[Leica] OT: Michael Collins, was Gun Photos

[marcsmall at comcast.net (Marc James Small)]

At 10:26 AM 12/2/2008, Sonny Carter wrote:
 >I know his early life was spent in West Cork, and his political life
 >centered in Dublin, but in my visit to Wicklow, I discovered a couple of
 >Pubs that claim to have served him.   *S?ans ficsean*
 >
 >It seems likely that he would have gathered part of his following from the
 >Mountains of Wicklow.  They are a hardy and independent lot of people 
 >there,
 >and near enough to Dublin.
 >
 >When asked his favorite part of Ireland, Collins is reputed to have said
 >"The people of Wicklow County."   The boulder at his grave was brought from
 >Wicklow.
 >
 >Of course, the 1996 film Michael Collins" was shot in Wicklow county, (as
 >was "Braveheart") and that alone may have stirred loyal memories and myths
 >about the man.  There is a Michael Collins Road tour available there.

Sonny

I am not denying that Collins ever ate a meal in 
County Wicklow.  I just doubt that it had any 
special significance to him.  For instance, 
Wicklow has not a single reference in Tim Pat 
Coogan's rather authoritative biography of 
Collins, THE MAN WHO MADE IRELAND.  He certainly 
passed THROUGH Wicklow on his way to Cork and 
back again to Dublin, but, again, Wicklow does 
not seem to have been a very important area to him.

I would appreciate your sharing the provenance 
for this supposed remark of Collins about "the 
people of Wicklow County".  Sounds like some Tourist Board BS to me.

Marc


msmall@aya.yale.edu
Cha robh b?s fir gun ghr?s fir!