Cutlery from Michael Collins' last meal. I acquired this at auction last weekend. It is the cutlery used by Collins at his last meal in the Eldon Hotel in Skibbereen on August 22, 1922, just hours before the ambush at Béal na mBláth. The knife, fork and spoon were stiched to a green silk shamrock to symbolise Ireland, flanked by a green flag with a harp and a tricolour. The hotel manager held onto the cutlery and after Michael Collins' death, it was presented to Kitty Kiernan, who was well known as Collins' fiancée. Following Kitty's untimely death in 1945, the cutlery was passed on to her sister Maud. Later, it was passed down through Maud's husband's family, Gearóid O'Sullivan, who raised the Irish flag over the GPO during the 1916 Rising. Apart from his last meal, the Eldon Hotel was also the location for one of the last photographs taken of Collins. He was snapped getting into his car outside the hotel to begin his final journey that would end at Béal na Bláth. Today, a plaque outside the hotel marks the historic visit. I'm giving the cutlery on loan to Carlow County Museum for public viewing. Anyone interested is welcome to take a look. The museum should have it on display in the next few weeks. From there it will be on loan to Cork Public Museum.
