Tánaiste Leo Varadkar: Collins was a peacemaker who only fought if it was last resort

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar writes about Michael Collin's legacy on the centenary of his death

Tanaiste Leo Varadkar TD during a Wreath laying ceremony at the graves of Michael Collins, Arthur Griffith and Eamonn Duggan

An Irish hero of the 20th century, Michael Collins is also a beacon for Ireland in the 21st century. He guided our path to independence, sought to avoid civil war and helped to make possible the Ireland we live in today.

As war rages on our continent due to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, it’s worth recalling that Ukraine first gained its independence in 1919, around the same time that we did.