Walking Stick Owned by Irish Revolutionary Hero Michael Collins Sold in Belfast for £52,000

A century old rosewood walking stick with a silver collar and tip has been sold in Belfast, Ireland (Irish: Béal Feirste, Éire) for £52,000. The reason that the stick achieved a price five times higher than the auctioneers expected was that it once belonged to Irish republican leader Michael Collins. It was sold along with a letter of provenance. An institution in Ireland is understood to have bought the stick and it is likely to form part of a public display. Next year a number of plans are underway to commemorate the 100 years since Michael Collins' death in 1922.

Michael Collins (Irish: Mícheál Ó Coileáin; 16 October 1890 – 22 August 1922) was a leading figure in the struggle for Irish independence. He led the Irish Republican Army (IRA) during the War of Independence with Britain, which lasted from January 1919 until July 1921. His leadership came to be known for the successful guerrilla tactics used by his vastly outnumbered forces.  Following the War of Independence a Civil War took place in Ireland and Michael Collins was killed in an ambush in August 1922. He lay in state for three days and thousands of mourners filed past his coffin to pay their respects. An estimated 500,000 people lined the streets of Dublin (Irish: Baile Átha Cliath) on August 28,1922 to pay their respects to this Irish revolutionary hero, almost one fifth of the country's population at that time. 

Image above: Michael Collins as Ireland's Minister for Finance in 1920.

Image below: Michael Collins walking stick and letter of provenance image courtesy of Raidió Teilifís Éireann.