Michael Collins Ambush Memorial – Béal na Bláth, Ireland - Atlas Obscura
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Michael Collins Ambush Memorial

Béal na Bláth, Ireland

A gated cross stands on the site where an Irish revolutionary met his end. 

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Michael Collins Ambush Memorial sheila fitzgerald/CC BY 2.0 (CC BY 2.0)
Michael Collins Ambush Memorial sheila fitzgerald/CC BY 2.0 (CC BY 2.0)
Béal na Bláth - Michael Collins Memorial MizzusK (Atlas Obscura User)
Béal na Bláth - Michael Collins Memorial MizzusK (Atlas Obscura User)
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You can visit the site near Béal na Bláth, Ireland, where, in 1922, Irish revolutionary figure Michael Collins fell.

It was August 1922 and the Irish Civil War was winding down. Collins went on tour in his native county of Cork. Shots were fired at a wide spot in the road south of town, and Collins fell, mortally wounded.  Today a memorial cross marks the site, with a small white cross pillar nearby marking the exact spot at which he fell.

The events surrounding Collins’ death are still very personal in the area, and emotions regarding this event and related civil war issues can still be extremely sensitive.

The memorial is no longer gated and you can visit the Diamond Bar (formerly the Long Pub) where the assassination was planned in a storehouse behind the pub.

Know Before You Go

Take N22 west from Cork, and turn south on R585. At the crossroads in Béal na Bláth, turn south on L2011. The memorial is about 3/4 mile down the road.

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