Collins Commemoration on Sunday
THIS Sunday a special event is taking place in Sligo Gaol to remember one of its most famous inmates.
It is marking 100 years since Michael Collins was incarcerated in the jail.
The commemoration is taking place on Sunday, September 9 th, at 12pm.
Collins’s grandniece will be in attendance.
The event is part of a weekend conference taking place in Sligo celebrating 200 years of the jail.
Friends of Sligo Gaol are hosting the event on the 100 th anniversary since his incarceration in 1918.
They have commissioned esteemed artist Emma Stroude to paint a portrait of Michael Collins in recognition of his time in Sligo Gaol.
The portrait will be unveiled by his grandniece Mary Claire O’Malley at a special gathering to be held in the jail grounds.
The portrait will subsequently be presented to the people of Sligo.
There will also be a lecture by Phelim Brady MBE and noted scholar of Michael Collins Sligo Gaol Diary.
People can also take part in bespoke tours of Sligo Gaol with actors portraying the jail’s most famous prisoner.
The event is funded by Creative Ireland Programme 2017-2022 and Sligo County Council Community and Economic Development.
The bicentenary conference starts on Friday and runs until Sunday. Illustrator Wayne O’Connor is launching a book on the jail’s history, while historians and authors will be speaking at a major conference in the Clayton Hotel on Saturday.
There will also be a panel discussion on the future of the jail followed by a Conference Dinner in the hotel.
To find out more about the full list of events taking place during the conference visit www.sligogaol.ie