25 August 2013
By Bryan T. Smyth
bryan@TheCork.ie
Opinion
The annual Michael Collins Commemoration will take place at Beal na mBlath today. It was hardly a concern in the 1920’s but something that will be mentioned by today’s crowds it the lack of a 3G signals at the site on all phone networks. How will people upload videos and pictures of the oration to the outside world?!, they will have to wait until they walk back down the hill to Crookstown.
It’s a uniquely Irish event with cars parked on verges and it usually rains.
But I disgress. Today Bill O’Herlihy will give the oration.
The event starts at 3pm, but people are asked to arrive from 2.15pm because parking is always a nightmare.
Bill O’Herlihy is expected to call for Fine Gael and Fianna Fail to move on from the civil war split and come together.
Chair of the Organising Committee is Dermot Collins, he wouldn’t speculate on the contents of the speech.
It’s been 91 years since Michael Collins was shot dead, meaning that the 100th landmark anniversary – just like that of the Easter Rising – is around the Corner. We spoke last year with Collins’ grand-niece Rosealeen O’Keeffe who said the centenary will be a large event