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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Irish name | Pól Ó Flanagáin | ||
| Sport | Hurling | ||
| Position | Right corner-back | ||
| Born |
16 September 1992 Ballyea, County Clare, Ireland | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||
| Occupation | Secondary school teacher | ||
| Club(s) | |||
| Years | Club | ||
|
Ballyea Clondegad | |||
| Club titles | |||
| Clare titles | 4 | ||
| Munster titles | 1 | ||
| All-Ireland Titles | 0 | ||
| Colleges(s) | |||
| Years | College | ||
2010-2014 | University of Limerick | ||
| College titles | |||
| Fitzgibbon titles | 0 | ||
| Inter-county(ies) | |||
| Years | County | ||
2013-2024 | Clare | ||
| Inter-county titles | |||
| Munster titles | 0 | ||
| All-Irelands | 2 | ||
| NHL | 2 | ||
| All Stars | 0 | ||
Paul Flanagan (born 16 September 1992) is an Irish hurler. At club he plays with Ballyea, while he had also previously lined out at inter-county level with various Clare teams.
Flanagan first played hurling to a high standard as a student at St. Flannan's College in Ennis. He lined out for the college in all grades, including the Harty Cup.[1] He later played with the University of Limerick in the Fitzgibbon Cup.[2]
At club level, Flanagan first played hurling at underage levels with Ballyea, while he also played Gaelic football with Clondegad. He enjoyed success as a minor hurler, before later being a dual medal-winner in the under-21 grades.[3] At adult level, Flanagan has also won a Clare IFC medal and four Clare SHC medals.[4] He was at centre-back when Ballyea were beaten by Cuala in the 2017 All-Ireland club final.[5]
Flanagan first appeared on the inter-county scene with Clare at minor level. He captained the team to a defeat by Kilkenny in the 2010 All-Ireland minor final.[6][7] Flanagan progressed to the under-21 team and won back-to-back All-Ireland U21HC medals in 2012 and as team captain in 2013.[8][9]
Flanagan was still eligible for the under-21 grade when he was also drafted onto the senior team. He was a non-used substitute when Clare beat Cork in a replay to win the All-Ireland SHC title in 2013.[10] He was also a member of the team that won the National League title in 2016.[11] Flanagan has remained a peripheral figure on the team, and only made his first championship start in 2022.[12]
On 21 July 2024, he was an unused substitute as Clare won the All-Ireland for the first time in 11 years after an extra-time win against Cork by 3-29 to 1-34, claiming their fifth All-Ireland title.[13][14][15]
On 27 September 2024, Flanagan announced his retirement from inter-county hurling.[16]
Flanagan has also become involved in team management and coaching as a teacher in Ardscoil Rís in Limerick. He was part of the management team that guided the school to Harty Cup titles in 2016 and 2018, before winning the All-Ireland Colleges SHC title in 2022.<ref>"Paul Flanagan: Next two weeks will tell where Clare hurlers are at". Irish Independent. 7 March 2023. Retrieved 19 June 2023.<