Flannchad Ua hEolais (fl. 1101) was a twelfth century

scribe A scribe is a person who serves as a professional copyist, especially one who made copies of manuscripts before the invention of Printing press, automatic printing. The work of scribes can involve copying manuscripts and other texts as well as ...

and scholar at

Durrow Abbey Durrow Abbey is a historic site in Durrow, County Offaly in Ireland. It is located off the N52 some 5 miles from Tullamore. Largely undisturbed, the site is an early medieval monastic complex of ecclesiastical and secular monuments, visible an ...

Durrow, County Offaly Durrow () is a small rural village and townland in County Offaly, Ireland. Durrow is located on the N52 off the N6 road between Kilbeggan (in County Westmeath) and Tullamore (in County Offaly). Durrow Abbey, surrounded by woods, is one of ...

, Ireland. He was likely born, and lived his childhood, at '' Conmaicne Réin'', present day southern

County Leitrim County Leitrim ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht and is part of the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the village of Leitrim, County Leitr ...

. Flannchad moved to

County Offaly County Offaly (; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. It is named after the Ancient Ireland, ancient Kingdom of Uí ...

in adult life to become a ''scriba'' (scribe) at Durrow Abbey.

Life

Flannchad was a scholar and scribe at

. He wrote a document on a blank verso of the

Book of Durrow The Book of Durrow is an illuminated manuscript gospel book dated to that contains the Vulgate Latin text of the four Gospels, with some Irish variations, and other matter, written in Insular script, and richly illustrated in the style of Ins ...

. The text, in Irish and Latin, describes a resolution for some unrecorded dispute, supposedly agreed during the reign of

Muirchertach Ua Briain Muirchertach Ua Briain (anglicised as Murtaugh O'Brien; c. 1050 – c. 10 March 1119), son of Toirdelbach Ua Briain and great-grandson of Brian Boru, was King of Munster and later self-declared High King of Ireland. Background and early career ...

as high king of Ireland. That suggests Flannchad was active circa 1101AD. Flannchad was probably buried at Durrow monastery.

A great agreement (oentu) between Comgan and Columcille. ... It was given in the time of Muiredach mac meic Cormain and Muircheartach Ua Briain king of Ireland... Flannchad Ua hEolais was the scribe. (App. XXVII) " The settlement of disputes in early medieval Europe", Davies and Fouracre, 1992, p171

He possessed the rare 11-12th century "Ua hEolais" surname. A second scribe name, Ódhrán ua hEolais (d. 994 AD), recorded at

Clonmacnoise Clonmacnoise or Clonmacnois (Irish language, Irish: ''Cluain Mhic Nóis'') is a ruined monastery in County Offaly in Republic of Ireland, Ireland on the River Shannon south of Athlone, founded in 544 by Saint Ciarán of Clonmacnoise, Ciarán, ...

must be a relative. The family name originates from

Muintir Eolais The Muintir Eolais of Conmaicne Réin were nobles of Gaelic Ireland. For seven hundred years from the 8th century, they lived in and ruled an area roughly conterminous with present-day south County Leitrim. Their territory comprised the lands n ...

county Leitrim County Leitrim ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht and is part of the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the village of Leitrim, County Leitr ...

References

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Flannchad ua hEolais History of County Leitrim History of County Offaly 12th-century Irish people 11th-century births 12th-century deaths People from County Leitrim People from County Offaly Irish Christian monks People of Conmaicne Maigh Nissi