A visit to the Michael Collins Centre is an excellent way to make sense of his life and the times in which he lived. A tour reveals photos, letters and a reconstruction of the 1920s country lane where Collins was killed, complete with armoured vehicle. The centre runs tours of the crucial locations in Collins’ life (book in advance). It's signposted off the R600 between Timoleague and Clonakilty.
Michael Collins Centre
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
22.44 MILES
This imposing former prison is well worth a visit, if only to get a sense of how awful life was for prisoners a century ago. An audio tour (€2 extra)…
14.29 MILES
One of Europe's best-preserved star-shaped artillery forts, this vast 17th-century fortification would be worth a visit for its spectacular views alone…
23 MILES
The English Market – so called because it was set up in 1788 by the Protestant or ‘English’ corporation that then controlled the city (there was once an…
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27.85 MILES
With its melancholic air of faded gentility, 18th-century Bantry House makes for an intriguing visit. From the Gobelin tapestries in the drawing room to…
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26.49 MILES
This low-lying green island in Cork Harbour was once an important part of the port's defences, topped by an 18th-century artillery fort. In the second…
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23.14 MILES
Cork's public gallery houses a small but excellent permanent collection covering the 17th century through to the modern day, though the works on display…
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20.22 MILES
The Victorian country estate of Liss Ard is home to the remarkable Sky Garden, a piece of landscape art created by American artist James Turrell in 1992…
22.46 MILES
If you need proof of the power of a good yarn, then join the queue to get into this 15th-century castle, one of Ireland's most popular tourist attractions…
Nearby attractions
1. West Cork Model Railway Village
3.12 MILES
You can’t help but smile at the West Cork Model Railway Village. It features a vast outdoor recreation of the West Cork Railway as it was during the 1940s…
3.23 MILES
The state-of-the-art Clonakilty Distillery opened its doors to the public in 2019, producing triple-distilled single pot still Irish whiskey made with…
3.38 MILES
The Clonakilty Museum has some memorabilia, including Michael Collins’ weapons and uniform. The museum is run on a voluntary basis; contact the tourist…
3.73 MILES
Inchydoney, signposted 5km south of Clonakilty, has two gorgeous golden strands either side of a rocky peninsula set on a scenic inlet. You can rent…
5. Old Head Signal Tower & Lusitania Museum
12.04 MILES
This 200-year-old signal tower houses a museum dedicated to the RMS Lusitania, which was torpedoed by a German U-boat in 1915 with the loss of 1200 lives…
12.7 MILES
On an exposed hillside, with fields falling away towards the coast and cattle lowing in the distance, the Drombeg stone circle is superbly atmospheric…
13.37 MILES
This is one of the country's oldest Church of Ireland churches, built around 1190 by the Normans on the site of a 6th-century church. Not much of the…
8. Courthouse & Regional Museum
13.44 MILES
Based in the 17th-century courthouse that was used for the inquest into the sinking of the Lusitania, this eclectic museum contains local curiosities as…