Irish Examiner view: Smart thinking behind proposal to erect a statue of Michael Collins

A century after his death, the plan to immortalise Collins with his trusty bicycle could hardly be more timely

From this iconic photo (reproduced in full below) to scenes of Liam Neeson cycling around Dublin in the title role of Neil Jordan's film, the idea of Michael Collins as a cyclist is already fixed in the public imagination. 

Earlier this week, a meeting of Cork City Council voted overwhelmingly in favour of plans to erect a statue of Michael Collins — a final tally of 22 votes in favour of the plan (one against and one abstention) shows the strength of support for the monument, which would commemorate the centenary of Collins’s death and recognise his contribution to the struggle for independence.

The fact that the statue would be paid for by fundraising rather than the city itself no doubt made it an even more attractive prospect, and those in favour of the statue already have a particular pose in mind.