Michael Collins' mislaid umbrella goes on display in West Cork museum
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The brolly the ‘Big Fella’ forgot over a century ago has been returned to his ancestral West Cork for public display.
Michael Collins left his silk mechanical umbrella behind following one of his visits to Devlin’s pub on Parnell St in Dublin — a secret meeting point and safe house for Collins and his associates in the late 1910s and early 1920s.
The brolly is tightly wound and held in a telescopic faux wood cover that doubles as a walking cane.
Walking canes have become synonymous with Collins with several different canes coming to prominence in recent years.
Though rarely photographed with a cane, experts believe Collins may have used a cane as part of his disguise as “a normal businessman about town”.
It is also an item he seems to have favoured as a gift with many of the canes appearing to have origins as gifts to people close to him.
But when he left this particular umbrella behind in Devlin’s over a century ago, it was taken into safekeeping and kept safe by the Devlin family ever since.
It was always their wish to have the historic item available for public display in the right location.
Cork County Council announced today, Thursday, that the brolly has now been handed over to the local authority-run Michael Collins House Museum on Emmet Square in the heart of Clonakilty — the only planned Georgian square outside of Dublin.
It was presented to the museum on long-term loan by John Merivale, husband of the late Jocelyn Merivale, who was a granddaughter of Liam Devlin, the proprietor of Devlin’s pub and a trusted intelligence officer in the Irish War of Independence.
A plaque has recently been erected on the site of the pub to mark its importance in Irish history as a crucial meeting point and safe house for Collins and members of his ‘squad’.
Mayor of County Cork Frank O’Flynn said the story of Michael Collins is well known, but artefacts such as the umbrella give us a little more insight into the history of the revolutionary hero.
“I want to thank the Devlin family for preserving this piece of Irish history and urge the public to visit the Michael Collins House to learn more about our history and the fight for Irish independence,” he said.
“The museum holds an incredible collection of artefacts connected to the man himself and the revolutionary period, including personal items, letters, items of clothing, uniforms, weapons, militaria, commemorative pieces and more.”
Council chief executive Valerie O’Sullivan said the museum, which is entering its ninth season in operation, welcomes up to 30,000 visitors annually and has helped generate over €5m into the local economy.
“Cork County Council is proud to own and operate such an important facility that preserves and promotes our history combined with an authentic, educational, and enjoyable museum experience,” she said.
• The Michael Collins House Museum opens from Tuesdays to Saturdays from 10am to 5pm. Learn more and plan your visit to the museum on MichaelCollinsHouse.ie.