My ancestors - Flanagan - Contents

The Bird Flanagan in popular culture

The Bird Flanagan has entered popular culture.

The Bird has become a Dublin legend, and a fixture in writing on Dublin in the old times.
Myles na gCopaleen writing in 1962 already described The Bird as a man "who seemed to be the sum of a Dublin that no longer exists".

Irish Times statue

The Irish Times produced a completely inaccurate but hilarious statue of The Bird in 1994.

The Irish Times statue of The Bird.
See full size and other angle and close-up.

The Irish Times statue of The Bird.
See full size and other shot.

"Declan's Finnians" leprechaun figure

Making the Irish Times statue look accurate, the "Declan's Finnians" range of figurines introduced a completely random leprechaun figure, "Bird Flanagan the Vet" (or other search) in 1999.

"Bird Flanagan the Vet".
From here. Formerly here.
Also here.

"The Bird Flanagan" pub, Rialto

"The Bird Flanagan" pub is at 471-477 South Circular Rd (just S of Portmahon House), Rialto, Dublin 8. See street view.
Formerly "The County Bar".
Renamed "The Bird Flanagan" late 1980s.

Irish Times, 19 Dec 1998 has a "Bird Flanaganesque" story of an attempted robbery at the pub in 1996. A 58 year-old Englishman, who was waiting for a hip replacement, threatened a member of the bar staff with a knife and demanded money. He tried to use a taxi as his getaway vehicle. "Mr Bernard Condon, defending, said that his client was beaten severely by the staff and had to get 12 stitches to the side of his face before being taken to a Garda station."

"The Bird Flanagan" pub, Rialto.
Photo 2007. See full size and other shot.
See also photo by Michael Peevey.
See 2014 close-up.

Sign on "The Bird Flanagan" pub, Rialto.
Showing the Bird pretending to steal a turkey.
Photo 2007. See larger and full size.

"The Bird and the Turkey". Sketch by Mary O'Carroll, 1987.
In "The Bird Flanagan" pub, Rialto.
Showing the Bird pretending to steal a turkey.
Photo 2007. See larger and full size.

The bar in the Gresham Hotel was called "The Bird Flanagan". Think now renamed.
The Gresham Hotel bar developed a menu item called Bird Flanagan Potato Pancakes.
See 2024 photo of a panel depicting The Bird on a hoarding around the derelict Glebe House, Crumlin.
Apparently there is or was a "Bird Flanagan" estate and pub somewhere on the Shannon, possibly Killaloe, Co.Clare.