Michael Collins - The Unbreakable Ideal, Our Noble Inheritance

Michael Collins - Hero or Villain

A Brief History of the Irish Free State

The Irish Republic was endorsed by the Irish people in 1918. In December 1921, under the terms of the Anglo-Irish Treaty the Irish Free State was established. The treaty was ratified by the new Irish Parliament Dail Eireann. Opposing the treaty was Michael Collins who believed that the treaty was the first step towards total independence. The Treaty divided the nation and was followed by a short but vicious Civil War. The Civil war ended in the defeat of the republican opposition on the 30th April 1923.
The republican opposition, including Sinn Fein and the IRA, refused to accept the authority of the new state or the legitimacy of the Constitution of the Irish Free State (1922). At the general election of August 1923, parties in favour of the Treaty won approximately 70 per cent of the vote. W.T. Cosgrave was elected the first President of the Executive Council of the Free State (head of government). The Garda Siochana was established as an unarmed police force and quickly received widespread public support.
By the early 1930's the Irish Free State had established itself as an independent entity in world affairs, despite the constraints imposed by the Treaty. Eamonn De Velara established Fianna Fail in 1926 to provide a republican alternative to the more conservative nationalism. Between 1927 and 1932 Fianna Fail attracted those voters who were dissatisfied with the Government and those who wanted a more active nationalist policy. In 1933 Fianna Fail had 49.7 percent of the Votes and Fianna Fail remained in power for the next 16 years.

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Infamous Assassinations Michael Collins Part 2

Assassinations - Michael Collins Part 1

A Biography of Michael Collins

Michael Collins was born in Sam's Cross, near Clonakilty in Co. Cork, Ireland in 1890. At the age of fifteen he emigrated to London, taking the British Civil Service Examination and securing employment with the Post Office. He joined the London GAA where he became influenced by Irish nationalism, joining the IRB - a secret, oath-bound society dedicated to achieving Irish independence. During the 1916 Rising, he fought alongside Pearse at the GPO, after which he was arrested and imprisoned at Frongoch internment camp in North Wales.
He was very influential in activity at the camp and by the time of his release he had become one of the leading figures in Sinn Fein. By October 1917 he was on the Executive Committee of Sinn Fein and Director of Organisation of the Irish Volunteers. He was elected MP for Cork South during the 1918 General Election for the House of Commons, but in line with Sinn Fein policy at the time, he refused to take his seat. In 1919, he was elected President of the IRB, Director of Intelligence of the IRA and Minister of Finance in Dail Eireann.
He was part of the delegation sent to London in 1921 to attend negotiations following the truce in the War of Independence, the result of which was the Anglo-Irish Treaty. The Treaty divided the people of Ireland and the country was plunged into a bitter Civil War, the Pro-Treaty side was led by Collins as Commander-in-Chief of the National Army. He was shot and killed during a gun battle in his native Co. Cork.

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