Beal na mBláth project unveiled

Cork County Council has this week revealed plans for a significant project for Béal na mBláth.

The council announced on Tuesday that the work is due to be completed in advance of the national event to commemorate the centenary of the death of Michael Collins in August 2022.

The site will be restored to reveal its heritage value in the “most sensitive and appropriate manner”, the council said, serving as a legacy thereafter of the centenary itself.

A design for the project has been developed by experts in archaeological historic landscapes, memorial historic landscapes, historical analysis of the battlefield and ambush area, and drawing from an historic landscape assessment.

Commenting on the project, Mayor of Cork Cllr Gillian Coughlan said: “Thanks to our partners, Cork County Council, in consultation with the local Béal na mBláth Commemoration Committee, will develop a project that is both sensitive and features minimal intervention but will increase the memorial's legibility and that of its context.

“Through quality design, the Beal na mBláth project will reveal and re-establish this historic route through our heritage landscape.

“The site's historical authenticity and integrity will be maintained while ensuring this national monument remains a legacy for future generations.”

This design has guided the proposed interventions to the area resulting in a Section 38 application under the Roads Traffic Act 1994 to introduce traffic calming measures adjacent to the Micael Collins Memorial by the reduction of the carriageway width, renewal of surfacing and road markings, the addition of car parking spaces and associated works. This sensitive development at the monument will ensure its universal accessibility and will allow the visitor a chance to experience the landscape and feel what it was like in 1922 when the ambush took place.

A map guide of the site and wider ambush area will also be included.

Welcoming the project, Chief Executive of Cork County Council Tim Lucey said: “The commitment of all the partners is evident through the funding and expertise brought to this project, ensuring the restoration of the landscape affords the appropriate commemoration of the events here in 1922, for the centenary year and for years to come.”