Rock legend Rod visited Michael Collins’ house

ROD Stewart took time out during his two sellout Live at the Marquee shows in Cork to visit a house in Clonakilty associated with ‘The Big Fella’.

Rod, known for such monster hits as Sailing, Baby Jane, and Maggie May was making a return visit to Cork, having played Páirc Uí Chaoimh in 2019. 

Known to be very interested in Irish history and having wowed the audience with his version of the rebel ballad Grace, the Celtic football-loving rocker told the audience on the second night of his concerts that he had visited Clonakilty that day and had paid a visit to a house associated with Michael Collins.

It had been assumed that he paid a visit to ‘Michael Collins House Museum’ in Clonakilty but a spokesperson said they cannot reveal any information about private visitors to the museum.

However, it is understood that he may have, in fact, paid a visit to Collins’ birthplace in Woodfield, just outside Clonakilty. Rod Stewart’s ‘The Hits’ tour moved to the UK this week.  

Following his two Marquee gigs he also posted online that he had the pleasure of performing in Cork to ‘the loudest, happiest, most responsive, loving audiences I can remember.’

‘Cork you will always be in my heart,’ he said.

Meanwhile, comedian Tommy Tiernan also referenced Michael Collins at the beginning of his second sell-out gig also at the Marquee.