Barcelona and the ‘Big Fella’ BY PETER MURPHY When in Barcelona (January 2020), I happened to stumble across the ‘Michael Collins’ pub, where bar manager Niall Lynch made me feel at home with a pint on the house. Anyway, we got chatting about the numerous historical artifacts decorating the pubs interior; most relating to the ‘Big Fella’ himself, including the 1916 Easter Uprising. But it was a series of documents/letters relating to the Uprising that Niall later decided to privately share with me that would rouse my interest. Among them was a copy of a proclamation addressed to the citizens of Dublin, handwritten by Padraig Pearse in Dublin’s GPO as British artillery shells rained down on the city. According to Niall, it was Dublin compositor/printer Joseph Stanley who (during the Uprising) was handed a copy of the proclamation by Pearse himself. Stanley later printed it in the ‘Irish War News’ as a bulletin, and then had it distributed throughout Dublin. For his act of bravery, Stanley was arrested and imprisoned by the British. Also among the documents was a note from the British censor (of the time) warning of the consequences should Pearse’s proclamation be published, including a ‘charge sheet’ relating to Stanley’s arrest for having published. It included a copy of a letter from Stanley’s son authenticating Pearse’s handwritten proclamation. Niall wouldn’t allow me to photocopy the said documents/letters, but did (after some persuasion and me purchasing a pint) allow me to photograph them. Should you ever visit the beautiful city of Barcelona, make sure you drop into the ‘Michael Collins’ pub, and should Niall like the cut of you, he might (over a pint) share with you the above mentioned documents. 42 | THE IRISH SCENE
Peter Murphy and the documents shown to him by Michael Collins publican, Niall Lynch
