Pat Flanagan (Gaelic footballer)

{{Infobox Gaelic games manager

| image =

| name = Pat Flanagan

| irish = Pádraig Ó Flanagáin

| birth_date =

| birth_place =

| death_date =

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| nickname =

| feet =

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| sport = Gaelic football

| clyears =

| club =

| winningclubs = Kilbeggan Shamrocks
Padraig Pearses

| clallireland =

| clprovince = 1

| clcounty =

| county = Westmeath
Sligo
Offaly

| icyears = 2010–2013
2013–2014
2014–2017

| winningcounties =

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}}

Pat Flanagan is a Gaelic football manager and former player. Since 2018 he has managed Roscommon GAA club Padraig Pearses.

Flanagan played for the Offaly football team. He previously managed Westmeath, Sligo and Offaly.

Early life

Born in Clara, County Offaly.

Management career

Flanagan managed Kilbeggan Shamrocks to the 2000 Westmeath Intermediate Football Championship title.{{cite news|url=https://www.westmeathindependent.ie/2020/09/24/looking-back-on-westmeath-intermediate-finals-past/|title=Looking back on Westmeath intermediate finals past|date=24 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201006153359/https://www.westmeathindependent.ie/2020/09/24/looking-back-on-westmeath-intermediate-finals-past/|archive-date=6 October 2020}}

=Westmeath=

Flanagan served as a selector under Westmeath senior football team manager Tomás Ó Flatharta. In April 2010, Flanagan was appointed after Brendan Hackett resigned due to a disastrous league campaign with the team being relegated to Division 3.{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/westmeath-manager-hackett-steps-down-1.1245820|title=Westmeath manager Hackett steps down|date=17 April 2010|newspaper=The Irish Times|accessdate=30 May 2020}}{{cite news|url=http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/championship/2010/0421/westmeath_flanaganp.html|title=Pat Flanagan takes control of Westmeath|publisher=RTÉ|date=21 April 2010|accessdate=21 April 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100423073436/http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/championship/2010/0421/westmeath_flanaganp.html|archive-date=23 April 2010|url-status=dead}} Flanagan was initially appointed as interim manager in April 2010.{{cite news|url=https://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/2010/04/28/pat-flanagan-appointed-as-interim-football-manager/|title=Pat Flanagan appointed as interim football manager|work=Westmeath Examiner|date=28 April 2010}}{{cite news|url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/football/2010/0421/264113-westmeath_flanaganp/|title=Pat Flanagan takes control of Westmeath|publisher=RTÉ|date=21 April 2010}}{{cite news|url=https://www.hoganstand.com/article/index/150544|title=Pat Flanagan takes up football reins|work=Hogan Stand|date=30 April 2010}}

He was then given unanimous support to continue; though Flanagan asked for a two-year term, this was not granted as county bye-laws had it that the manager must be ratified every year.{{cite news|url=https://www.westmeathindependent.ie/2010/09/02/flanagan-appointed-as-westmeath-senior-and-u21-manager/|title=Flanagan appointed as Westmeath senior and U21 manager|work=Westmeath Examiner|date=2 September 2010}}

The year 2011 proved to be a great improvement as Weatmeath qualified all the way to promotion to Division 3 where the faced Leinster finalists Louth. The game turned out to be very tense as both teams performed well; however, Louth ran out winners by a scoreline Louth 1-15 Westmeath 0-13. 2013 proved to be the best success as The Lake County gained promotion to Division 1 for the first time since 2008 despite narrowly losing to opponents Derry. Flanagan's team were then throttled by Dublin in the Championship, prompting the manager to express concern about the ever increasing gulf opening up between counties.{{cite news|url=http://www.hoganstand.com/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=193534|title=Flanagan concerned about widening gulf in class|work=Hogan Stand|date=2 June 2013|accessdate=2 June 2013}}

In September 2013, the Westmeath County Board informed Flanagan that he would be let go from his post due lack of achievements.{{cite news|url=http://www.breakingnews.ie/sport/gaa/flanagan-frustrated-with-westmeath-county-board-606849.html|title=Flanagan frustrated with Westmeath County Board|publisher=BreakingNews.ie|date=13 September 2013|accessdate=13 September 2013}} Flanagan said he was confused by the actions of the Westmeath County Board as he had achieved promotion to Division 1 and been told that he had been given a two-year extension as manager the previous year, only to then be told while on holiday that he would have to interview to continue in the role.{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/regionals/herald/sport/gaa/axed-flanagan-hurt-over-baffling-westmeath-exit-29574421.html|title=Axed Flanagan hurt over 'baffling' Westmeath exit|publisher=Independent.ie|first=Frank|last=Roche|date=1 September 2013}}

=Sligo=

On 25 November 2013, Flanagan was ratified for one term as manager of the Sligo senior team, succeeding Kevin Walsh.{{cite news|url=http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/football/2013/1125/489080-flanagan-confirmed-as-new-sligo-boss/|title=Pat Flanagan confirmed as new Sligo boss|publisher=RTÉ|date=25 November 2013|accessdate=25 November 2013}}{{cite news|url=http://www.hoganstand.com/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=205326|title=Flanagan is new Sligo manager|work=Hogan Stand|date=25 November 2013|accessdate=25 November 2013}}

=Offaly=

On 30 October 2014, Flanagan was ratified as manager of both the Offaly senior and under-21 teams.{{cite news|url=https://www.hoganstand.com/article/index/226834|title=Flanagan ratified as new Offaly manager|work=Hogan Stand|date=30 October 2014|quote=Pat Flanagan was ratified as the new Offaly senior and U21 football manager at a special county board meeting tonight.}}{{cite news|url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/football/2014/1031/655953-flanagan-to-guide-offaly-forward/|title=Pat Flanagan to guide Offaly football forward|publisher=RTÉ|date=31 October 2014|quote=Pat Flanagan was ratified as Offaly senior and under-21 football manager at a meeting of the county board on Thursday night.}}

Flanagan's wife informed him that he had been sacked as Offaly manager in 2017 after she saw it posted on Twitter.{{cite news|url=https://www.the42.ie/offaly-gaa-pat-flanagan-football-3482896-Jul2017/|title=Offaly boss learned he was axed after his wife saw the news on social media|publisher=The42.ie|date=7 July 2017}}{{cite news|url=https://www.hoganstand.com/article/index/272691|title=Pat Flanagan found out he had been axed by Offaly after his wife told him|work=Hogan Stand|date=7 July 2017}}{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/flanagan-learned-of-offaly-axing-after-wife-saw-it-on-twitter-35904283.html|title=Flanagan learned of Offaly axing after wife saw it on Twitter|work=Irish Independent|first=Jackie|last=Cahill|date=7 July 2017}}

=Padraig Pearses=

Flanagan took control of Roscommon GAA club Padraig Pearses in 2018.

He expressed interest in the Roscommon senior football team managerial vacancy in August 2022, following Anthony Cunningham's departure, and was nominated by Padraig Pearses having led them to the Connacht Senior Club Football Championship the previous year, while also denying interest in the Longford senior football team managerial vacancy following Billy O'Loughlin's departure.{{cite news|url=https://www.hoganstand.com/Article/Index/324713|title=Flanagan admits Roscommon interest|work=Hogan Stand|date=22 August 2022}}{{cite news|url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/football/2022/0822/1317084-flanagan-confirms-nomination-for-roscommon-post/|title='They know my CV' — Flanagan confirms nomination for Roscommon post|publisher=RTÉ|date=22 August 2022}}{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/pat-flanagan-nominated-for-roscommon-football-job-as-he-dismisses-link-with-longford-41928123.html|title=Pat Flanagan nominated for Roscommon football job as he dismisses link with Longford|work=Irish Independent|first=Frank|last=Roche|date=22 August 2022}}

After Davy Burke was appointed to the Roscommon managerial vacancy, Flanagan quit as Pearses manager in November 2022, after five seasons.{{cite news|url=https://hoganstand.com/Article/Index/325884|title=Flanagan steps down as Pearses manager|work=Hogan Stand|date=28 November 2022}}