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THE TAOISEACH HAS said that revolutionary leader Michael Collins should be commemorated as a statesman to mark the centenary of his death next year.
Micheal Martin ruled out a state inquiry into who shot the Irish republican leader dead, saying it would be the wrong way to approach the source of controversy.
Collins was killed on 22 August 1922 near Beal na mBlath in Co Cork during the civil war.
Martin said that he signed off on a plan to put resources into Beal na mBlath to create a proper memorial.
“I met the Collins family recently. I was very taken by what Helen, the grandniece of Michael Collins, said,” the Fianna Fáil leader added.
“They much prefer Woodfield, the birthplace of Michael Collins, than Beal na mBlath because to them Beal na mBlath is a death site. It’s a grave.
“It has never been appealing to their family, whereas actually I got it when I was at Woodfield. The location is idyllic, where he was born and reared you can almost see him running around those fields.
“But I think we should commemorate the centenary of the death of Michael Collins in the manner we would commemorate the loss of a statesman.”
Martin said Collins was “an outstanding” Irish leader during the War of Independence.
“All of that generation had extraordinary commitment to the country,” he added.
“I was struck, when I read the [Michael Collins] diaries that we were presented with, that commitment shines through, and indeed it shines through all of the records and archives that have being made available.
“I think we should honour the leaders of that period without fear or favour and do it in a proper way.”
Asked whether an historical inquiry into Collin’s death would be a step too far, Martin said it is the wrong way to go through the past.
“I much prefer the work of academics, good, solid, informed histories,” he added.
“That, to me is the more informed way to go about it, to look back on history. I think Diarmaid Ferriter’s book Between Two Hells is one example of that.
“Let’s not approach history with the perspectives of today or with your own prejudices.
“You should approach history objectively and try to tell the story as it was through the prism of those who were there at the time, and what their impulses were and what their emotions were. History is complex.
“There are many variables, there’s never one simplistic narrative.
“We’re all biased to certain extents, to certain degrees.
“I think the Collins’ family have an idea, they are certainly of the view that reconciliation is the key objective and they would have had that view a long, long time ago in respect of families in West Cork on the other side.
“There’ll be many stories written but the idea of setting up a state inquiry would be anathema to me. I think that’s the wrong way to approach it.”
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Can’t wait for the inevitable (cash-grab) tribunal into this fiasco is started, with zero accountability to follow.
Whenever it opens the nightmare of access and parking will begin, we have been attending St James Hosp for some weeks now and parking is just mental, I dread to think when the children’s Hosp opens the chaos that will follow.
@Eileen Kelly: and the green party will have a 10 euro charge to drive into the city by then
New parking: 575 will be paying visitor Spaces, 100 spaces will be CHI Social Care Guest Spaces and 319 spaces will be for Staff Parking.
@Ivan Genockey: $20
Rumour has it the children’s hospital will open in October 2054 and closed in 2056 due to being outdated
@Pat Barden: when tallaght hospital opened decades after the plans were drawn up, bed sizes had increased, and the doors needed to be resized. Cant wait to see the snag list on this new white elephant with potential costs of 2.4 billion being floated.
Well done to our Irish writers and our President Mr Higgins for speaking out against the slaughter of innocent lives in Palestine. Please continue to force your opposition to this sensless taking of life.
Anyone in the privelaged position of having access to public persuasion has a moral duty to speak out against this mass murder and not to remain silent.
The thoughts of a sick mind. Go get the help you obviously need.
@Mary Looners: How about the thousands of Palestinians murdered by the terrorist forces of Israel…The thousands murdered by the same Israeli terrorist forces in the refugee camps in Lebanon…Israel a country from lines drawn in the sand by the murderous British empire.
@Dissasociated Follower: Israel is looking for the Final Solution in Gaza over the next few weeks. The final dispersal of the indigenous Palestinian population into Egypt. Speak out against this genocide!
Well I for one am shocked. Shocked I tell you
they need to find a buyer first before they open it.sell it for about 120 million and state “a great day for Ireland”. that’s how these things usually work anyway.
First child patients will be adults by the time it’s open
Why did they not build that out near the M50 on a big site with plenty of parking for everyone. Easy to get to. Brought my elderly father up from Waterford to St James for a scan last week. A major hospital without any parking. Even the set down area was full.
The money pit. They keep shovelling it in…
Bad enough concerning the Children’s Hospital…The event centre in Cork again made a few headlines again a few weeks ago… It’s like Bart Simpson..Are we there yet…Photo in newspaper showed Enda Kenny, Coveney and the future deputy leader of FG Michael Martin. Kenny has gone trainspotting…People looking for Coveney as he has disappeared.. Martin can’t remember the photo… like when he stated there was no bank bailout..Jesus his memory is shot through…As for the event centre…as John Wayne would say ..Until hell freezes over… And BAM riding off into the Sunset
Value for Money for the Citizen. That’s a joke if ever I head one. Beginning to sound like a Communist State.
@Owen Mc: One thing about a communist state ..The incompetent politicians who thought this farce up..Would be up against a wall…And rightly so.
Just before the next General Election. Bronze plaques will be insitu.
Tbf it looks fabulous.
Yep. It’s its only redeeming feature so far
Lol
And it’s not even April’s fools day. How many more OT will have to be refitted out due to incompetence. This hospital will never have enough people to work there to make it a safe place for children.
Hopefully this will open soon and I really hope our children do not have to face the horrors of war that is being faced by so many across the world. Imagine if the hospital was hit by a misfired missile from a local terrorist gang and killed hundreds of its own people. Evidence is mounting and thousands here in Ireland including our politicians have been screaming that is was Israel. Nobody will apologise and try hold the right people accountable. Hatred of the people of Israel will continue and openly, because it’s acceptable. Oh and a tip to those people who have posters saying ‘queers for Palestine’ please please make your way to gaze and hold up those posters, they will just love you.
@Chris Thaunton: Could you elaborate on your statement “evidence is mounting”. If you have evidence as to who perpetrated this dispicable act of terror on a hospital packed with injured people, would you kindly share it with the group please.
@Chris Thaunton: I would like to know if you think that blowing children to smitherings in their hospital beds is a more effective and moral way of exterminating children than beheading because the people in the middle east who kill children indiscriminately can’t seem to make their minds up as to the most acceptable way to destroy a child.
You seem to be determinably accepting of the statements made by the Isreali forces on who carried out this act of terror. I worry that you may loose your ability to question obdjectively every forcibly applied statement or convincing claim that beats itself upon your eardrum. I fear that you may be led down the path of perpetual propoganda.
@Chris Thaunton: did you have to bring Israel into this. Very few irish people give a dam about Israel.
@Joe Kelly: Hi Joe, that is blatantly obvious.
@Dissasociated Follower: Hi there, yes, the mounting evidence is even now being transmitted to us on our very own state media. If they are willing to show it, that says a hell of a lot. Unfortunately the crime scene has been tampered with, to conceal evidence no doubt. There also an intercepted voice conversation that adds to the evidence. Available online from your trusted sources. I love group therapy.
@Chris Thaunton: Thanks Chris. I’ll check it out and if I can allow myself to be convinced by the evidence you mention I’ll revert back.
I’m sure though that long after our bones have been fossilised the truth will come out.
Sure it will. Sure its only taxpayers money anyway.
That would be the 30th of September so
This is worse than the paul vi snek hall architecture from the Vatican article above. Eye of the divil as opposed to Our Lady’s.. Blow it up, and redo it without the all seeing eye
Was this project even put up for bid or was it just all day work.
have your say