A descendant of Michael Collins has welcomed the announcement by Taoiseach, Micheál Martin that he is to hang a portrait of the Free State leader in his office beside a portrait of Fianna Fáil founder, Eamon De Valera. Collins’ grandniece and former minister for justice Nora Owen said she believed it was an appropriate gesture by Mr Martin to hang a portrait of Collins beside De Valera, given Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are now in government together. “Normally, if a Fianna Fáil Taoiseach was there on his own, he would have a picture of De Valera and a Fine Gael Taoiseach would have a picture of Michael Collins,” said Ms Owen who was deputy leader of Fine Gael from 1993 to 2001. “Leo Varadkar said to me during the week that he was taking down the portrait of Michael Collins and I said ‘Well actually, you might put it back up and I’m going to put De Valera next to him in the Taoiseach’s office’,” said Mr Martin. Stressing she was speaking in a personal capacity and that other descendants of Michael Collins might hold different views, Ms Owen said that having both portraits was symbolic of both parties entering coalition together but she didn’t believe it would lead to any merger.

Source: The Irish Times July 11, 2020 06:56 UTC