The life of Michael Collins is wrapped up with mystery and strength.
In this paper, we will discover how he managed to fight for freedom a country deserves. Michael Collins was born in Sam’s Cross, West Cork in the year October 1890 (Barrett, 1997). It was in this place the he grew up amidst a beautiful valley in between a river and a sea (Barrett, 1997). Michael’s mother was very young when his father married her. When his father was 75 years old, Michael was born as the youngest of eight children (Barrett, 1997). The father of Michael was not particularly wealthy, but he owned a farm named after a hill called Woodfield.
As a farmer by trade, Michael’s father was able to support them. However, when Michael Collins reached 6 years old, his father already died (Barrett, 1997). At the school where Michael attended, the schoolmaster had a large influence in his life (Barrett, 2008). Essentially, the said schoolmaster was a member of a secret organization that was focused on ousting the British from Ireland (Barrett, 1997).
Force was a means to do it for them, if it was really needed to be used. As young as he was, Michael was so keen and fond of reading books.The sister of Michael heightened his interests in reading nationalistic topics. Nationalism was a topic that Michael studied so much that he was came across the works of Thomas David who was a nationalist (Barrett, 1997). For fear of being influenced badly, the mother of Michael sent him to Clonakilty in order to study and prepare for the Post Office examinations (Barrett, 1997). Later on, he worked with the newspaper company owned by his brother where he learned typesetting.
Afterwards, he worked as a writer in local sporting activities (Barrett, 1997).Meanwhile, he also became greatly absorbed in working with the Irish Republican Brotherhood (Barrett, 1997). Because of his works in the organization, he became the primary secretary and later on president of the said brotherhood. It was in the said setting that the mind of Michael Collins became fully exposed to nationalism issues as he was learning to embrace being an Irish man. It made him conscious of the brotherhood’s efforts to oust the British people in Ireland by proper means or even by force if really necessary (Barrett, 1997).
By 1916 in Dublin, Michael Collins was already active in the insurrection. He became only second in command to Joseph Mary Plunkett, but his active and focused leadership and contribution to the uprising was admirable (Barrett, 1997). He was always remembered for his clear-headedness and sense of duty while serving in the said organization. Aside from that, it was not a secret that Michael Collins loved the works of Sean Mac Diarmada greater than that of Padraig Pearse. Michael’s contribution to the uprising was considered minor but looked upon as outstanding (Barrett, 1997).
After the uprising, Michael Collins became a prisoner of war (Barrett, 1997). He was brought to Richwcame amond Barracks and then to Wales in Frongoch internment camp (Barrett, 2008). In the month of December 1916, Michael went to Ireland. In the place called Frongoch, Collins ability as an organizer was greatly recognized. Later on, he rebuilt the Irish Republican Brotherhood after he was released as prisoner of war (Barrett, 1997).
Despite his good qualities, Collins also had a dark side. When he was elected as part of the Sinn Fein executive in 1917, he led the group in conducting illegal activities.Between the year 1917 and 1918, Collins led and created an intelligence network and the organization of national loan in order to fund a rebellion (Barrett, 1997). Aside from that, Michael Collins also led a squad of assassination activities as well as smuggling operations (Barrett, 1997). Because of that, Michael Collins was accorded with a bounty of $10,000 stg. for those who could find him for arrest (Barrett, 1997).
There was one occasion when Collins helped Eamon de Valera to escape from their enemies.He even managed to risk his life in order to visit the wife and children of de Valera (Barrett, 1997). There was a report that Michael had a deep love and compassion for older people as well as for children. In all these aforementioned activities, it was Harry Boland who helped him all the way. Later on, when the Anglo-Irish war started, Collins felt that there was a need to call for England to war.
There were many instances wherein Collins was chosen to lead the terrorist activities of the Irish Republic Brotherhood together with its small organizations within the hot regions of the area.The following years led to the problems within the organization since a Minister of Defence for Valera never respected the leadership of Collins. However, the operation of the brotherhood continued for years (Barrett, 1997). What happened was that, the war between the British people and the Irish intensified. There were Special Forces sent to Ireland to impose curfews (Barrett, 1997).
Michael Collins was able to lead successful killings of 14 British officials as well as the disbandment of the British Secret Service.As reprisal, there were 12 men killed in a football match one Sunday (Barrett, 1997). The effect of the events made the British as oppressors against the Irish people. There were many activities that made Collins instrumental for the freedom of the Irish people following the said event. In fact, the killings of the British officials resulted in a tit-for-tat rule from the British people (Trueman, 2008). As dangerous as it was, the more Collins would create horrible war activities, the more the British would respond and defend its side (Trueman, 2008).
These activities are a reflection of how strong the personality of Michael Collins was in times of war and uprisings. Ironically, there was a report that Collins was just killed by a comrade in the organization where he served for years. The death of Collins was so mysterious that the said conclusion is proper (Barrett, 1997). Michael Collins is still considered as a patriot since he worked for the freedom of the Irish people. He was instrumental for Nationalism thoughts as he wrote papers about the history of Ireland as well as current political events (Warner Brothers, 1996).His tactics as a military is simple: ability to act fast and with timing combined with compassion.
The model of political violence that was used by Michael Collins is not consistent with that of Che Guevara and Carlos Marighella since the tactics of Collins is varied and focused on destroying British people only in exchange of the freedom for the Irish people. Most of the illegal activities done by Collins were only for funding to support the rebellion and in order to call England to war and provoke the same.Referencehttp://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/michael_collins.htm
