THE great grandson of Lieut John Joseph Smith, who was the motorcycle scout that led the Michael Collins convoy to Béal na Bláth on the day he was killed in 1922, said that visiting the monument site for the very first time was a ‘deeply emotional experience for him’.
Dominic Smith, who is originally from Mayo, but has been living in Chile for the past four years, did a remarkable one-day round trip for the recent unveiling at the Michael Collins Centre outside Clonakilty of the remains of the 1919 Triumph Model H motorbike that he his great grandfather drove on August 22nd 1922.
Lieut Smith was shot in the neck as he tried to go to the aid of Michael Collins after he had been shot..
Speaking to The Southern Star, Dominic, who works as multilingual psychotherapist, said that to stand in the very place where his great-grandfather had fallen was both ‘humbling’ and ‘moving.’
‘I tried to imagine the fear and chaos of that moment – standing in the road under fire, scrambling to help his commander and friend, Michael Collins. I pictured him with Emmet Dalton, lifting Collins onto the armoured car while carrying his own gunshot wound. The thought filled me with a profound mix of awe, pride and reverence,’ said Dominic.
It was also his first time in West Cork and he said he felt like he was in ‘heaven.’
‘The beauty of the landscape took my breath away. The warmth and hospitality of the people made me feel instantly at home. I have several friends in Chile who are from Cork and now I understand why they are so proud of it. The friendliness, openness and sense of place all left a lasting impression on me.’
He said he had no issues with completing a one day round-trip from Chile to Ireland for the unveiling of the motorbike at Tim Crowley’s Michael Collins Centre.
‘For different reasons the rest of my family couldn’t make the journey but I felt strongly that I needed to be there. When I found out that the Tánaiste Simon Harris would be present to publicly acknowledges my great-grandfather’s courage and sacrifice, I knew I had to go.’
Dominic admits the trek wasn’t easy.
‘The timing was sudden, the cost expensive and the journey was long but I decided to make a pilgrimage of it. I’m so glad I did, because it’s something I’ll never forget.’
He recalled his own dad often speaking proudly about his grandfather, John-Joe.
‘He admired his bravery, his humility and the way he was willing to give his life for Ireland. My father lived by those same values –persistence, courage and justice – and was always ready to help others without ever questioning whether it was inconvenient. Both my parents encouraged us to carry those values forward, as they had been handed down through all our grandparents.’
Dominic said his own dad had a gift and a passion for helping people in all kinds of difficulties, especially when he was working in England and he helped Irish immigrants and other from marginalised backgrounds.
‘He always said his inspiration came from his grandfather, John Joe.’
Dominic made contact with Tim Crowley last year and passed on a copy of the photograph of his great-grandfather and evidence of the neck wound her received at Béal na Bláth was visible in the photograph.
