Micheál Martin on what we fail to understand about the life of Michael Collins
Micheál Martin in Clonakilty, Co Cork, at the official handover of the Michael Collins diaries to the National Archives. Picture: Julien Behal Photography
As we mark the 100th anniversary of the death of Michael Collins there is no doubt that he is a worthy hero for our country.
While we have all grown up knowing about certain moments in his life, we often fail to understand what set him apart, particularly in the tense months of 1922.
A proud son of Cork, from his earliest days he had a deep and profound commitment to the cause of Ireland and, as an adult, he gave himself, and his incredible energy, to the struggle for independence.
After spending 10 years in London, where he helped build Irish organisations, he returned to Dublin and began a dramatic period which would see him achieve remarkable things and, ultimately, die tragically in Béal na Bláth.
He served as aide to Joseph Mary Plunkett in the GPO in 1916 and, when he emerged from prison, worked with Harry Boland to secure the triumph of Éamon de Valera and the reformed Sinn Féin which he led in the 1918 election.
It was his organisational genius that made him indispensable in establishing the legitimacy of Dáil Éireann and its government. And of course, he provided immense support to the thousands of volunteers who were fighting the crown forces throughout our country.
We should never forget the scale of the achievement of the War of Independence. The political and military forces of Irish nationalism immediately secured and retained the support of the Irish people and they did so in the name of a vision of a diverse, inclusive democracy.
In the hundreds of books and articles that have been written about the Treaty over the last century, one thing is absolutely clear — a more generous and less rigid approach by the British government would have avoided the split which all involved felt was inevitable.
In the harsh words of the Treaty debate you find a despair of people so recently comrades being pushed apart by views which we should acknowledge were deeply felt and expressed in good faith. It was the slow drift to civil war which Collins feared so much and which he did everything possible to avoid.
The pact he agreed with de Valera and the draft constitution he proposed showed this — and it is the forces who blocked these initiatives which carry the burden of responsibility for the outbreak of war.
By mid-August the major strategic conflict was over and the greatest tragedy to befall our country was to lose Collins at this critical point.
At every point an end to the conflict was his wish and I have no doubt that, had he lived, many of the events of the following year which caused lasting bitterness would have been avoided.
Ultimately Michael Collins is one of the key fathers of Irish independence and one of the great figures of our history. He believed that an Ireland which controlled its own destiny could achieve remarkable things.
A country once amongst the poorest in the world, we still face many problems but the past 100 years has shown that we will overcome them.
Were Collins able to see how much has been achieved by the cause he dedicated his life to, he would undoubtedly and rightly be immensely proud of his work and legacy.
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