Umbrella left behind at pub by Michael Collins is donated to Cork museum

AN UMBRELLA previously owned by Michael Collins has been gifted to the Michael Collins House Museum by the family who owned a pub where he left it behind.

The Devlin family safeguarded the umbrella after Collins left it in Devlin’s Pub on Parnell Street in Dublin, and it was their wish to have the historic item available for public display.

The family recognised the museum, run by Cork County Council, as the ideal location, and the umbrella was presented to the museum on long-term loan by John Merivale, husband of the late Jocelyn Merivale, the granddaughter of Liam Devlin, who was the proprietor of Devlin’s Pub and a trusted intelligence officer in the Irish War of Independence.

The silk mechanical umbrella is held in a faux wood cover that doubles as a walking cane, with canes becoming synonymous with Michael Collins in recent years. It seems that Collins, though rarely photographed with a cane, may have used a cane as part of his disguise of a normal businessman.

The Mayor of County Cork Frank O’Flynn said: “The story of Michael Collins is one that is well known, but artefacts such as the umbrella donated by the Merivale/Devlin family gives us a little more insight into the history of the revolutionary hero.

“I want to thank the family for preserving this piece of Irish history and urge the public to visit the Michael Collins House to learn more about our history and the fight for Irish independence.”

Chief Executive of Cork County Council, Valerie O’Sullivan added, “Now entering its ninth season in operation, Michael Collins House welcomes up to 30,000 visitors annually and since its opening the museum has generated over €5m into the local economy.” 

Michael Collins House Museum opens Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm, and more information on it is available at www.michaelcollinshouse.ie or 023-8858676.