Michael Collins - Prints of "The Big Fella" starting at $14.95!

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michael collins in the street, Political Collection

Michael Collins was born in 1890 in Sams Cross, Co. Cork. At 16 years of age he went to London and worked in West Kensington. While in London he joined the secret Irish nationalist group, the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB). The IRB believed in the creation of an Irish Republic.

He returned to Dublin from London in 1916 and was quickly appointed staff officer of the Volunteers by Joseph Plunkett, the IRB's military expert. Here he worked closely with two other IRB members, Thomas Clarke and Sean Mac Diarmada.

During the Easter Rising, he fought in the GPO alongside Padrig MacPiarias and James Connolly, two of the leaders of the Rising.

After the Rising the public were initially angry about the destruction of the city, but after 15 leaders of the rebellion were executed the mood changed, and from the revulsion of the executions rose a sympathy for the independence cause, which now held a gallery of martyrs.

Those executed:
May 3rd, 1916 - Padriag MacPiarias, Thomas Clarke, Thomas MacDonagh
May 4th, 1916 - Joseph Plunkett, Edward Daly, Michael O'Hanrahan, William Pearse
May 5th, 1916 - John McBride
May 8th, 1916 - Cornelius Colbert, J.J. Heuston, Eamonn Ceannt, Michael Mallin
May 9th, 1916 - Thomas Kent
May 12th, 1916 - James Connolly, Sean MacDiarmada

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T.D. Commander-in-Chief National Army. Killed in ambush, Co. Cork, 22nd August, 1922, Political Collection

In July of 1921 Ed de Valera met with Lloyd Geroge in London and a Truce was set for 11 July 1921. Collins and Griffith were unexpectedly chosen to lead the Irish team of negotiators when the peace talks were set for October of that year.

The peace negotiations lasted from October 10, 1921 to December 6, 1921, at which time Lloyd George gave the Irish Peace delegation an ultimatum, that if they did not sign the peace treaty then hostilities would resume. On signing the Treaty collins turned to Lord Birkenhead and said, "I have signed my death warrant".

Collins had suspected that he was sent as a negotiator because it was a no-win situation, and on his return to Ireland, Brugha, Stack and Boland sided with de Valera against him and the Treaty.

On January 14, 1922 the Treaty was ratified and established southern Ireland (26 or the 32 counties) as a Free State with dominion status. But the Dail Eireann was now split into pro-Treaty and anti-Treaty camps. De Valera resigned and Collins was elected Chairman of the Provisional Government.

Throughout 1922 tension grew between the pro-Treaty and anti-Treaty sides and on June 28, 1922 the Civil War began. Cathal Brugha and Harry Boland both lost their lives, as the bitterness grew worse each day. Families were split on the issue and former comrades fought against one another. The Provisional Government began to retake cities and towns held by the Republicans.

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Commander-in-Chief National Army, Political Collection

While on a tour of inspection in the Cork area on August 22, 1922, Collins was ambushed at Beal na mBlath (The Mouth of Flowers) when returning in convoy from Bandon and died immediately of a single gunshot wound to the head. De Valera, who was in the same area of Cork at the time, was shaken by the news.

Thousands of people lined the streets of Dublin in a display of public grief at the funeral of Michael Collins. The perception in Ireland today is, that if he had lived, Ireland's future could only have been different and better.