Béal na Bláth civil war site to receive significant upgrade

Cork County Council's heritage officer, Conor Nelligan, believes that next year's commemoration “will attract national and international attention"

The upgrade will be completed in time to mark the 100th anniversary on August 22 of the day Michael Collins was shot dead when he and a column of Free State forces were ambushed there by Anti-Treaty troops. File photo

Plans are being drawn up to significantly upgrade the country's most important Civil War commemoration site in advance of the centenary of the fatal shooting there of General Michael Collins.

A team of archaeologists, architects, engineers and officials from Cork County Council and a number of external experts and representatives from government departments are working on plans to upgrade the monument and its surrounds at Béal na Bláth.