James W. Flannery

James W. Flannery (born Nov 8, 1936 in Hartford, CT) is a producer, stage director, singer, scholar, critic and Professor Emeritus at Emory College of Arts and Sciences in Atlanta. He is a specialist in the dramatic work of W.B. Yeats and is one of the leading interpreters of the art songs of Thomas Moore. In his 2022 autobiography, The Road To Riverdance, Whelan mentions that "some members of the company found Flannery's directorial style curious, but nobody could deny his deep knowledge (and zeal) for Yeats as a playwright."

In 1988 Flannery founded the W.B. Yeats Foundation at Emory University. He has garnered critical acclaim for his staging and directing of the plays of Yeats in America, Canada and Ireland.

Flannery maintains that Yeats' plays sought to inspire people to live "creative and abundant lives".

He is a talented tenor and is one of the foremost interpreters of the art songs of Thomas Moore and in 1997 published a book and recording titled, Dear Harp of My Country: The Irish Melodies of Thomas Moore.

He was a visiting professor at the University of Ulster, Northern Ireland in 2000 and 2001.

Personal life He married Ildiko Elizabeth Pokoly in 1964.

Honors He has been Winship Professor Emeritus of the Arts and Humanities at Emory University Emeritus College since 2016. He received honorary doctorates from Trinity College (Hartford) in 1991 and from the University of Ulster (Derry) in 2001. In the same year, for his many contributions to the Irish-American community, he was named the “Irishman of the Year” by the Hibernian Benevolent Society in Atlanta.

Irish America Magazine has listed him among the one hundred most distinguished Irish-Americans five times. 1970: Miss Horniman and the Abbey Theatre