Tánaiste views motorbike that led Collins' fatal convoy to Béal na Bláth

Tánaiste and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris visited the Michael Collins Centre near Clonakilty on Wednesday to unveil the motorbike that led the Collins convoy on the way to Béal na Bláth, where Michael Collins was shot on August 22, 1922.

The event was attended by Dominic Smith, the great-grandson of Lieut John Joseph Smith, who drove the motorcycle in 1922 to Béal na Bláth, and who was shot in the neck, but survived.

Speaking at the event, Tánaiste Simon Harris said: “Michael Collins remains one of the most revered figures in our nation’s struggle for independence. The rediscovery of this 1919 Triumph Model H motorbike brings us face-to-face with a tangible connection to our revolutionary past. To see such an artefact celebrated is both a privilege and a reminder of the immense sacrifices made in pursuit of Ireland’s freedom.

“I wish to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the Michael Collins Centre and its founder, Tim Crowley, for the years of dedication and painstaking research that made today’s unveiling possible. 

"I also acknowledge the generosity of the late Conor Murphy and his family for their role in preserving the remnants of this vehicle for posterity.”

The event took place on the 103rd anniversary of the day Michael Collins’ motorcade departed Dublin for West Cork and was part of the Tánaiste’s itinerary with Senator Noel O’Donovan, which saw them visit Rosscarbery, Skibbereen, Bantry, finishing near Collins’ birthplace in Woodfield.

The Tánaiste and Mr O’Donovan were also joined by councillors John Michael Foley, Marie O’Sullivan, Caroline Cronin and Brendan McCarthy.

The Tánaiste met with community groups, business owners, representative organisations, arts communities and attended the launch of the trad music festival Masters of Tradition in Bantry.

The Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill will deliver the annual address at the Michael Collins Commemoration in Béal na Bláth this Sunday August 24 at 3pm.

The Michael Collins Commemoration is an annual event at Béal na Bláth honouring the memory of Michael Collins, the Irish Revolutionary leader who was shot and died at the location on August 22, 1922 at 31 years of age.