Michael Collins House
Michael Collins House
4.5
Tuesday
10:00 - 17:00
Wednesday
10:00 - 17:00
Thursday
10:00 - 17:00
Friday
10:00 - 17:00
Saturday
10:00 - 17:00
About
Michael Collins House is a History Museum in Clonakilty, Cork dedicated to Irish revolutionary hero, Michael Collins. Learn about the 'Big Fella' himself and his life story entwined with the history of the fight for Irish independence. Discover the local patriots who went before Collins and dedicated their lives to an independent Ireland, influencing the path which Collins would later take. Through guided tours, interactive displays, audio visuals, artefacts and information boards Irish history is brought to life and presented in an easy to understand and personal manner, suitable for all the family.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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  • Evangeline W
    Oxford, United Kingdom57 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Excellent for a rainy day!
    Really informative and interactive museum. Mid teen kids enjoyed finding out more about independence in Ireland and listening to the audio tour (free to download as soon as you get into the museum). They especially liked the quotes on the walls. Excellent place for a rainy day.
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 13 April 2024
  • Robert N
    Manchester, United Kingdom112 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Well worth visiting, this man really made Irish freedom possible
    This is well worth a visit, if you are at all interested in Irish history, particularly the War of Independance and the Civil War. Dont confuse it with the Michael Collins Centre outside of Clon, run by a distant relative of 'The Big Fella.' I was unable to visit the latter place because it has restricted opening hours, but would have done both places if my holiday had been later in the year. The Michael Collins House packs a lot in, and you get a full picture of the man himself. There arent many historical artefacts, but that is not surprising. A statue of Michael Collins lies outside in one corner of Emmet Square. I had a short but interesting conversation with the man on the reception desk. The subject was 'How would Ireland have developed differently, as a new State, if Michael Collins had lived.' Its a subject of legitimate discussion for everyone who loves Ireland, including me, an Englishman !
    Visited May 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written 15 May 2024
  • simon3004
    Exeter, United Kingdom57 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Understanding British colonisation
    Very friendly staff and filled in some gaps in my full knowledge of Irish history and politics. TBH I think it’s so sad how history taught in British schools whitewashes over Irish history. Great house , well worth a visit
    Visited June 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 30 June 2024
  • Faith
    Rutledge, Georgia13 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A must-see in Ireland.
    This is a wonderful museum. Very interesting exhibits, loads to see, great information and history. Easy to move through and see everything especially when traveling with someone with mobility issues - much appreciated. The staff was extremely helpful, kind and very funny! The staff alone were a highlight of our visit.
    Visited July 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 11 July 2024
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TP4725
41 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2020
Worth a visit if in Clonakilty and looking to find out more about Michael Collins. I would recommend it particularly to those who know little or nothing about Collins and want to discover the basics about him and the Irish War of Independence. Not a lot of new information for those who may already be well informed but I still found it an enjoyable hour or so.
Many of the displays were quite repetitive with the same information being repeated throughout the museum. Also they were very strict and possibly overly cautious with implementation of Covid-19 restrictions which could cause delays in progressing though the museum.
Written 5 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear TP4725 Thank you for taking the time to review our museum. I am delighted that you had an enjoyable experience though your rating seems to be at odds with your review and recommendations. Our aim at Michael Collins House is always to be as accessible to as wide a range of people as possible from the the young to old and to those with no prior knowledge of the subject to those well informed. It is difficult to bring something new to 100 year old historical fact, especially to someone well informed, though the local history, predecessors and influences on a young Michael Collins which we look at in depth are less widely known and something that isn't looked at elsewhere either in text or as part of a visitors experience. What we also offer is a unique collection of Michael Collins related artefacts owned by the museum and also on loan to the us directly from the Collins family. Also, we believe the safety of both our employees and our visitors is something you can never be overly cautious about and the minimum that should be expected when visiting a publicly owned museum. While our measures may lead to an extra few minutes in the museum and the need for a little patience, it allows us provide a safe, socially distant and sanitised environment to reassure our visitors and give everyone a sense of security and comfort when visiting. Please do call back again in the near future and hopefully avail of our guided tours when they are back up and running. Yours Sincerely, Jamie Murphy.
Written 14 August 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Barry H
Swords, Ireland82 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2020 • Couples
A beautifully presented museum about Michael Collins and Irelands War of Independence. Its a self guided tour through the house over 3 levels. There are some really interesting artefacts on display with audio visual presentations also. A must see for all fans of Michael Collins and Irish history.
Written 14 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

BerthaFitz
Killarney, Ireland53 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2022 • Solo
Michael Collins House really brings life to the story of the man himself and those turbulent times in Irish History.

The combination of exhibition items, short films , letters , on display in this beautiful Georgian House , in the elegant Square where Collins lived as a young boy , works really well.
The people who influenced him as a young boy /man are well portrayed . Apart from his immediate family , Tadhg An Asna O Donovan , and O Donovan Rossa, really come to life, too. A beautiful Christening Dress worn by O Donovan Rossa s children and successive generations of his and his wife, Mary Jane Irwin , is particularly striking.
Also , very poignant were the many quotations from his letters:
‘After you have seated , toiled , had mad dreams …’
and the many portraits of Collins, I especially liked Leo Whelan s .
Finally the last photo taken of Collins, only an hour /two before he died and the many beautiful personal items that belonged to his fiancé , Kitty Kirwan .
I left with a renewed sense of the huge loss he was to Ireland as well as to Kitty Kirwan and his own family.
Written 6 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

TR
3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022
Well sign posted and easy to park in surrounding streets. Reception staff very welcoming , friendly and informative. The audio visual presentation and displays were very informative and interesting to sit and watch and to look at at our own pace. Lots of interesting exhibits. Everyone involved with the museum were most helpful and willing to answer any quesions. In particualr the gentleman on the reception who was able to answer our query on parking which we really appreciated as we know the difficulties we have when parking in our home city of Oxford. As this was our first brief trip to West Cork we will be more than happy to revisit and would definitely come back to the museum as well as recommending any friends, family and visitors to the area to come and visit too.
Written 30 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Bozeman-Dublin
Trim, Ireland11,249 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2021 • Solo
The Michael Collins Museum in Clonakilty really is excellent and well worth a visit.
It's a fascinating place with very well informed and helpful staff.
It's important to book ahead as numbers are limited during these pesky Covid times.
For €5 it offers outstanding value. There are a couple of excellent Audio Visual displays and the sections on the Beal na Blath ambush that led to the death of General Collins is especially poignant and heartbreaking.
Obviously the Museum centres on Collins but there are excellent exhibits on O'Donovan-Rossa and other rebels too as well as a great section on the United Irishhmen and other earlier Fenians.
Great memorabilia, photos and curios and overall a superb Museum.
Written 6 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

MTB100
London, UK53 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2022
Out of the tourist season we had the museum to ourselves on a rainy weekday afternoon, so it made the experience that bit more special.
It's small enough to get around in c. an hour and the information is provided in an interesting and digestible format so we left feeling we had been well educated about Michael Collins and the key role he played in the Irish War of Independence.
The gentleman on duty in reception was also super helpful.
Definitely worth a visit.
Written 20 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ciarrigal
Dublin, Ireland86 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022 • Family
Beautiful museum packed full of artifacts and details of Michael Collins life and part in irish war of independence and civil War. The videos are so well presented and appeal to young and old. Staff are welcoming and knowledgeable.
Would highly recommend even for those with little knowledge of irish history
Written 27 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Robert N
Manchester, UK112 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2024 • Solo
This is well worth a visit, if you are at all interested in Irish history, particularly the War of Independance and the Civil War. Dont confuse it with the Michael Collins Centre outside of Clon, run by a distant relative of 'The Big Fella.' I was unable to visit the latter place because it has restricted opening hours, but would have done both places if my holiday had been later in the year.

The Michael Collins House packs a lot in, and you get a full picture of the man himself. There arent many historical artefacts, but that is not surprising. A statue of Michael Collins lies outside in one corner of Emmet Square.

I had a short but interesting conversation with the man on the reception desk. The subject was 'How would Ireland have developed differently, as a new State, if Michael Collins had lived.' Its a subject of legitimate discussion for everyone who loves Ireland, including me, an Englishman !
Written 15 May 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Evangeline W
Oxford, UK57 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2024 • Family
Really informative and interactive museum. Mid teen kids enjoyed finding out more about independence in Ireland and listening to the audio tour (free to download as soon as you get into the museum). They especially liked the quotes on the walls. Excellent place for a rainy day.
Written 13 April 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Karen S
Cork, Ireland4 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2020
Excellent presentation covering wider aspects of Michael Collins' family, mentors and comrades.

Visiting during Cv19 in July 2020 all social distancing rules are adhered to, though there was a lot of reading material available, it was a task wearing a clear visor/mask and spectacles.

The Guided Tours are not available at present - but they have an online facility you tap into via your 'clever-phone'.
Written 30 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Karen, Thank you for your kind review. I am glad you had enjoyable experience at our museum. Please do call back again in the near future. Yours Sincerely, Jamie Murphy.
Written 14 August 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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MICHAEL COLLINS HOUSE: All You MUST Know Before You Go (2024)

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