The Big Fellow was the nickname given to Michael Collins, one of the key leaders in the Irish independence movement after the 1916 Easter Rising and who became a leader during the Irish War of Independence .
There are a number of anecdotal explanations for the origin of "The Big Fellow"'s nickname. The most authoritative comes from his family, stating that he was so called by them while still a child. It had been a term of endearment for their youngest brother, who was always keen to take on tasks beyond his years. It was certainly already established by his teens, long before he emerged as a political or military leader.
At this location you'll see two structures - the actual location where he was born and also the foundations of the house he grew up in. He was born here on October 16th 1890 in buildings that now resemble outhouses. Indeed, all his 7 older siblings were born here also. This was originally believed to have been a two story structure, but no pictures of its original form were believed to have been taken. The house was converted into outhouses when the larger new house, one of the first in the area was built using cement.
Work on the new house was begun in 1899 and the family moved in just before Christmas 1900 when the picture above was believed to have been taken of Collins with some of his family at the door of the new house.
You will only see a the foundation outline of the newer house today (along with the house's chimney cap) because it was burned down on April 7th 1921 by the Essex Regiment led by Captain E. Percival in retribution for his role and actions in the war of independence and also because the house's loft was frequently used during the war of independence
The cache should be a relatively straightforward find - it is on the road side of the boundary.