Michael Collins (1890-1922) was a leading figure in the struggle for Irish independence. He instigated a veritable guerrilla war against the British government, and succeeded in obtaining negotiations for an independent and autonomous Republic of Ireland… on condition of leaving the North to the English.
Michael Collins – Public domain
Born in Woodfield, County Cork, on October 12, 1890, Michael Collins is the third boy, and the last born of 8 children.
By the time Collins was growing up, his family was living comfortably. His father, a member of the Fenians, instilled revolutionary political values in him at an early age, in favor of Irish nationalism.
At the age of 7, Collins sadly lost his father, and his mother took charge of his education by registering him for the British Postal Service entrance exam, which he passed with flying colors, precipitating his departure from the family home for London.
From the age of 15 to 25, he lived in London, working in the financial department of the British Post Office, before changing jobs several times.
Michael Collins – source : Gallica-BnF
Collins decided to join the IRB in 1909. He was 19 at the time.
1914: the First World War shakes Europe. Michael Collins is then informed of a project: that of a general insurrection. This was the Easter Rising, a revolt in which Ireland took advantage of England’s weakening position during the war to overthrow the British and declare an official Republic of Ireland.
Eager to help, Michael Collins left London for Dublin in 1916. A fine strategist with recognized analytical skills, he was appointed Count Plunkett’s financial advisor and helped organize the revolt. When the war broke out, Collins fought alongside leading nationalists such as Patrick Pearse, with whom he stormed the Central Post Office.
The insurrection was a military disaster, quickly and bloodily crushed by the British.
Like many insurgents, Collins was arrested and sent to the Frongosh internment camp in Wales. By the time of his release, he had already become a leader of Sinn Féin.
In October 1917 Collins became a member of the party executive and director of the Irish Volunteers Organization.
Collins learns from his own network of informants that the British are planning a mass arrest of leading Sinn Féin MPs. He alerted those concerned, but Eamon De Valera ordered the leaders to ignore the information, questioning the reliability of the news.
The threat is real, however, and the deputies are eventually arrested: only Collins manages to escape arrest.
In April 1919, Collins broke De Valera out of Lincoln Prison. During the summer, he was elected President of the IRB and decided to restructure the organization into a real army.
Michael Collins – Public domain
In September, Collins was appointed Director of IRA Intelligence. The War of Independence (1919-1921) began on the day of the first session of the new Irish Parliament with the murder of two policemen in County Tipperary.
In 1919, Collins was appointed Finance Minister by De Valera. At a time when most ministries had only a theoretical existence due to threats of arrest or even assassination from the Royal Irish Constabulary, the Black and Tans, the Auxiliaries or the British Army, Collins set about organizing his ministry.
He set up a massive financial fund-raising campaign to finance the Republic of Ireland’s lifeblood, such as the creation of a special group of assassins called the Twelve Apostles to carry out the IRA’s dirty work.
His actions make him a leader, as well as a symbol of a real threat that is extremely disturbing to the British authorities. So much so, that there was a £10,000 price on his head. But Collins doesn’t just bother the British. His positions clashed with those of De Valera. A bitter rivalry develops between the 2 men, with De Valera trying to isolate Collins and keep him away from Ireland… To no avail.
Still keen to obtain official independence for Ireland and its Republic, Collins was appointed by Eamon de Valera to negotiate a treaty in London in 1921. He then left with his sidekick, Arthur Griffith (1871-1922).
Unfortunately for Collins, the signing of the Treaty in London provoked a veritable Irish Civil War (1922/1924), with the pro-treaty side battling the anti-treaty side for over 2 years.
Despite the scandal, Collins heads the provisional government. He also helped Arthur Griffith (1871-1922), who became President in January 1922, to establish the Free State.
In mid-1922, Michael Collins relinquished his government responsibilities and became commander-in-chief of the national army.
In April 1922, Eamon de Valera ordered 200 anti-treaty men to invade the Four Courts. Collins, in response, is given the onerous task of bombing the building.
After a few months of struggle, Collins was finally forced to move to County Cork. At Béal na mBláth, Collins’ convoy was caught in a Republican ambush. Collins was shot in the head on August 22, 1922. He was 31 years old.
