Room 115: Michael Collins' final stay commemorated at Cork hotel

Cork’s Irish revolutionary leader Michael Collins is being commemorated by The Imperial Hotel, which is marking the 100-year anniversary of his death with a centenary commemoration programme for August 20 and 21.

‘The Big Fellow’, as he was known, was a regular guest and spent the last two nights of his life at the city centre hotel, which had been used as a military headquarters at the time.

Among the commemorations, is the launch of the Michael Collins suite, room number 115, where Collins stayed. The ‘Michael Collins Suite’ has undergone a significant renovation in order to curate the historic connection in a luxury 1920’s style and the suite will be officially unveiled on the weekend of the anniversary by family members who will also be the first to sign the visitor book in the room.

The Hotel also commissioned a new portrait of Michael Collins by Irish portrait artist Mick O’ Dea from Ennis. This painting will be officially unveiled in the hotel’s lobby on Monday, August 22 by Collins’ grandniece Fidelma Collins and grandnephew Aidan O’Sullivan.

As well as this, on Sunday, August 21, members of Michael Collins’s family will sit in for the screening of two documentaries which will be introduced by historian Bartle Darcy.

The first documentary will be the premier of the award-winning documentary called ‘The Collector’ by Fionnáin Creative Arts, which has a run time of 30 mins. The main feature will be a documentary called Michael Collins The Final Days directed by Marcus Howard from Easter Rising Stories and which has a run time of one hour.

Places are limited, so booking is essential, to register, click here.

Finally, people can pre-book a tour given by Denis O’Sullivan of Wild Atlantic Luxury Tours which will depart the Imperial from the South Mall and follow the same route Michael Collins took on what would tragically be his final journey. Click here for more.

Commenting on the centenary, owner of the Imperial Hotel, Allen Flynn said: “As a proud Irish family-run business we at the Flynn Hotel Collection have the unique pleasure of owning and operating a number of historic properties including the Cork’s Grande Dame, the Imperial Hotel. In its 206-year history, the hotel has welcomed famous and historic figures, but the Michael Collins connection is especially strong as he was a repeat guest and tragically spent his last night in room 115. 

"It is a deep honour for us to pay tribute to Collins with a newly commissioned portrait and by turning the room where he stayed into the majestic Michael Collins Suite, which we hope will be met with his family’s approval and be a place for those who have an enduring regard for his place in history to stay in the future.” 

 For queries or bookings contact michaelcollins@imperialhotelcork.ie, call 021-4274040 or check out their website.