Michael Collins

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UNDERSTANDING 1917 AND BEYOND MICHAEL COLLINS

MICHAEL COLLINS EARLY LIFE Born on 16th October 1890, near Clonakilty, County Cork, Michael Collins was the son of a farmer and the youngest of eight children. From a young age Collins was instilled with a sense of Irish pride, influenced by his teacher Denis Lyons (member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood), local blacksmith James Santry (a Fenian) and his father Michael, whom he inherited a love of Irish poetry and ballads from. At the age of 15, Collins moved to London and became a clerk (his formal education ended at the age of 12). The professional experience Collins gained in London would prove invaluable in the years to come, as he would be instrumental in the organisation and running of the independent Irish republic. In London, Collins lived amongst a large Irish community and maintained and continued his love of Irish culture by joining the Gaelic League and the Gaelic Athletic Association. Whilst in London, Collins also furthered his passion for Irish nationalism by joining Sinn Féin, the Irish Republican Brotherhood and the Irish Volunteers (who would later become the Irish Republican Army). Collins remained in London until 1916, when he left to come back to Ireland to take part in the Easter Rising; a rebellion planned by the IRB and the Irish Volunteers.

Michael Collins, addressing a MICHAEL COLLINS - THE POLITICIAN crowd in Dublin, Like most ex-prisoners, Collins became heavily involved with Sinn Féin after 1922 the Rising. At the party Ard Fheis in October 1917, Sinn Féin elected a new President (Éamon de Valera) and executive council and adopted a new, republican constitution. Collins was one of those elected to the executive council. At the same time as his political ascension, Collins was also becoming a more central figure in the Irish Volunteers and the IRB and had built up The list of an intelligence network of agents who fed him information from the British names was supplied administration. In May 1918, it was this intelligence network that allowed by Ned Broy, one of Collins to find out that the majority of the Sinn Féin leadership was to be Collins' key spies in his arrested for their connection to the ‘ ’. The authorities in Dublin intelligence network. German Plot Broy was a Detective Castle alleged that Sinn Féin had been working with the German Empire in Sergeant for the Dublin order to start an armed insurrection in Ireland, with the aim of diverting British Metropolitan Police. forces from World War One. When warned of the impending arrests, the majority of the Sinn Féin leadership (including de Valera) allowed themselves to be arrested, in what they believed would be a propaganda victory. Collins and others decided to escape capture, leaving Collins to assume control of the republican movement in the run up to the general election of December The 1st Ministry of 1918. Sinn Féin won 73 out of 105 seats in the election (with Collins himself the Dáil, from January- winning the Cork South seat), replacing the (IPP) April 1919 was a temporary Irish Parliamentary Party one as Sinn Féin President as the largest political party in Ireland. In January 1919, Sinn Féin followed Éamon de Valera was in prison through with their election manifesto and formed a new parliament – Dáil in England - Michael Collins and Éireann – and declared Ireland an independent republic. At this first meeting Harry Boland were also not of the Dáil, Collins was appointed as Minister for Home Affairs. Collins was present as they were on their way to England to break later appointed Minister for Finance, as the Dáil’s cabinet was reshuffled in him out. April 1919.

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As Minister for Finance, his immediate priority was raising the money to run the independent government. Collins was able to achieve this by successfully organising the 'Dáil loan'. The money raised from the loan financed the War of Independence and diplomatic campaigns to have Ireland recognised as an independent state. As a result of the on-going War of Independence, in September 1919, Sinn Féin, the Irish Volunteers and the Gaelic League were banned and Dáil Éireann was declared illegal. Collins’ next major political contribution would change the course of Irish history and ultimately lead to his death. THE ANGLO IRISH TREATY The War of Independence came to an end in July 1921 after a truce between the Irish Volunteers/Irish Republican Army (IRA) and the British government. The conflict had come to a stalemate. Early negotiations between the two nations took place in July, led by Éamon de Valera with no part played The Dáil Loan by Collins. Negotiations were set to continue in October, but this time As Minister for Finance, Col- Collins would be part of a delegation that also included Arthur Griffiths. lins’ immediate priority was Collins objected to being part of the delegation, as he believed not only raising the money to ensure was he not qualified to negotiate the terms of the Treaty, but he also felt that the Dáil fulfilled its ambi- that any settlement that was negotiated would not grant Ireland the total tion of successfully running an independence it demanded. After weeks of negotiations, the Anglo Irish independent Ireland. Dur- Treaty was signed in the early hours of 6th December 1921. Under the terms ing the early months of 1919, of the Treaty, Ireland would become a Free State under the British monarchy the Dáil survived on private (they were not allowed to name themselves a ‘republic’) and Northern Ireland donations, however, this was would have the option to opt out of this new state (as of December 1920 with not sustainable. So in order the passing of the Government of Ireland Act, Northern Ireland already had to raise enough money to finance independence, Collins its own government). Despite Collins knowing that the terms of the Treaty successfully oversaw the ‘Dáil would not be agreeable by all members of the Dáil, he believed that it was the loan’ - Dáil Éireann would bor- best deal Ireland could get. In addition to this, Prime Minister Lloyd George row money from the people of threatened “immediate and terrible war” if they refused to accept the Treaty. Ireland, who in turn would re- Keen to avoid another war, Collins and the other members of the negotiating ceive interest payments twice team signed the Treaty. As expected, the Treaty was met with opposition in a year from their investment. the Dáil, but on the 7th January 1922 the Dáil narrowly voted in favour of the There was also an American Treaty (64 for, 57 against) causing a split in Sinn Féin and the IRA. A Provisional fund raising effort, which was Government of the new Free State was formed with Collins as Chairman. led by Éamon de Valera and Under the terms of the Treaty, a provisional government had to be elected, so Harry Boland. Initially, £250,000 on 16th June a took place with Michael Collins leading pro- was to be raised in Ireland, general election Treaty Sinn Féin and Éamon de Valera leading anti-Treaty Sinn Féin. Pro-Treaty with an equal amount to be raised abroad. By Septem- Sinn Féin won the election, with public opinion seemingly in support of the ber 1920, £380,000 had been Treaty and the creation of an Irish Free State. raised in Ireland. The money In the months preceding the election, anti-Treaty IRA militants began to raised, would fund the military prepare for the possibility of an armed insurrection against the British. In April, and political campaigns in the anti-Treaty IRA troops captured and occupied the Four Courts in central fight for independence. Dublin. Collins, who wanted to avoid civil war, did not take any action against the anti-Treaty forces until after the election when the British delivered an ultimatum: either the Free State forces cleared the Four Courts, or British forces would. On the 28th June, Michael Collins ordered the bombardment of the Four Courts in Dublin, plunging Ireland into Civil War.

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MICHAEL COLLINS - THE MILITARY LEADER Although famous for his political leadership, Collins was probably better known for his military leadership – which ran in parallel with his political responsibilities. Collins’ first contact with militant nationalism was in 1909, when he joined the Irish Republican Brotherhood in London. By the time the Easter Rising occurred in April 1916 (an event that the IRB helped to organise) Collins had become highly respected within the organisation. Collins returned

to Ireland in January 1916 and became a financial advisor to Count Plunkett, father of Joseph Mary Plunkett, one of the leaders of the Rising. As part of the Rising, Collins served as Joseph Mary Plunkett’s personal assistant in the General Post Office in Dublin. After the Rising, Collins was amongst hundreds

of rebels who were arrested and sent to an internment camp in Frongoch, North Wales. As a prisoner in the ‘University of Revolution’, Collins became a dominant figure in the IRB, leading discussions on military tactics, protests Members of and non-cooperation with authorities and participating in Irish language " the Irish classes. Collins also used his time to study past Irish rebellions and analyse negotiation why they failed. Although he admired the actions of all involved in the Rising, committee, Collins was very critical of the ‘blood sacrifice’ philosophy of December 1921 Pádraig Pearse and tactics employed. Collins believed there were fundamental flaws in the execution of the Rising, namely, the seizure of what he believed to be indefensible and vulnerable positions that were difficult to escape from and supply (e.g. St. Stephen’s Green). Collins was released in December 1916 and set about re-organising the IRB to right the wrongs of past rebellions. Although some in the republican movement viewed the IRB as no longer useful, Collins was convinced that the IRB could be influential in the fight for Irish freedom. Of Pearse and Connolly I admire Upon Collins’ return to Ireland, with the active support of his fellow ex- the latter the most. Connolly prisoners from Frongoch, he was appointed to the post of Secretary of the was a realist, Pearse the direct National Aid Office. The National Aid Office raised money for the families of opposite....On the whole I think the men who were executed or imprisoned as part of the Rising and to help the Rising was bungled terribly, those who suffered as a result of participating (or those who were suspected costing many a good life. It seemed of participating) in the Rising. The position was a very influential one and at first to be well-organised, but it provided Collins with the opportunity to maintain and develop links with afterwards became subjected to active Irish nationalists and republicans. This, along with secret membership panic decisions and a great lack of lists of the IRB gotten from Kathleen Clarke, widow of executed Rising leader very essential organisation and co- Tom Clarke, allowed Collins to reorganize the IRB with the help of Thomas operation. Ashe. Ashe became President whilst Collins took up the post of Secretary. In a letter to his friend Kevin O'Brien After Ashe’s death in September 1917, Collins became one of the most shortly after the Rising, Michael influential figureheads of the organisation. These two positions became the Collins communicates his thoughts on foundation of Collins’ rise through the nationalist movement. By October the Rising and some of its leadership. 1917, Collins had been elected to the Sinn Féin executive and had become " Director of Organisation for the Irish Volunteers. By the time the War of Independence began in January 1919, Collins held the positions of Adjutant General of the Volunteers, Director of Intelligence for the Volunteers/IRA and a few months after the beginning of the war, President of the Supreme Council of the IRB.

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INTELLIGENCE AND TACTICS DURING THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE On the 7th April On 21st January 1919, the War of Independence began when the Irish 1919, one Collins' spies, Republican Army killed two members of the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) in Ned Broy, sneaked him into an ambush in County Tipperary. Although this occurred on the first day of Dáil G Division Headquarters where he spent the night examining top Éireann, the two events were unconnected. Despite having no involvement secret files. After seeing the files, in the incident that officially began the war, Collins was a driving force behind Collins concluded that the key the campaign that ensued. As Minister for Finance in the Dáil and Director to defeating the British was to of Intelligence for the IRA (although many within the organisation would cripple its intelligence network by targeting the RIC and G claim that he was the unofficial leader), Collins raised money for arms and Division. equipment, organised IRA units and tactics and selected targets. Realising that Ireland could not defeat Great Britain via conventional methods, Collins ordered the use of guerrilla tactics – autonomous small, highly mobile ‘flying columns’ would ambush small groups of Royal Irish Constabulary or British troops and then quickly retreat. Although this ‘hit and run’ tactic proved successful, innocent people were often the targets of retaliation attacks – specifically from theBlack and Tans. In the period 1917-19 Collins established an intelligence network throughout Ireland and England. He had spies, informers and double agents in prisons, postal offices, ports, government offices, theDublin Metropolitan Police, the British army and Dublin Castle (the British administrative centre in Ireland) feeding back information and intercepting messages – sometimes Collins had copies of British orders even before they reached their intended recipient. This intelligence network provided Collins with the information he needed to destroy Britain’s own intelligence network in Ireland. As well as allowing Collins to evade capture, the information also supplied him the names of important British personnel and informers. Collins knew that the British could replace dead soldiers, but not many people would be willing to replace an agent or informer who had been assassinated. Additionally, any replacement agent would not have the knowledge of the previous agent. To carry out these The Black and Tans assassinations Collins handpicked a number of IRA recruits and formed ‘The On 25th March 1920, the Black Squad’ in July 1919. Originally numbering twelve men, ‘The Squad’ were and Tans (officially called the assigned to the IRA Intelligence Division and carried out some of the IRA’s Royal Irish Constabulary Spe- most important and dangerous missions. Many of the targets were Dublin cial Reserve) arrived in Ireland Metropolitan Police ‘G-men’. The ‘G Division’ was an intelligence agency to reinforce the RIC. Most of made up of plainclothes DMP detectives whose job was to gather intelligence the recruits were from Britain on the IRA (there were also a number of ‘G men’ who were double agents for and were army veterans of Collins). ‘The Squad’ usually gave warnings to any potential targets, giving World War One. The nickname them the opportunity to cease their current investigations. Those who ignored "Black and Tans" came from the make shift uniforms they the warnings were killed. wore - khaki British Army and The guerrilla tactics of the IRA and the actions of ‘The Squad’ had a number of green RIC uniforms combined. effects on the RIC and DMP: The Black and Tans became infamous for their attacks on >> members took early retirement civilians and civilian property >> a lack of enthusiasm in performing their duties in response to IRA attacks. The conflict escalated after the >> the RIC withdrew from small, rural stations into fortified barracks in towns introduction of the Black and >> RIC recruitment plummeted Tans, sometimes leading to the war to be referrerd to as 'The >> March 1920, the British sent in the Black and Tans as reinforcements (in Black and Tan War'. September, the British sent an additional 1,500 veteran army officers, known as Auxiliaries or Auxies, to help the Black and Tans).

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Although there were no more than 3,000 active IRA volunteers at any given Bloody Sunday time during the conflict, the tactics employed and Collins' intelligence On 21st November 1920 network allowed the IRA to fight a military campaign against approximately Michael Collins' 'Squad' 50,000 British soldiers, 15,000 Black and Tans, 10,000 RIC and 1,500 Auxiliaries. carried out its most significant The War of Independence came to an end on 11th July 1921 when a truce was attack on the British during the declared. The British government was coming under increasing pressure due War. In an attempt to kill or to the tactics of their troops in Ireland (mostly the Black and Tans) and fighting capture prominent members the campaign was costing lives and money; Collins believed that the fighting of the IRA, the British sent in its current form could not last (the IRA were running low on weapons intelligent agents to Dublin. and ammunition), nor would it be successful and he was also becoming Nicknamed 'The Cairo Gang', increasingly frustrated at the decreasing number of active IRA volunteers. they posed a significant threat to the IRA. In a plan conceived by Michael Collins, members AFTERMATH OF THE WAR of the IRA and 'the Squad' Collins was part of the negotiation team that went to London in October 1921 carried out similtaneous that led to the signing of the Anglo Irish Treaty. After the split caused by the assassinations across Dublin Treaty, Ireland descended into Civil War. As new Commander-in-Chief of the killing at least 13 British agents National Army (the new army of the Free State) Collins led the Free State and soldiers - the majority forces in the Civil War until his death on 22th August 1922. On an inspection of these being part of 'The tour of his native Cork (it has also been written that he was also seeking out Cairo Gang' (reports vary peace talks with anti-Treaty republican leaders), Collins’ convoy was ambushed on the exact number). The by anti-Treaty IRA" forces near Béal na Bláth, and in the ensuing gun battle assassinations were seen as Collins was killed. Collins' body was transported to Dublin where it lay in a a great victory for Collins' state of rest for three days. Tens of thousands of mourners paid their respects intelligence network. Later over the course of the three days with 500,000 later attending his funeral on that day, in response to the 28th August 1922. assassinations, the RIC and Black and Tans drove into Croke Park during a Gaelic football match and opened fire at the crowd, killing 14 civilians. My one intention was the destruction of the undesirables who continued to make miserable the lives of ordinary decent citizens. I have proof enough to assure myself of the atrocities which this gang of spies and informers have committed. Perjury and torture are words too easily known to them. If I had a second motive it was no more than a feeling such as I might have for a dangerous reptile. By their destruction the very air is made sweeter. That should be the future's judgment on this particular event. For myself, my conscience is clear. There is no crime in detecting and destroying, in war-time, the spy and the informer. They have destroyed without trial. I have paid them back in their own coin.” Writing after the events of Bloody Sunday, Collins had no regrets about "the actions against the British intelligence targets.

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It is so easy to fault the actions of others when their particular actions have resulted in defeat. I want to be quite fair about this – the Easter Rising – and say how much I admired the men in the ranks and the womenfolk thus engaged. But at the same time – as it must appear to others also – the actions of the leaders should not pass without comment. They have died nobly at the hands of the firing squads. So much I grant. But I do not think the Rising week was an appropriate time for the issue of memoranda couched in poetic phrases, nor of actions worked out in a similar fashion. Looking at it from the inside (I was in the GPO) it had the air of a Greek tragedy about it, the illusion being more or less completed with the issue of the before-mentioned memoranda. Of Pearse and Connolly I admire the latter the most. Connolly was a realist, Pearse the

direct opposite. There was an air of earthy directness about Connolly. It impressed me. I would have followed him through hell had such action been necessary. But I honestly doubt very much if I would have followed Pearse – not without some thought anyway.

I think chiefly of Tom Clarke and [Sean] MacDiarmada. Both built on the best foundations. Ireland will not see another Sean MacDiarmada. These are sharp reflections. On the whole I think the Rising was bungled terribly," costing many a good life. It seemed at first to be well-organised,

but afterwards became subjected to panic decisions and a great lack of very essential organisation and co-operation.

IN A LETTER TO HIS FRIEND KEVIN O'BRIEN SHORTLY AFTER THE RISING, MICHAEL COLLINS COMMUNICATES HIS THOUGHTS ON THE RISING AND SOME OF" ITS LEADERSHIP. I may" have signed my actual death warrant.

MICHAEL COLLINS' RESPONSE TO F.E. SMITH, EARL BIRKENHEAD, ONE OF THE BRITISH NEGOTIATORS, WHO UPON SIGNING THE ANGLO IRISH TREATY IN THE EARLY HOURS OF 6TH DECEMBER 1921 REMARKED" TO COLLINS, “I MAY HAVE SIGNED MY POLITICAL DEATH WARRANT TONIGHT.”

Now as one of the signatories of the document I naturally recommend its acceptance. I do not recommend it for more than it is. Equally I do not recommend it for less than it is. In my opinion it gives us freedom, not the ultimate freedom that all nations desire and develop to, but the freedom to achieve it.

MICHAEL COLLINS' DEFENCE OF THE ANGLO IRISH TREATY DURING A DEBATE" IN THE DÁIL, 19TH DECEMBER 1921.

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QUESTIONS

Why do you think Frongoch internment camp was 1 referred to as the 'University of Revolution'?

Read the first quote on page 6 on Michael Collins' thoughts on the leadership of the Rising and the tactics employed at the Rising. Summarise his 2 thoughts on both and how did he address these issues in his own leadership?

"I may have signed my actual death warrant." These are the words Michael Collins spoke after signing the Anglo Irish Treaty. What do you think Collins 3 meant when he said this?

Michael Collins has often been described as charismatic, charming and personable. In his work as a politicain, he was very organised and decisive. As a military leader, he was cunning, ruthless and had no regrets about any 4 of the actions that he ordered. Analyse Collins' role in the War of Independence - why would some people classify Collins as a revolutionary and why would some classify him as a terrorist?

GROUP TASK / RESEARCH TASK In pairs, research and write a brief bio of the three personalities in the photo on page 9. What positions did they hold the year the photo was taken? Was there any links between them? What role did they play in the War of Independence and Civil War? Write one interesting fact about each character.

RESEARCH TASK ICT TASK Research the four organisations (WORKING WITH MOVING on page 10. Gather information IMAGES) on when each organisation In pairs, research, script and create was formed, what the aim of a movie highlighting important the organisation was, and how events and facts from Michael Michael Collins was involved Collins' life. with each. Research and store a number of appropriate images and information about Michael Collins' rise to prominence within the republican movement. Using movie editing software, create a movie consisting of still images and text to complete the task. Save your new image and share it with your class.

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