Professor Patrick O'Flanagan

Professor Patrick O'Flanagan 
Telephone Number:   00 353 21 490 2517/2888  
Email: p.oflanagan@ucc.ie

Profile

In brief my research interests focus upon the cultural and Historical Geography of Atlantic Europe over the past five centuries.  Comparative research on the evolution of port cities, production and trading systems, as well as, settlement networks and merchant communities figure among my key research interests in historical geography. Rural change, housing and settlement studies, the transformation of marginal areas especially uplands and coastal areas have been amongst my leading activities related to modern issues. Most of my contemporary research has a strong field base in Ireland and especially throughout Atlantic Iberia with particular reference to Portugal, Atlantic Andalucia, Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria and Castilla - Leon, Vascongadas, the Iberian island archipelagoes and Ireland. In the longer time framework my research also contains a strong comparitive foundation. [Further details below]

Research 

The Atlantic port city in a cross cultural context 
The cultural geography of merchant communities in Atlantic port cities 
Cultural landscapes and the cultural regions of Atlantic Iberia 
Small scale farming societies in Atlantic Europe 
The common lands of Atlantic Europe 
The geography of proto-industrialization

Outline of ongoing and recently completed work

• The evolution and consolidation of cities and city regions throughout northern Atlantic Iberia in the post "Discoveries" period is a major ongoing research project. In this work attention is rivetted on the enabling processes which facilitated the linking of the coastal port cities with manufacturing and re-distributive centres in the interior and their extensive but their often growing and sometimes declining hinterlands. Work is also ongoing on the Atlantic credentials of Iberia's port cities some of which has been recently published.

• A longer term project is research which examines the Atlantic heritage of Galicia within the wider context of Atlantic Europe. The geographical implications of proto - industrialization has been a theme of long term interest and involvement. Specifically, I have been investigating the evolution and consolidation of Galicia's role as Europe's premier fishing region today. In an attempt to conduct this review I have attempted to modify some of the central tenets of the theory of proto - industrialization to a geographical contextualization and to adapt these ideas to a situation dealing with the transformation of a primary product. More recently I have extended this work to northern Portugal and the rest of northern Atlantic Spain.

• Having visited Atlantic Iberia for the first time in the early 196O's, I was deeply impressed by the nature of rural economic and territorial organization. It drew me quickly to the research work of Abel Bouhier, Estyn Evans and Orlando Ribeiro. It gave me a life long interest in minifundist agriculture and the societies that it has sustained over time. In this context I have been conducting comparative research on landholding, settlement and changing rural economic structures in Ireland and northern Atlantic Iberia from the early seventeenth century to the present day.

• Ecocide: For many years I have been fascinated by the management problems associated the upland margins of the Atlantic world of Europe. Some of these problems became especially acute from the mid- 198O as a consequence of the repeated outbreaks of forest and scrub fires especially in upland contexts and often in more marginal lowland parts of Atlantic Iberia. Research has identified multiple origins of incendiarism in these contexts and my published papers have demonstrated the complex origins and outcomes of deliberately initiated fires. Degradation of all kinds has been a recurrent consequence.

• Historical Geography{Xeografia Historica de Galicia}.This work is focussed upon a thematic introduction to the historical geography of one of Europe's least understood regions. The leading elements of Galicia's principal cultural landscapes are identified and interpreted within Atlantic and Iberian contexts. The book, written in Gallego, is one of the few regional historical geographies available for any Iberian region and it is the only one published which relates to a wider Galicia.

Articles

Incendiarism o ecocidio en la Iberia Atlantica ? La transformacion del paisaje a causa del fuego: Reflejo de los problemas socio-economicos",Poligonos(Leon),7,1997,pp.77- 96. The transformation of rural areas in Atlantic Europe. Incendarism in Iberia and overgrazing in Ireland, pp.35-47 of J.Soumagne(ed.),Les Nouveax Espaces Ruraux de L' Europe Atlantique, Hommage au Professeur Beteille, Maison des Sciences de l'Homme et de la Societe, Universitie de Potiers, ITEEM- ICOTEM, Poitiers,2OOO Galicia en el marco geográfico y histórico de la Europa Atlántica, Xeográfica, I.,2001, pp. 115-133, Santiago de Compostela.

A clasificacao de áreas rurais.  Que valor?  Revista da Facultade de Letras - Geografia, I série, vol.xvii-xviii, pp. 63-64, Porto, Portugal.

The Irish community at Cadiz during the eighteenth century (with J. Walton), pp. 89-119 of Surveying Ireland's Past, ed H. Clarke et al., Dublin 2004.

Publications

"The central lowlands of Ireland - An empty heartland?", Journal of the Old Athlone Society, Vol. 1, No. 3, 1972-73, pp. 127-133.

“Planning for modernization in rural Galicia", Journal of the Iberian Social Studies Association, Vol. 4, No. 2, 1975, pp. 62-74.

"Placenames as sources for cultural landscape studies", North Munster Antiquarian Journal, Vol. 28, 1976, pp. 61-70.

"The changing population structure of Galicia, 1900 - 1970 and its implications for development", Journal of the Iberian Social Studies Association, Vol. 5, No. 2, 1976, pp. 61-81.

"Social and political organization in Galicia - A spatial unconformity, Finisterra”, Revista Potuguesa de Geografia, Lisboa, 1978, pp. 77-101.

"Growth poles, regional growth axes and regional planning in Galicia, Spain", Tidjschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografe, Vol. 70, No. 4, Nijmegen, Holland, 1979, pp.

"Colonization and County Cork's changing cultural landscape". Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society, Vol. 88, No. 239, Pt. 1, 1979, pp. 1-14.

"Agrarian structures in North Western Iberia, Responses and their implications for development", Geoforum, Vol. 2, No. 2, London, 1980, pp. 157-170.

"Surveys, maps and the study of rural settlement development" in D.Ó Corráin (ed.), Irish Antiquity: Essays and Studies Presented to M.J. O'Kelly, Cork, 1981, pp. 320-326.

"Land reform and rural modernization in Spain", Erkunde (Bonn), Bande 36, 1982, pp. 48-53.

"Rural change south of the river Bride in counties Cork and Waterford, 1716-1851", Irish Geography, Vol. 15, 1982, pp. 51-69.

"Organización social e organización política en Galicia: As suas contradicions", Solaina, Vol. 2, 1983, pp. 37-48.

"Settlement Development and Trading in Ireland, 1600-1800", in T.M. Devine (ed.), Ireland and Scotland, 1600-1800, Edinburgh, 1983, pp. 146-151.

"Galicia and the Minho”, The Geographical Magazine, Vol. 72, No. 2, 1985, pp. 90-95.

"Markets and fairs in Ireland, 1600-1800: Index of economic development and regional growth", Journal of Historical Geography, Vol. 11. No. 4, 1985, pp. 364-378.

"Development Problems, Regional Planning and its Implications for Atlantic Iberia", in D.Ó. Cearbhaill (ed.), New Approaches to the Development of Marginal Regions, Vol. I, Regional Policy Issues", Galway, 1986, pp. 222-251.

"Placenames and Change in the Irish Landscape", in W. Nolan (ed.), The Shaping of Ireland: The Geographical Perspective, Cork, 1986, pp. 111-122.

"Urban Minorities and Majorities: Catholics and Protestants in Munster Towns c. 1659-1850", in W.J. Smyth and K. Whelan (ed.), Common Ground: Essays on the Historical Geography of Ireland, Cork, 1987, pp. 124-147.

"Cambios socio-económicos y territoriales en el medio rural de la Europa atlántica", in R. Rodríguez-Martínez Conde y M. Villarino Pérez, (ed.), Actas de la 11 Reunión de Geografía Industrial (A.G.E.), Santiago de Compostela, 1988, pp. 54-65.

"Housing outside Irish towns. An analysis of household characteristics, motivations and preferences", Planail - The Journal of the Irish Planning Institute, Vol. 8, 1988, pp. 30-39 (with D. Storey).

"Geografía del medio ambiente: Perspectivas del mundo celta y anglosajón", in P. Maestro, X.M. Souto y otros, ¿Qué Geografía enseñar? Generalitat de Valencia, Valencia, 1988, pp. 133-140.

"¿Que geografía enseñar?", in P. Maestro, X.M, Souto y otros, ¿Qué Geografía enseñar?, Generalitat de Valencia, Valencia, 1988, pp. 141-150.

"Bandon in the eighteenth century. The view from a terrier and a survey", Bandon Historical Journal, Vol. 5, 1989, pp. 48-59.

"Housing, settlement and society in county Cork: A profile analysis", Geoforum, Vol. 20, No. 3, 1989, pp. 272-292.

"La geografía histórica de Galicia: Una aproximación", in Xunta de Galicia, Actas, Congreso Internacional da Cultura Gallega, 1991, Santiago de Compostela, 1993, pp. 137-145.

"Three hundred years of urban life. Villages and towns in County Cork, c.1600-1900", in P. O'Flanagan and N. Buttimer (ed.), Cork History and Society, Cork, 1993, pp. 391-468.

"Grandes caminos, sociedades, paisajes y ciudades. Un estudio comparativo", in M.P. Torres Luna, A. Pérez Alberti y R. Lois Gonzales (ed.), Los caminos de Santiago y el territorio, Santiago de Compostela, 1993, pp. 501-513.

"Surveys, maps and the sudy of rural settlement development", in D.Ó Corráin (ed.), Irish Antiquity, Dublin, 1994, pp. 320-326.

"Bandon", in A. Simms and J.H. Andrews ed., Irish County Towns, Cork, 1994, pp. 83-97.

"Grandes caminos, a Ruta de la Seda e o Camino de Santiago. Sociedades, paisaxes e cidades", in M.P. Torres Luna, A. Pérez Alberti y R. Lois González (ed.), Os Caminos de Santiago e o Territorio, Santiago de Compostela, 1994, pp. 541- 552.

"The concerns of Irish local and regional studies: A geographical perspective", Newsletter, Group for the Study of Irish Historic Settlement, No. 5, 1995, pp. 7-8.

"Bandon", Irish Historic Towns Atlas, Vol. 1, Royal Irish Academy, Dublin, 1996.

"Cambio regional y rural en Irlanda", Carta Económica Regional, 9, No. 52, pp. 39-44, Instituto de Estudios Regionales, Universidad de Guadalajara, México, 1996.

"La relaciones entre la vivienda y el territorio en las áreas de influencia de las ciudades puerto de la Europa atlántica", Departamento de Xeografía da Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Dinámica litoral-interior, Vol. 2, Asociación de Geógrafos Españoles, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago, 1997, pp. 679-684.

"¿Incendiarism o ecocidio en la Iberia atlántica? La transformación del paisaje a causa del fuego: Reflejo de los problemas socio-económicos", Polígonos (León), 7, 1997, pp.77-96.

“The Cork Region” Cork and County Cork, c.1600-c.1900, pp.1-18, Perspectives on Cork, ed. B. Brunt and K. Hourihan, Geographical Society of Ireland, Special Publication No. 10, Dublin,1998.

“The transformation of rural areas in Atlantic Europe. Incendiarism in Iberia and overgrazing in Ireland”, pp. 35-47 of J. Soumagne (ed.), Les Nouveax Espaces Ruraux de L’Europe Atlantique, Hommage au Professeur Beteille, Maison des Sciences de l’Homme et de la Societe, Universitie de Potiers, (1999) ITEEM/ ICOTEM, Poitiers

‘Common lands, woodlands and incendiarism in Atlantic Iberia’, pp.67-74 of F.H.A. Aalen and Mark Hennessy(ed.), Proceedings of the European Permanent Conference for the Study of the Rural Landscape: Papers from the 17^th session, Trinity College, Dublin, 1966, Dublin, 2000.

“Galicia en el marco geográfico e histórico de la Europa Atlántica” pp. 115-133 Xeográfica: Revista de Geografía, Territorio y Medio Ambiente, Vol. 1, Santiago de Compostela, 2001.

“A classificação de áreas rurais. Que valor?”, Revista de Facultade de Letras-Geografia, Ist serie, vol. xvii-xviii, Oporto, 2001-2002, pp.53-64.

“The Irish Community in Cadiz during the eighteenth century”, with J. Walton, pp.89-119 of Ed. by H. Clarke et al, Surveying Ireland’s Past, Essays in Honour of Dublin, 2004.

Atlas of Cork City, Section 3, Transformation: A minor port town becomes a major port city, pp.99-176 of Ed. J. Crowley, R.Devoy, D. Linehan, and P’O’Flanagan, Cork, 2005.

‘A representation of the Blackwater Valley during the eighteenth century”, pp. 67-78 of Aurora, Vol. 1. Universidade do Minho, Guimarães, Portugal, 2006.

“Markets and fairs in Ireland, 1600-1800: Index of economic development and regional growth",pp. 364-378 of M.Casson, (ed.), Markets and Market Institutions. Their Origin and evolution,  chapter, 25, Markets, fairs and regional development, The International Library of Critical Writings in Economics Series, Ed. Elgar, Cheltenham, 2011.

“Migration ,Trade and the Atlantic port Cities”, pp.27 - 42 of Carola Hein, (ed.), Port Cities Dynamic Landscapes and Global Networks, Routledge,London, June, 2011.

“Sheep Transhumance Restoration. The Ebro Valley, Aragon, Spain”, with M.P.Errea Abad and T. Lasanta Martínez, in The Geographical Review, Vol. 101, No 4, 2011, pp. 556-575

“Small Holdings and Sustainable Family Farming in Galicia and Ireland”,  C. Ferras Sexto and P.O’Flanagan, NOROIS, no.224, 2012/2013,  pp. 61-76.

“Minifundismo and Rundale: Similar Complexes with Similar Oigins?”, Chapter 20, pp. 281-303 of  B. Almqvist, C. Mac Cártaigh, L. Mac Mathúna, S. Mac Mathúna and S. Watson (ed.), Atlantic Currents, Essays on Lore, Literature and Language. Essays in honour of
Séamas O Catháin, UCD Press,Dublin, 2012.

“William [Guillermo] Bowles : Geographer and Natural Scientist in Late Eighteenth Century Spain, Chapter 13, pp. xx of The Anvil,
(ed.), P.J. Duffy and W. Nolan Geography Publications,Dublin, 2012

“Atlas of Cork City” 2nd edition reprinted and revised, with John Crowley, Robert Devoy and Denis Linehan, 2011, Cork University Press,Cork

“Beef, butter, provisions and prosperity in a golden eighteenth century”, pp. 149-159 of J. Crowley, R.Devoy, D. Linehan, and P.O’Flanagan, Atlas of Cork City,Cork, 2011.

 

  

Books

"The Living Landscape, Kilgalligan, Erris, County Mayo", (with S. Ó Catháin), Dublin, 1974.

"Rural Ireland, 1600-1900: Modernization and Change", (Introduction with P. Ferguson and K. Whelan), Cork, 1987. and Introduction

"Bandon", Irish Historic Towns Atlas, No. 3, Ed. J.H. Andrews and A. Simms, Dublin, 1988.

“Cork, History and Society”, (Ed. with N. Buttimer), Cork, 1993.

“Irish Historic Towns Atlas”, Volume I. Bandon, Ed J.H. Andrews and A. Simms, Dublin, 1996.

“Xeografía Histórica de Galicia”, Ed. Xerais, Vigo, 1996.

“The Irish Community in the Basque Country during the Eighteenth Century”, A. Bilbao Acedos (Edited by P. O’Flanagan and J.Walton), Dublin, 2003

“Atlas of Cork City”, Section 3, Transformation: A minor port town becomes a major port city, pp.99-176 of Ed. P.O’Flanagan, with J. Crowley, R.Devoy and D. Linehan, Cork, 2005.

“Atlas of Cork City”, Editors, J. Crowley, R.Devoy, D Linehan and P.O’Flanagan, Cork University Press, Cork, 2005.

“Port Cities of Atlantic Iberia”, Ashgate, Aldershot, 2008.

 

Edited Atlases, Books and Monographs

‘Rural Ireland, 1600-1800: Modernization and Change’, with P. Ferguson and K.Whelan, Cork, 1987.

‘Cork History and Society’ with N.Buttimer, Dublin, 1993.

‘The Irish Community in the Basque Country during the Eighteenth Century’, A.Bilbao Acedos, Ed. P.O’Flanagan and J.Walton, Dublin, 2003.

“Atlas of Cork City”, with J.Crowley, R.Devoy and D.Linehan, Cork, 2005,

  

Chapters in Atlases and Books

"Surveys, maps and the study of rural settlement development" in D.Ó Corráin (ed.), Irish Antiquity: Essays and Studies Presented to M.J. O'Kelly, Cork, 1981, pp. 320-326.

Settlement Development and Trading in Ireland, 1600-1800", in T.M. Devine (ed.), Ireland and Scotland, 1600-1800, Edinburgh, 1983, pp. 146-151

"Development Problems, Regional Planning and its Implications for Atlantic Iberia", in D.Ó. Cearbhaill (ed.), New Approaches to the Development of Marginal Regions, Vol. I, Regional Policy Issues", Galway, 1986, pp. 222-251.

Urban Minorities and Majorities: Catholics and Protestants in Munster Towns c. 1659-1850", in W.J. Smyth and K. Whelan (ed.), Common Ground: Essays on the Historical Geography of Ireland, Cork, 1987, pp. 124-147.

“Beef, butter, provisions and prosperity in a golden age”, pp.391-468 of P. O’Flanagan and C.Buttimer ed. Cork : History and Society, Dublin, 1993.

“Surveys, maps and the study of rural settlement development", in D.Ó Corráin (ed.), Irish Antiquity , Dublin, 1994, pp. 320-326.

“Grandes caminos, a Ruta de la Seda e o Camino de Santiago. Sociedades, paisaxes e cidades” in M.P. Torres Luna, A. Pérez Alberti y R. Lois González (ed.), Os Caminos de Santiago e o Territorio, Santiago de Compostela, 1994, pp. 541- 552.

The Cork Region” Cork and County Cork, c.1600-c.1900, pp.1-18, Perspectives on Cork, ed. B. Brunt and K. Hourihan, Geographical Society of Ireland, Special Publication No. 10, Dublin, 1998.

“The transformation of rural areas in Atlantic Europe. Incendiarism in Iberia and overgrazing in Ireland”, pp. 35-47 of J. Soumagne (ed.), Les Nouveax Espaces Ruraux de L’Europe Atlantique, Hommage au Professeur Beteille, Maison des Sciences de l’Homme et de la Societe, Universitie de Potiers, (1999) ITEEM/ ICOTEM, Poitiers

“Common lands, woodlands, and incendarism in Atlantic Iberia”, pp.67-74 of F.H.A. Aalen and Mark Hennessy(ed.), Proceedings of the European Permanent Conference for the Study of the Rural Landscape: Papers from the 17^th session, Trinity College, Dublin, 1966, Dublin, 2000

“The Irish Community in Cadiz during the eighteenth century”, with J. Walton, pp.89-119 of Ed. by H. Clarke et al, Surveying Ireland’s Past, Essays in Honour of Dublin, 2004.

Atlas of Cork City, Section 3, Transformation: A minor port town becomes a major port city, pp.99-176 of Ed. P.O’Flanagan, J. Crowley, R.Devoy, D. Linehan, and P’O’Flanagan, Cork, 2005.

“Markets and fairs in Ireland, 1600-1800: Index of economic development and regional growth", pp.xx-xx of M.Casson, (ed.), Markets and Market Institutions. Their Origin and volution, chapter, 25, Markets, fairs and regional development, The International Library of Critical Writings in Economics Series, Ed. Elgar, Cheltenham, 2011.

“Migration ,Trade and the Atlantic port Cities”, pp. 7- 27 of Carola Hein, ed., Port Cities Dynamic Landscapes and Global Networks, Routledge, London, June, 2011.