michael Peevey on MyHeritage.
      She mar John O'Dwyer.


  3. Henry Jackson,
    Harry, born 19 Sept 1907, 4 Hendrick St, Dublin.
    Birth cert has him born Henry William Flanagan. Shows Michael Flanagan as father. See birth cert from here.
    Henry went to England.
    He mar 1939, London, to Josephine Doyle.
    They had issue:

    1. George Jackson.
      DNA match to me and Michael Peevey on MyHeritage.

    2. Gordon Jackson.
    3. John Jackson.

  
Muriel had further issue, for which Michael Flanagan is NOT the father.


Baronetcy story: The Alderman was apparently offered a baronetcy in 1900 if he would become Lord Mayor and receive a Royal visit, and he refused.
If he had accepted, he would have been the 1st Baronet.
To add a second hypothetical to that, if Michael here had married the mother of his sons, then the 2nd Baronet would have been in this line. And indeed the Baronetcy would still exist.
  


Birth cert of Cecil Jackson, 1905. No father listed.



Birth cert of Ronald Jackson, 1906. No father listed.



Birth cert of Henry Jackson, 1907. Father is given as Michael Flanagan.


  
Donation Drive

Please donate to support this site. I have spent a great deal of time and money on this research. Research involves travel and many expenses. Some research "things to do" are not done for years, because I do not have the money to do them.
Please Donate Here to support the ongoing research and to keep this website free.

Help       Conventions       Abbreviations       How to read the trees

Privacy policy       Adoption policy       Image re-use policy       New 250 G VPS server.