Michael Collins - from Truce to Treaty

For the first few weeks of the talks that lead to the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty, the Irish delegation lead by Michael Collins enjoyed the better of the exchanges with the British. However, the negotiations began to turn and ended up with, as Collins famously expressed, the signing of his own death warrant, writes UCC historian Gabriel Doherty

Michael Collins leaving 10 Downing Street in London during treaty negotiations which resulted in the Anglo-Irish Treaty of December 1921. Photo: Hulton Archive/Getty Images

As someone who had spent much of the War of Independence with a substantial bounty on his head, Michael Collins would have been forgiven for having an extra hour in bed on the morning of Tuesday, 12 July 1921, the day after the truce came into effect.

Freed now from the imminent threat of assassination or capture by Crown forces, he could turn his attention to the future, both national and personal.