New images show how upgraded Béal na mBláth site will look following upgrade

Cork County Council has announced that a significant project for Béal na mBláth will be completed in advance of the national event to commemorate the centenary of the death of Michael Collins in August this year.

The council has released new visuals showing how the historic site will look when the upgrade works are completed.

Located between Bandon and Crookstown, Béal na mBláth is one of the most famous sites in Irish history.

It was at this site on August 22, 1922, that General Michael Collins, commander-in-chief of the Irish army was ambushed and killed by Anti-Treaty troops.

The annual commemoration takes place each year on the Sunday closest to August 22.

Upgrade works to the site are being supported by the Department of the Taoiseach, Department of Defence and Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media as part of the centenary programme of commemorations.

Under the plans, Cork County Council said the site will be restored to reveal its heritage value “in the most sensitive and appropriate manner, serving as a legacy thereafter of the centenary itself”.

The council said a design for the project has been developed by key experts in archaeological historic landscapes, memorial historic landscapes, historical analysis of the battlefield and ambush area, and drawing from an historic landscape assessment.

It added that the design has guided the proposed interventions to the area resulting in a Section 38 application under the Roads Traffic Act 1994 to introduce traffic calming measures adjacent to the Michael Collins Memorial by the reduction of the carriageway width, renewal of surfacing and road markings, the addition of car parking spaces and associated works.

“Thanks to our partners, Cork County Council, in consultation with the local Béal na mBláth Commemoration Committee, will develop a project that is both sensitive and features minimal intervention but will increase the memorial's legibility and that of its context,” Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr Gillian Coughlan said.

“Through quality design, the Béal na mBláth project will reveal and re-establish this historic route through our heritage landscape.

“The site's historical authenticity and integrity will be maintained while ensuring this national monument remains a legacy for future generations,” she continued.

The council said the sensitive development at the monument will ensure its “universal accessibility and will allow the visitor a chance to experience the landscape and feel what it was like in 1922 when the ambush took place”.

A map guide of the site and wider ambush area is set to enhance the overall visitor experience.

Welcoming the project, Chief Executive of Cork County Council Tim Lucey commented:

“The commitment of all the partners is evident through the funding and expertise brought to this project, ensuring the restoration of the landscape affords the appropriate commemoration of the events here in 1922, for the centenary year and for years to come.”