Walk in the Big Fellow’s shoes

THE 1916 Easter Rising Centenary has given us a chance to commemorate the lives of those lost during the battle for Irish Independence.

Rising leaders such as Thomas Clarke, Pádraig Pearse, James Connolly and Joseph Plunkett have all been remembered during the year for their services towards the Irish cause and while they were all swiftly executed for their roles in the uprising one of their comrades, Michael Collins, was not.

Collins was fighting on the lines of the GPO and now 100 years later you can see all the spots and places the Corkonian frequented during his time in Dublin as a leader of the IRB.

Beginning at the International Bar on Wicklow Street, the new Michael Collins Walking Tour will take you on a two hour walk of Dublin that highlights some of the key locations that Collins visited during his time as commander-in-chief.

Tour members will be taken to the downstairs bar of the International – one of the spots Collins was believed to have regularly met informants – and given a brief overview of Irish history prior to the tour.

This will provide the group with a more rounded understanding of the world that Collins lived in during his days a key figure in the Republican movement.

The tour visits the Stag’s Head on Dame Court and hears how Collins built a comprehensive network of intelligence, and strolls by Exchequer Street to look at the buildings Collins used as head of the Irish National Aid Fund where he oversaw the distribution of cash to assist individuals and families associated with the Rising.

Tour participants also get to see his intelligence offices on Crow street, view the the Four Courts from the Millennium Bridge, where the Civil War began, and head on up to Bachelor’s Walk, where Collins was arrested for sedition, before the tour makes its way on up to the GPO to hear of Collins’ involvement during the Rising.

The comprehensive tour is a must for anyone interested in the life of Michael Collins and helps visualise the dealings and movements of one of the most influential leaders in Irish history.

The guides are informative, friendly and are more than willing to answer any questions regarding Collins, the 1916 Rising or just about any other facet of Irish history.

The tour is a spin-off from the popular 1916 Rebellion Tour run by historian and author, Lorcan Collins.

The tour starts daily at 3pm with tour members asked to meet outside the International Bar on Wicklow Street. To book a place, visit www.michaelcollinstour.com.