Puzzling the death of an abandoned baby

leck

A friend came across this when looking up records for the Flanagan surname. The name of the baby caught her eye.

The baby appears to have been abandoned at Bridewell Garda Station, and died at about 3 weeks. The death was certified at St James and registered in Dublin South in 1948.

The puzzle is how/why was the baby named Oliver Flanagan.

27 Feb 1948 St James Hosp
Oliver Flanagan, late Garda Barracks Bridewell
M
Bachelor
3 wks
Abandoned Infant
Prematurely? (or permanently?) Certified
R Mens? occupier St James Hosp
28 Feb 1948
DB Sullivan [registrar]

leck

Wonder was the baby alive and baptised after he was found at the barracks. And for some reason named after the fresh young TD from Laois? OJ would have been 27yo at the time.

The name is too much to be just a coincidence I think.

From Wikipedia:
"He [Oliver J. Flanagan] was first elected to Dáil Éireann as an Independent TD for the Laois–Offaly constituency at the 1943 general election — the third youngest person ever to have been elected to the Dáil at that time."

kildarejohn

leck wrote: »

Bachelor
3 wks
Abandoned Infant
Prematurely? (or permanently?) Certified

I think the "cause of death" should be read as "Prematurity, Certified"

leck

I found a burial in 1948 at Glasnevin that is probably the same child -- although the death cert says 3 wks and the cemetery record says 3 mths.

Wonder was there any protocol following at that time for naming abandoned children?

pinkypinky

Often named after the street they were found on.

leck

I thought maybe Oliver as it might be feast day - and then stuck Flanagan on as last name as he was so topical at the time. But feast day of St Oliver (Oliver Plunkett) is July 11.

I wonder were there any guidelines for naming abandoned children?

Coincidentally, today's Irish Times has an article on abandoned babies - https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/health-family/ireland-s-abandoned-babies-stories-of-unimaginable-fear-1.4134033