Full Breakdown
Monument to Michael Collins Sparks Council Dispute in Sheffield
By Drooid · · How we work
The New Memorial and Its Physical Details
A nine-and-a-half-foot, 30-tonne black marble monument has been erected in Shiregreen Cemetery, Sheffield, to honor Michael Collins, who died at age 51 in December 2024. The structure includes two life-size white statues of Collins, one flanked by figures resembling Jesus Christ, and a second seated figure beside a plaque titled “Sheffield Collins Brothers.” Decorative elements feature marble representations of a pint of Guinness, a can of Guinness, and a Budweiser bottle, as well as a marble Bluetooth jukebox displaying the words “Legend Michael Collins” alongside two Irish flags, a CD, and a photograph of the deceased. The monument stands only metres from the £200,000 marble headstone that marks the grave of his brother William “Willy” Collins, a self-styled “traveller king” whose own memorial was erected two years after his 2020 death.
Background: The Collins Family Gravesite
William “Willy” Collins died in Majorca in 2020 at age 49. A large marble headstone costing £200,000 was placed in Shiregreen Cemetery in 2022, becoming a local landmark. Michael Collins, a father of four and grandfather to one, was survived by his wife Girleen, children Paris, Anthony, Montana and Martin, and grandson Martin Francis. Two other Collins brothers—Terry, who died aged 52 in September 2024, and Anthony, who was stabbed at age 22 in 2002—are also interred in the same cemetery.
Council Position and Procedural Requirements
A Sheffield City Council spokesperson explained that memorials in council-run cemeteries do not require full planning permission, but they must receive formal approval from the Bereavement Services department. The council confirmed that no final design had been submitted for Michael Collins’s monument and that formal approval had not yet been granted at the time of erection. Council officials indicated they are encouraging the family to submit a retrospective application so the monument can be assessed against cemetery regulations. The council declined to comment further on the dispute.
Community Reaction
Local residents have expressed mixed feelings. Several unnamed locals described the monument as resembling a “haunted crazy golf” course and questioned why the structure was allowed without the same scrutiny applied to other memorials. Others argued that the monument should be situated in a private cemetery rather than a public council site. The family’s widow, Kathleen, previously warned of “war” if the monument were removed, underscoring the emotional stakes for the Collins relatives.
Data Summary
- Weight: 30 tonnes (black marble)
- Height: approximately 9.5 feet
- Cost of adjacent Willy Collins headstone: £200,000
- Family survivors: wife Girleen; children Paris, Anthony, Montana, Martin; grandson Martin Francis
- Other interred Collins brothers: Terry (d. Sept 2024, age 52) and Anthony (d. 2002, age 22)
Unresolved Issues and Gaps
The council’s stance that memorials do not need planning permission but still require Bereavement Services approval creates a procedural ambiguity that has not yet been resolved. No final design or retrospective application has been filed, leaving the monument’s legal status uncertain. The family’s threat of “war” if the structure is dismantled has not been formally addressed by council officials, and no timeline for a decision has been provided. Consequently, the dispute remains open, with both community sentiment and regulatory compliance still in flux.