Sir,—I read Frank Foley’s article ‘Controversy and the Cult of Collins’(HI Winter 1998) with great interest. Various points of view concerning the future of the Collins memorial at Béal na mBláth are expressed, except that of the actual visitor. I am what Fr. Twohig would call an outsider and a foreigner but also a frequent visitor to Ireland and West Cork in particular. I was surprised to see the photograph of the religious paraphernalia at the memorial as I had seen nothing of the kind when I was there in early July and again in October so apparently the people of the cult have not been back! And please do not turn the memorial into a shrine! On the other hand, the spontaneous admiration of some people seems less abominable than the idea of turning the site into a public park or a garden of remembrance. The ‘ice cream van’ mentioned in the article is almost like sacrilege—if you will excuse the expression. Please do not turn the site into an amusement park either.
I have never been present at the annual commemoration ceremony atBéal na mBláth but I would find it wrong if that occasion was used for political propaganda. I am sure Collins would have felt a lot of sympathy with Fine Gael but it has also been claimed that, had he lived, he would never have been a member of the party. This is, of course, pure speculation but using the memorial to a great man as the site of political propaganda seems somehow out of place.
One man was killed at Béal na mBláth, the memorial was erected for one man, so why on earth change the site into a memorial park to all Civil War victims. This was meant to be a memorial to Collins and this is what visitors want to see. Build a memorial park to Civil War victims anywhere else if the wounds still need to be healed!
What visitors would like to see is some information on the site where Collins was killed. This could be done discreetly like at Woodfield where one can feel the atmosphere, alone in peace and quiet without being disturbed by commercial paraphernalia. Also, put up road signs so that visitors can find the site in the first place. As far as I know the only road sign is outside Enniskeane and from there visitors are left to themselves. Without the help of Timothy Crowley of Clonakilty and his Michael Collins Tour, I would have spent a long time searching for the site and every time I have been back there, I have wondered why there are so few signs.
I must say I find Fr. Twohig’s initiative involving the US military in a potential restoration most amusing. Let me quote a few lines from his book The Dark Secret of Béalnabláth: ‘Leave the problem of Michael Collins to the native-born Republicans and Free Staters’ (p.306) and: ‘Ah, yes, the lady from New Zealand [Margery Forester]! How did she get involved in Irishmen’s killings?’ (p.299). So, no matter what you West Cork people and committees decide to do, please do not spoil Béal na mBláth (or, to please Fr. Twohig, Béalnabláth!).
Finally, about the inscription on the cross: Frank Foley writes, ‘it seems that Fr. Twohig has another controversy to spring on the world. He claims that the date of Collins’ death as inscribed on the Béal na mBláth monument contains a spelling error!’. Well this certainly has been noticed before—and by a foreigner with very little knowledge of the Irish language. ‘Luguasa’ instead of ‘Lugnasa’, a spelling error or an ‘n’ put upside down? Anybody who has taken part in Timothy Crowley’s ‘Michael Collins Tour’ has had that error pointed out to them too. Unfortunately, this is not the only error on a cross erected to the memory of Collins. On his grave at Glasnevin cemetery in Dublin the inscription on the cross puts the date of his birth as 12 October. He was born on 16 October 1890! Poor Collins, who was always so precise about everything! If anything is to be done about the memorial at Béal na mBláth, please get the error changed. We will have no dancing at Luguasa!—Yours etc.,
LISBETH HAVNDRUP
Denmark