A snapshot from history

Dave Kenny was amazed to discover a very rare photograph of Michael Collins in his own attic

SIFTING through the remains of a dead parent’s life is one of the hardest things you’ll ever do. What do you put into the bin? What do you keep? You could accidentally discard evidence of their existence: a letter that’s the sole survivor of a doomed love affair; a photo that proves some family myth was actually true.

Recently, I went to the attic to sort through my father’s papers. I’m working on a book about his mother’s family, the Nic Shiubhlaighs. They were a rebellious bunch, who were ‘out’ in 1916. My 69-year-old great-grandfather, Matt, printed the Irish War News for Pádraig Pearse. His Abbey actress daughters, Máire and Gypsy (my granny), led Cumann na mBan in Jacobs and carried messages for Cathal Brugha, respectively. My father used to tell me stories, on the rare occasions I listened, about his family’s friendships with Pearse, McDonagh, Marciewicz and, my hero, Michael Collins.