Michael Collins’ missing hat of far more importance than a lock of his hair

I was listening to Nora Owen on RTÉ radio deprecating the making of money out of the sale of her grand-uncle, Michael Collins’s hair lock, at an auction recently.

The other O’Mahony sister, Mary Banotti, was on the same channel the previous day in similar tones.

Of perhaps greater value than a lock of his hair was the hat Collins wore to the Treaty negotiations in London.