He was likely born, and lived his childhood, at Conmaicne Réin, present day southern County Leitrim.
Flannchad moved to County Offaly in adult life to become a scriba (scribe) at Durrow Abbey.
The text, in Irish and Latin, describes a resolution for some unrecorded dispute, supposedly agreed during the reign of Muirchertach Ua Briain as high king of Ireland.
XXVII) [2] He possessed the rare 11-12th century "Ua hEolais" surname.
A second scribe name, Ódhrán ua hEolais (d. 994 AD), recorded at Clonmacnoise must be a relative.