A nine-and-a-half-foot memorial to Michael Collins has appeared in Sheffield’s council-run Shiregreen Cemetery, just metres from the controversial monument to his brother Willy, known as the “Traveller King”. The elaborate structures have angered some local residents, who say they dominate a public cemetery and may reflect inconsistent enforcement of planning rules.

Michael’s memorial includes life-size statues, images of Guinness and Coca-Cola products, a marble jukebox and tributes to the Collins family. Willy’s nearby memorial reportedly cost about £200,000, includes a 37-tonne marble headstone and followed a planning dispute after his burial in a gold coffin in 2020; it remains unclear whether permission was obtained for Michael’s monument.