Sheffield cemetery memorial dispute erupts over Collins brothers' graves

A dispute has emerged in Sheffield’s Shiregreen Cemetery following the installation of a massive 30-tonne memorial for Michael Collins. The new nine-foot monument is situated just metres away from a previously erected £200,000 marble headstone belonging to his brother, William ‘Willy’ Collins, a bare-knuckle boxer known as the ‘King of Sheffield’.

The original memorial for Willy Collins, who died in 2020, has already been a source of contention. Sheffield City Council claimed the structure did not comply with cemetery rules, leading to a standoff with the family.

The new memorial for Michael Collins features life-sized white statues, depictions of alcoholic beverages, and a marble Bluetooth jukebox. Some local residents have expressed dissatisfaction with the scale and style of the monuments, while others have questioned whether the structures were erected without the necessary planning permissions.