Our 6 year old son Seamus is Michael Collins mad, he
simply loves him & is eager for any & all information about the man that he can get. Last Christmas while trying to explain to him about people not believing
in the same God nor believing in Christmas he piped up that he only believes in
three: Michael Collins, God & Johnny Cash are his Holy Trinity!!
I met my husband while we were both serving in the 7th
Field Artillery Regiment in McKee Barracks way back in 1997. We are both
interested in Irish military history, especially the 1916 Rising so that might
explain where he first got to learn of Michael Collins.
Earlier this year we watched a documentary on RTE, aired
as part of the Great Irish Journeys series. John Creedon retraced the Big Fella’s
last 24 hours in Cork. Seamus was so wowed by this that we decided we had to do
it ourselves to show him first hand.
Celtic
Ross Hotel, Rosscarbery West Cork
We stayed in a fabulous family run 3* hotel in West
Cork on the Wild Atlantic Way. This was an ideal base for visiting Clonakilty
& further afield. We found out that Michael Collins’ parents are buried in
the graveyard that’s just behind the hotel, so our trail started earlier than
we had expected.
My daughters decided that we should visit & bring some
flowers. The Celtic Ross is brilliant for children as they have a pool &
kids club to keep the little ones entertained. Druid’s restaurant serves fresh
local produce, specialising in seafood, you can dine overlooking Rosscarbery
bay. They offer rates from as little as €31.50pp B&B off season. Children
(4-12 yrs) are €12 each B&B.
Our
Little Fella with the Big Fella, Clonakilty, West Cork
Michael Collins attended school in & lived in
Clonakilty for a couple of years. The house is currently undergoing renovations
so you can’t get in at the moment but there is a large statue of Collins in the
town centre.
Tim & Dolores Crowley opened a heritage centre dedicated to
Collins on their farm in 2000. They now run trails from the Michael Collins
Centre in Castleview Clonakilty. Unfortunately it was not open when we were
passing so we will be back for that! We have heard that it’s well worth a
visit. For bookings or inquiries call 023 8846107.
Woodfield,
Sam’s Cross, West Cork
Woodfield is the birthplace of Michael Collins, it’s
hard to find but we managed! Coming from Clonakilty out to Lisavaird go through
the village & take the first right heading south & you’ll see a brown
tourist signpost directing you.
The house itself is no longer standing as it
was burned by the British Crown Forces in 1921. Although you can still see its
footprint & the chimney tops. The barns at the back, into which family moved when the house was burned down, are still standing. It’s such a peaceful
& tranquil place I can see why he loved it so much.
Blackcurrant
& Tayto all round! Four All's, Sam’s Cross, West Cork
On that faithful day August 22nd 1922
Michael Collins & his men met with his family in the Four All’s, which was
owned by his uncle Jeremiah Collins.
It’s a stones throw from his birthplace.
If you make it to Woodfield be
sure to pop into the Four All's as you are always assured of a warm welcome.
While we were there Seamus wanted to see the old sign that hung over the door
when Michael last visited as he had seen John Creedon with it. The barman was
lovely & brought us out to the back of the bar to show us.
On the way back to our hotel that evening we took a trek
out to Beál na mBláth but there was torrential rain so we couldn't get out for any
pictures.
It was difficult to
find but the best way is to head there from the Macroom – Cork road. There is a
monument at the side of the road & it’s a plenty big road to pull in.
The
Imperial Hotel, South Mall, Cork City
Michael Collins spent his last night in the Imperial
Hotel in Cork, it’s very sad to see that the only reminder is a painting &
small plaque on the wall in the lobby. The suite that he slept in has since
been remodelled into three bedrooms so you can’t see where he slept.
We had
stayed in the Imperial Hotel without the children previously & once you can
find your room it’s lovely! The thermal suite is amazing & we spent hours
there.
Arthur
Mayne’s, Pembroke Street, Cork
If you happen to find yourself in Cork City I can’t
recommend enough the food (especially the spiced beef sandwich) in Arthur
Mayne’s just beside the Imperial Hotel.
It’s a gorgeous wine bar with a huge
suntrap of a beer garden out the back. Oh & they are one of only a handful
of places in Cork that open for Sunday brunch (!). They have recently opened a
sister bar in Donnybrook, Dublin. We haven’t had a chance to visit yet but the
food will be every bit as tasty their Chef has relocated to Dublin.
Collins
Barracks, Cork City
I didn't know this but there is a museum in Collins
Barracks with a room dedicated to Michael Collins. Guess it’s handy having a
hubby in the know! They have a lot of Michael Collins’ personal belongings such
as his leather overcoat, his pistols & his medal from the War of
Independence.
Also the first makeshift cross that was erected at the ambush
site in Beál na mBláth. The Big Fella’s writing bureau is also there, I can
only imagine the letters he would be writing today, if he was still with us. The
curator Jim Horgan keeps everything in pristine condition. The museum is open
to the public 10am- 1pm Monday, Wednesday & Friday, entry is free of charge.
Munster
Arms Hotel (formerly Lees Hotel) Bandon, Co Cork
Last stop on our Michael Collins trail is the Munster
Arms Hotel in Bandon, this was also Michael Collins’ last stop as he came here
to attend a meeting & rally the local Free State Troops before heading back
to Cork City via Beál na mBláth. At this stage most of the bridges & roads in the area
were either blown or blocked by the IRA.
It’s here, in the lobby that hangs the
last known photograph of General Michael Collins. Yes, Seamus gives the thumbs
up in every photo!
Glasnevin
Cemetery, Dublin
We recently attended a commemoration in Glasnevin
Cemetery for Arthur Griffith & Michael Collins. The only reason I include
this is that Sliabh na mBan, the 1920 Rolls Royce armoured car, was also in
attendance.
It was part of Michael Collins’ motorcade while visiting Cork in
1922 & was used to transport his wounded body after the ambush at Beál na
mBláth on August 22nd.
Sliabh na mBan has been lovingly restored
inside & out including the .303 Vickers water cooled machine gun by the
skilled craftsmen in the Irish Defence Forces Cavalry Corps.
Seamus loves
visiting Sliabh na mBan in her home at the military museum in the Curragh, Co
Kildare. Opening hours Mon- Wed 10am-1pm & 3pm-5pm Thurs 2pm-8pm Sun 2pm-5pm
admission is free of charge as is parking.
Tell us, have you been to any of the Michael Collins spots in Cork? Got a little one that's as interested in history as our Seamus?