sinnféin

The Long Fellow himself complete with Fáinne and book of advanced mathematics puzzles. He was so young looking then before he became either adored or reviled, depending on your perspective. Sorry Carol, had begun commenting before I spotted your question - the answer is, he is wearing neither as I understand it! A lorgnette was spectacles on a stick or handle but what he is wearing appears to be "pince nez" or nose pinchers!

Those glasses do have a little stick or handle on the right (our left).

That's true, but a lorgnette was normally presented to the eye as required whereas with Dev they were required equipment to enable him to see at any distance. Pince Nez were more his style and the little handle saved one from muddying the waters so to speak!

Any evidence on where the 'Big Fella' was at the same time Carol? I know there were very few photos of Collins, so was just curious if there was anything comparitive in the archives by any chance? Tks, K.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pince-nez He is holding the EiPad of its day, complete with a graphite-cored stylus (pencil).

My first thoughts are Grand Parade Cork?

I agree that’s the Grand Parade in Cork, great photo!

My initial reaction is to suggest that this is the Grand Parade on Cork also. Here specifically. Looking past the National Monument towards Sullivan's Quay. This is was fairly common spot for public meetings in those days (Collins and others would famously speak from the same spot in the years that followed). The only thing that gives me pause is the lack of detail on the monument - but that's almost certainly a focus/quality issue. Grand Parade - >90% certainty.

there was the Conscription Crisis in 1918, I see many photos of the crowd online, none from this angle

National Library of Ireland on The Commons Dora Meulman You are correct - if you look at this photo from the archive the "White - Corner Stones" between the Grand Parade and The South Mall match perfectly with the photo above - See here

Clearly the date range must be 1914-16.

"He was a 'doer' more than a writer". A couple of lovely photos of Seán MacDiarmada here in our Googley exhibition on the Signatories of the Proclamation. He looks so different with a beard.

The buttons, being on his left, would indicate that this photograph is reversed.

The webified version of the 1911 census does a very poor job of transcribing what the Gaeilgeors in the house wrote on the Census Form.

O Mac Yes! On the companion photo the buttons are on the left, and his tie-pin wiggles the other way - catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000029734