AN umbrella which was left behind in a pub by General Michael Collins has been added to the collection of historic artefacts at a Clonakilty museum.
The umbrella was left behind following one of Collins’ visits to Devlin’s Pub on Parnell Street in Dublin and has since been safeguarded by the Devlin family.
It was the family’s wish to have the umbrella available for public display, and it was presented to the Michael Collins House museum on a long-term loan by John Merivale, husband of the late Jocelyn Merivale, granddaughter of Liam Devlin, the proprietor of Devlin’s Pub – who himself was an intelligence officer in the War of Independence.
A plaque has also 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.
The silk mechanical umbrella is tightly wound and held in a telescopic faux wood cover that doubles as a walking cane.
Walking canes have become synonymous with Michael Collins with a number of canes coming up for auction in recent years.
The Michael Collins House Museum welcomes up to 30,000 visitors annually and has generated more than €5m for the local economy.
