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. MICHAEL COLLINS 1 UNDERSTANDING 1917 AND BEYOND MICHAEL COLLINS 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 theWar 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. MICHAEL COLLINS 2 UNDERSTANDING 1917 AND BEYOND MICHAEL COLLINS 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.