Michael Collins.

1. Michael Collins’ Life
This chapter will tell about Michael Collins' life, including his childhood, tennagehood and actions provided during his living in London. There will also be described infromation about his sacrifice for Ireland from his participation in operations for the Dail, through the War of Independence, to finally tell about the signing of the Anglo Irish Treaty.
Michael Collins was born (as most biographies state) on 16 October 1890 (on his tombstone there is a date of 12 October 1890) in Sam's Cross, near Clonakilty, County Cork as third son and the youngest of eight children. He was a child of Michael John Collins and Mary O’Brien. When his parents got married in 1870, Mary was only 23 years old while Michael John was 59. The age difference did not stop them from happy marriage and bringing up eight children. The youngest one, who bore Michael John’s name, became the favourite child of his last years. He also became the Irish revolutionary leader and a founder of the Irish Free State. His work mostly helped to secure independence for most of Ireland from Great Britain. He is regarded as the most charismatic figures and political leader in Irish history. He dies shot to death on 22 August 1922.

1.1 Collins’ Youth
Young Michael was very close to his elderly father. He accompanied him everywhere and tried to help him in his own, childish way on the farm. He was grown up in a close and loving environment. All of the love and attention he got from his family might have turned his head. Despite that, it had gained positive benefits on his self-confidence and self-assurance and it seemed to have no negative quality of becoming self-centred.
Old Michael John seemed to be very opened to his youngest and delighted him with legends, myths, tragic tales and deeds from Irish history. In 1897 Michael John died. Collins was with his father to his very last breath and later he often recalled his last words:

“I shall not see Ireland free, but my children’s time will come, please God1.”
Those words surely made big influence on young Michael. Considering the bond between the father and the son it can be assumed that young Michael started to think about those words seriously after his father’s death. Old man’s influence on the boy’s intellect was very important. Michael John born in the year of waterloo had grown up in days of when Catholic provincial people were restricted with education. The system of hedge-schools often carried out in the open air. The limited resources did not kill the enthusiasm and they were encouraging people, old and young, to do not stop the process of gaining knowledge and to study on their own. Michael John had acquired little education from Diarmuid O Suillebhain, his cousin from his mother side. As a consequence Michael got a good grounding in English and French and also classical Irish which afterwards pushed him to acquire deeper knowledge: Latin, Greek and pure mathematics2.

Michael arose into a stiff youngster, well built for his age, ahead of age in understanding beyond his years. From his early childhood he had no problem with relating easily with his siblings and parents, especially father who had treated him as a companion and never talked down to him. It was Michael John who had taught him how to read and write and at the age of four and a half was sent to the nearest school, which was about two miles from the farm and it was the National School at Lisavaird. This one-teacher school had pupils from age five to twelve and was run by a schoolmaster – Deni Lyons whose influence on students lasted for lifetime. Except of his pedagogue skills, he had also ability of motivating students’ commitment3.

The National School system at those days was established by the system, which tried to eradicate Irish nationalism from the youth and erode insurgent notions, which could be possibly imbibed with mother’s milk. Denis Lyons was veteran of the IRB (“Irish Republican Brotherhood that grew out of the Fenian movement which was founded in the 1850s by James Stephens in Ireland and John O'Mahony in New York4”) who held back his Fenian fellow feeling from the regime and was promoting believes in physical force in order to achieve the independence of Ireland. Michael, many years later, said how he benefited from ‘Lyons’ school’. He said:

“In Denis Lyons, especially his manner, although seemingly hiding what meant most to him, was this pride of Irishness which has always meant most to me5.”

Lyons respected Collins the same way he was respected by the boy. The schoolmaster’s neat handwriting of a school report dated from 1901 about Michael when he was eleven:

‘’Exceptionally intelligent in observation and at figures. A certain restlessness in temperament; Character: Good; Able and willing to adjust himself to all circumstances. A good reader, Displays more than a normal interest in thing appertaining to the welfare of his country. A youthful, but neverthe-less striking, interest in politics. Coupled with the above is a determination to become an engineer. A good sportsman, though often temperamental6.’’


Another influential person on the young Michael was James Santry who with Lyons was boy’s first tutor:

“Capable of – because of their personalities alone – infusing into me a pride of Irish race. Other men may have helped me along the searching path to a political goal. I may have worked hard myself in the long search, nevertheless, Denis Lyons and James Santry remain to me as my first stalwarts7”

Santry was born storyteller, a blacksmith whose smithy was close to Michael’s school and boy’s father brought both in contact. After Michael’s father’s death, at Christmas 1900, the family moved to more spacious house where he had his own, barely furnished bedroom with fine window. His undoubtedly favorite part of the room was a bookcase with wide range of different, mostly catholic, books and of his great heroes: Wolfe Tone, Robert Emmet, Thomas Davis’ writings (read numerous times left lasted mark on Michael’s political ideology). The young lad did not spend time with boys his age, he seemed to enjoy his own company: walking on the long walks, sometimes with a book8.

At the age of fourteen Michael attended to the National School in Clonakilty which the headteacher was John Crowley. The boy was weaned away from the idea of becoming an engineer and had been put into special class, managed by Crowley, coached for the Civil Service examination. With good pass at school Michael had an opportunity of recruitment into Royal Irish Constabulary. He studied hard for the CS examination and his sister, Margaret kept her eyes on him. The only breaks he was allowed were on Saturday morning while he was going on his little field trips. In 1904 he was given his first bicycle and from that time he was cycling along the countryside paths9.

Michael enjoyed sports very much and his favourite disciplines were: wrestling, jumping, running and horse-riding. He did not like team sports. In 1905 Michael passed the Civil Service examination and got his own place in the Second Division of the British civil service, with salary of £35. From the wide choice of quite few government departmets he had chosen the Post Office Savings Bank as his sister, Hannie, had already been established there. After completing the term in the National School in Clonakilty he prepared, in 1906, to go to London and probably leave his beautiful places of West Cork.
1.2 Collins’ life in London

When he came to London, where he had spent nine and a half years of his life, he lived in a room at 6 Minford Gardens in Shepherds Bush. The landlord, a master baker, Albert Lawrence let out rooms to shopmen and Irish and Scots, but Hannie, Michel’s sister, who often called him ‘father’, was his very favourite. When she mentioned about her brother coming over to London, the old landlord took the boy under his roof. This lasted until 1908 when the old baker moved to Coleherne Terrace in South Kensington and opened his bakery on the ground floor with letting rooms above. Michael claimed: ‘ Don’t think we are going to leave you father’ and the siblings continued living with the baker till 1913 when he retired after selling his business.

Michael moved to 28 Princes Road. Eight years later Michael met Sir William Darling, at that time on the staff of the British administration in Dublin Castle, who was his companion at discusses about books, and found G.K. Chesterton novels very interesting. The lad’s very favourite one was ‘’The Napoleon of Notting Hill’’. The siblings moved to 5 Netherwood Road in Shepherds Bush, where they were renting a two-bedroom flat with kitchen and bathroom on the upper floor.

Collins joined the Sinn Fein Club, where he attended Gaelic League located in Chancery Lane and it was his first step to try to learn Irish. He was well-known and liked by everyone in Sinn Fein Club (probably because of his maturity and self-confidence with his straight opinions). All of those, and also having his sister with him, did not stop him from being homesickness and feeling lonely but he had recovered quickly and found Irish associates in his age who were employed, as well as Michael, in Saving Banks. Despite the all offered activities from ‘Bank organization’ Collins involved himself in none of them. He followed Hannie’s steps and joined Mass and Confession (where she was manifesting her Irishness) and got a chance to meet many English families and make a lot of friendships with them. This was a great opportunity for Michael to get to know his opponents10.

In 1908 he won the contest for a candidate for a vice-captain of the hurling team which he had joined earlier. After a year, he got to the London County Boardof the Galeic Athletic Association and few months later became a secretary in the Geraldines. He still could not cope with depending on others in team sports, what made him look bad while he was blaming others and felt like he cannot rely on them. Collins started to take part in sports meetings, running and jumping, where he could compete with other athletes. When he became a civil servant, he got two weeks’ leave and decided to return home. Later, his brother John married Katey Hurley and the family ties got very strong. Following his father’s steps, Michael by befriending with Sam Maguire, who became his mentor, got an opportunity for an induction into the Irish Republican Brotherhood that secret meeting was held in Bransbury. His joining to the brotherhood crossed with return of Tom Clarke in 1908, an old-style Fenian, to regain the movement. Young Collins quickly got promoted to Section Master and in 1914 accredited Tresurer of the London and South England district. All of Michael’s doings were profitable apprenticeship for the future11.

In 1917 Sinn Fein was reorganized continuing its work but not at the daylight. It has provided Michael with his power, especially during the troubles and the civil war. Non-members of the IRB, not mentioning about the Catholic hierarchy, were not afraid to begrudge and conspire against one. The conflict between the IRB and Sinn Fein was one of the causes of the civil war in 1922-2312.

Around 1913 or 1914, at an IRB meeting, Michael passed on a paper which reveals his political development he had in mind; he spoke about all of different movements he had coming into his head. Collins life was full of diverse activities connected with the IRB and he had no time to study enough. He failed his Civil Service exams and his career in Custom and Excise appealed. After that, he had devoted himself into the cause of Irish independence. All books read, as well as his work mattered in his further commission. Michael abandoned studies at King’s College and in April 1910 resigned from the Post Office Saving Banks and took a position with Horne & Company in Moorgate where he was in charge of messengers. When the First World War started he left and become a clerk at the Board of Trade in Whitehall, with the salary of 70-150 pounds per annum13.
He was playing in the final of the Hurling Championship of Great Britain on 4 August 1914, the day that war broke out. He met Frank Thornton, later his most trusted lieutenant. As he continued his work for Board of Trade he was also training the Irish Volunteers. During this rough time of war his brother, Pat, who lived in Chicago, wrote to him and tried to urge him to come to America. Pat was feared, as it turned out later correctly, that England’s problem would be a great chance for Ireland like in 1798 when Wolfe Tone’s rebellion agreed with the French Directory’s plans about the invasion of England. The brother had even sent Katie money for young Michael’s trip to the USA, which were send back by Michael with a message that if there is any trouble he will completely involve himself in situation. It was the first hint of Michael’s furtive exertion.

In May of 1915 Michael resigned from the Board of Trade and took the job at Guaranty Trust Company of New York with its office in London. Some of first biographers claim that it could be an option in case of something wrong happened, he could be transferred to NY. He could also do it for IRB to seek more knowledge of finances and improve his experience on higher level, but it argues with the benefit of retrospect. Michael’s work experience from 1906 was helpful for the cabinet of Minister of Finance, but unlikely to be thought-out at that time14.

Michael’s old biographies did not present his full portrait as a man, until the recent ones. He was badly involved in politics which left him very little time to have a personal life, not to mention about sex. The writer who touches briefly this subject is Frank O’Connor. In his book he writes about Michael being ‘shrewd enough’ to understand the damage of prostitution. All of closest friends of Michael had different view. Nancy O’Brien admitted that girls were mad about him. She is believed to know him as well as no one else, used to describe him as a man for who most girls and women were to humble. Shrewd analysis of Irish girls’ attitudes in relation to this type of man was made by Coogan15:

“In the battle of the sexes, the strong-minded Irish Catholic women have always displayed to a high degree the sexual combativeness of the peer group”.

During thi time period Collins was said to possibly be in a relationship, and it was said that it would be Susan Killeen from County Clare. The girl also worked in the Saving Department, living under the same roof and sharing the rent. The ‘couple’ was very close while Susan was in London, but after she left to Dublin their romance drained. She accused him of rarely writing, but he explained:

“I really do hate letter-writing, and I’m not good at it and can’t write down the things I want to say – however, don’t think that because I don’t write I forget16.”

Even that they were drifting apart, politically and romantically, they stayed on rather sympathetic connection.

Late in 1915 Michael left to Ireland, when heard the rumours about renewing clandestine military in Ireland, to find out what was in progress. After compact meeting with Tom Clarke and Sean MacDiarmada, during which he had been told to go back do London to wait for further orders, he got back to London around Christmas. Several days later, after the Military Service Act encounter force, he went for a Volunteer meeting, called to discuss the situation. During the meeting the assembly was given an idea of going back to their homes for their own safety17.

Michael gave the Guaranty Trust Company a week’s notice. Intending to levy right away, he did not want to wait for his call of duty. Robert Mackey congratulated and gave Collins a week’s salary, hastily given away to the IRB. Michael dismissed his work on 14 January 1916. , packed the bags and took the train to Holyhead. He helped in fight of Eastern Rebellion, all planned by the IRB. During the Rising, Michael favored as aide-de-camp to Joseph Mary Plunkett. On 24 April 1916 the Easter Rebellion started and few days later, on 29 of April the last of the rebels surrendered. As one of executed, Collins was sent to internment camp in Wales and released in December 1916 as a part of general amnesty. He got back home on Christmas Day. Michael did not waste his time in the camp: he studied Irish insurrections history trying to analyse why did they always fail. In February 1917 he became a member the IRB’s Supreme Council and elected as a president of the IRB and in October 1917 Executive Council to the Sinn Fein. In March 1918 Collins became adjutant general of the Irish Volunteers and about a month later, on 3 April was arrested in Dublin for a speech given in County Longford. After posting bail he went on the run and for next three years, Collins was the most wanted man in Ireland18.
1.3 Dail in 1919

On 14 December 1918 general election voting was occurred. Sinn Fein won 73 out of 105 Irish seats in the Westminster parliament. Collins was elected to MP for South Cork. The first meeting took place in Dublin, on 21 January 1919, in the Round Room of Mansion House. Collins at that time was in England coordinating the escape of De Valera from Lincol jail. The undertakings of the Dail were carried out, this only time, in Irish and forty-three of candidates who were elected were absent as they were on the run either imprisoned. The speaker elected by the Dail was Cathal Brugha and at the meeting the following acceded 19:
- Declaration of Independece;
- Democratic Programme;
- Provisional Dail Constitution;
- Message to the Free Nations of the World.

The declaration of Independence defined rightful headquarter, which was the parliament of the sovereign of the ‘’Irish Republic’’. During De Valera absence, the temporary President of the Dail Eireann was Cathal Brugha who succeeded on his return to Ireland in April with Eamon de Valera’s help. Dail Eireann Second Ministry was from 1 April to 26 August 1921. De Valera became a President of Dail Eireann and as a Minister of Finance Michael Collins was elected.

All of the Ministers were chosen as it comes20:
a) Minister for Finance – Michael Collins
b) Minister for Home Affairs – Arthur Griffith
c) Minister for Foreign Affairs – Count Plunkett
d) Minister for Defence – Cathal Brugha
e) Minister for Labour – Constance Markiewicz
f) Minister for Locac Gouvenment – W.T. Cosgrave
g) Minister for Industries – Eoin MacNeill
h) Minister for Irish – Sean T. O’Kelly
On the same day when the Irish Parliament held its first meeting, a police transport at Soloheadbeg was attacked by a small group of Irish Volunteers. Two police officers were killed. This incident is stated by most of the historians to be the one that start the Black and Tan War, by referring to their black and khaki outfits, or as the War of Irish Independence. Through this period of time the Irish Volunteers renamed their organization into the Irish Republican Army.
1.4 Collins and War of Independence

Michael with Frank Kelly and Harry Boland arranged as I.R.A. the escape of de Valera, Sean Mulroy and Sean McGarry from Lincoln Gaol. After hiding for a few weeks, de Valera returned to Dublin, in order to amnesty from British Government to political prisoners, and became a president of Dail Eireen in April. At the same time Collins was elected for Minister of Finance. In September 1919 the British implied to convey the Dail up to 1921, whilst this time it had twelve gatherings.

During the gathering of the Dail, on 21 January 1919 the first shot of the Anglo-Irish Was were launched. Before his departure for the USA, de Valera was trying to find funds and maintenance for the Dail which policy, carried out against the R.I.C., seen as British administration eyes and ears, counting roughly 9700 men in nearly 1500 barracks around the country. Their resignation amount was falling down as the salary was not increasing since 187221.

A leader, with perfect intuition, cared about people who worked for him, could his generousness and loyalty, as he would take risk for a friend. A confident man sedate, proud and confident in the Irish people. After his meeting with I.R.A. officers in Dublin, they went back to areas with refreshed perseverance and and conviction to win22.

The IRB, designed for protection of its members, including informers or traitors, who were despised and called rats. Collins, from his earliest years on a farm would have hated the rat, an animal which causes damages to the farmer's grain and potatoes as well as carries the deadly Wiell's disease. His countryman instinct was telling him to kill every rat, the animal, which in his mind had no right to live. Informers considered by the I.R.B as traitors and detectives of the ‘G’ division as they were a danger to the Irish and the I.R.B. decided that they need to be handled. They were shot by offenders chosen by the I.R.B. which was deemed as a murder by British press and the parliament23.

In September 1919 Collins created a small group of I.R.A., later called ‘Squad’. The group first leader was Mick McDonnell and the orders were taken directly from Collins with injunction of not discussing their movements with each other. Their wage was £4.50 a week and they were gathering in builder’s yard near Dublin Castle during the day and at night time they were meeting in houses. In this case, Collins was always safe with calling his members at any time.

Collins knew the British forces were blind without its spies and successfully eliminated its network by the end of 1919. He also developed his own organization that knew the telegraph codes of navy and the British Army. They conducted shooting of few assassins, which in their opinion would give exquisite effect. The ‘G’ division was reorganized and they brought in Forbes Redmond and some of his colleagues. Collins aware of the fact that Redmond was very dangerous claimed: "If we don't get that man he'll get us and soon". Redmond was shot in his head as known of wearing bullet-proof waistcoat. After his death the colleagues went back to Belfast24. Meetings of the IRB became frequent and Collins, with his Squad, was trying to make all of the actions more effective what finally caused the British Intelligence network paralysed and the tactics of the Flying Colums was developed.

1.5 The Anglo Irish Treaty

The Articles of Agreement for Treaty between Great Britain and Ireland was signed between the Government of the United Kingdom and Irish Republic representatives. The Treaty established Irish Free State, known also as Irish dominion, absolutely independent from the British Empire and in 1920 provided Northern Ireland, created by the Government of Ireland Act. Officially, it came into force on 6th December 1922 and in Britain it was approved by the House of Commons on 14th December 1922. The Dail debated longer with exposure of diverse opinions in Dublin. The debate was opened on 14th December with De Valera stating his view on the procedure:

“it would be ridiculous to think that we could send five men to complete a treaty without the right of ratification by this assembly. That is the only thing that matters. Therefore it is agreed that this Treaty is simply an agreement and that it is not binding until the Dáil ratifies it. That is what we are concerned with. However when the Treaty was ratified on January, he refused to accept it25”.

Later on, private sessions were convened in December and early morning on 6th January to keep it away from the public. The same day, after signing the articles, De Valera admitted that in his division is divided:

“When these Articles of Agreement were signed the body in which the executive authority of this assembly, and of the State, is vested became as completely split as it was possible for it to become. Irrevocably, not on personalities or anything of that kind or matter, but on absolute fundamentals26.”

De Valera resigned from his position in January and then, as his successor, the president of the Dáil became Arthur Griffith. He worked with Collins, chaired new Provisional Government of Ireland. New Irish constitution was established in December 1922 by the Third Dail. The Treaty was empowered legally on 14th January 1922 by the House of Commons of Southern Ireland. The Treaty revolutionaries prepared military operation which result was the Irish Civil War.
2. Michael Collins in articles: opinions about the leader and enemy.

In this chapter some of the newspapers' articles about Michael Collins will be discussed. It will also describe how he was and is seen by some of famous figures, authorities and journalists all around Great Britain and Ireland. Michael Collins undoubtly was a figure with a strong personality, believes and with a strong sense of Irish pride as well as being Irish. Immutable views and Michael's vicious actions during his life contributed to his achievements, which also makes them inspirations for many as his attitude influenced, influence, and probably will influence many individuals who, and whose actions will change what happens, and what makes history.