Birth of Michael John (Mick) Collins
Birth of Michael John ("Mick") Collins
Historical biography archive · Updated 2026-11-03
Michael John "Mick" Collins Biography and Timeline
Follow Michael John "Mick" Collins through 64 dated historical records for Ireland.
Michael John "Mick" Collins, historical timeline
A chronological timeline drawn from matching World History Database records.
64Distinct records
1 of 2Page
1890–1922Years on this page
1890
1916
Easter Rebellion
Fights alongside Patrick Pearse and others in the General Post Office. Collins railed against what he perceived as its ham-fisted amateurism, notably the seizure of indefensible and very vulnerable positions such as St Stephens Green that were impossible to escape from and difficult to supply. Collins, like many of the risings participants, is arrested, almost sent to the gallows and winds up at Frongoch internment camp
1917
Irish Volunteers
Collins rises to become a member of the executive of Sinn F‚in and director of organisation of the Irish Volunteers
Sinn Fein
Collins rises to become a member of the executive of Sinn Fein and director of organisation of the Irish Volunteers
1918
Constitution of Ireland
Collins is elected Member of Parliament for Cork South, Sinn Fein do not take their seats in Westminster, but instead set up an Irish Parliament in Dublin
Election
Collins is elected Member of Parliament for Cork South, Sinn Fein do not take their seats in Westminster, but instead set up an Irish Parliament in Dublin
1919
Constitution of Ireland
That new Parliament, called Dail Eireann (meaning "Assembly of Ireland", First Dail) meets in the Mansion House
Dail Eireann
That new Parliament, called Dail Eireann (meaning "Assembly of Ireland", First D il) meets in the Mansion House. That new Parliament, called Dail Eireann (meaning "Assembly of Ireland", First Dail) meets in the Mansion House. Cathal Brugha is elected Priomh Aire (literally Prime Minister, translated as "President of Dail Eireann"), to be replaced by de Valera, when Collins helps him escape from Lincoln prison, in April, 1919
Minister of Finance
Appointed to the Aireacht (ministry) as Minister for Finance
National Loan
Produces a Finance Ministry that is able to organise a large bond issue in the form of a "National Loan" to fund the new Irish Republic. Lenin sends a representative to Dublin to borrow some money from the Irish Republic to help fund the Russian Republic, offering some of the Russian Crown Jewels as collateral
Twelve Apostles
Creates a special assassination squad called The Twelve Apostles to kill British agents
IRA
The Irish War of Independence begins on the same day the First Dail meets, when two policemen guarding a consignment of gelignite are shot dead by IRA volunteers acting without orders
Arrest of Michael John "Mick" Collins
Cathal Brugha is elected Priomh Aire (literally Prime Minister, translated as "President of Dail Eireann"), to be replaced by de Valera, when Collins helps him escape from Lincoln prison, in April, 1919
Dail Eireann
Cathal Brugha is elected Priomh Aire (literally Prime Minister, translated as "President of Dail Eireann"), to be replaced by de Valera, when Collins helps him escape from Lincoln prison, in April, 1919
IRA
Helps found the IRA & becomes its Director of Intelligence. Collins and Richard Mulcahy become the two principal central organisers for the Irish Republican Army
Director
Appointed Director of Intelligence of the Irish Republican Army
IRA
Appointed Director of Intelligence of the Irish Republican Army
President of Ireland
Elected President of the IRB (and therefore, in the doctrine of that organisation, de jure President of the Irish Republic)
1920
Bounty
The British offer a bounty of œ10,000 for information leading to the capture or death of Michael Collins
Flying Columns
Collins is credited with organising the IRAs guerrilla "flying columns" but the main organiser is Dick McKee
1921
Anglo-Irish Agreement
Collins crushes opposition to the Free State Treaty in Dublin & is ambushed in Cork
Assassination of Michael John "Mick" Collins
Collins crushes opposition to the Free State Treaty in Dublin & is ambushed in Cork
Death of Michael John Mick Collins
Death of Michael Collins
Free State
Collins crushes opposition to the Free State Treaty in Dublin & is ambushed in Cork
Peace
Irish Treaty delegates Arthur Griffith (leader) and Robert Barton (with Robert Erskine Childers as Secretary General to the delegation) set up headquarters at 22 Hans Place in Knightsbridge and reside there until conclusion of the Treaty in December. Collins takes up quarters at 15 Cadogan Gardens. His personal staff included Liam Tobin, Ned Broy and Joe McGrath
Anglo-Irish Agreement
Negotiations ultimately result in the Anglo-Irish Treaty signed on 6 December 1921, which provides for a new Irish State, named the "Irish Free State"
Anglo-Irish Agreement
Republican purists regard it as a sell-out, with the replacement of the republic by dominion status within the British Empire, and an Oath of Allegiance made (it was then claimed) directly to the King.
Anglo-Irish Agreement
The Treaty provides for a possible all state, subject to the right of a six-county region in the northeast to opt out of the Free State (which it immediately does).
Anglo-Irish Agreement
The new Irish Free State is to be a Dominion, with a bicameral Parliament, executive authority vested in the king but exercised by an Irish Government elected by a lower house called Dail Eireann.
Constitution of Ireland
Negotiations ultimately result in the Anglo-Irish Treaty signed on 6 December 1921, which provides for a new Irish State, named the "Irish Free State"
Dail Eireann
The new Irish Free State is to be a Dominion, with a bicameral Parliament, executive authority vested in the king but exercised by an Irish Government elected by a lower house called Dail Eireann
Free State
Negotiations ultimately result in the Anglo-Irish Treaty signed on 6 December 1921, which provides for a new Irish State, named the "Irish Free State."
Free State
The Treaty provides for a possible all state, subject to the right of a six-county region in the northeast to opt out of the Free State (which it immediately does).
Free State
The new Irish Free State is to be a Dominion, with a bicameral Parliament, executive authority vested in the king but exercised by an Irish Government elected by a lower house called Dail Eireann.
Independence of Ireland
The new Irish Free State is to be a Dominion, with a bicameral Parliament, executive authority vested in the king but exercised by an Irish Government elected by a lower house called Dail Eireann. Negotiations ultimately result in the Anglo-Irish Treaty signed on 6 December 1921, which provides for a new Irish State, named the "Irish Free State"
Irish Free State
The new Irish Free State is to be a Dominion, with a bicameral Parliament, executive authority vested in the king but exercised by an Irish Government elected by a lower house called Dail Eireann. Negotiations ultimately result in the Anglo-Irish Treaty signed on 6 December 1921, which provides for a new Irish State, named the "Irish Free State"
Anglo-Irish Agreement
The Treaty is controversial, Eamon de Valera, President of the Irish Republic is unhappy that Collins had signed any deal without his and his cabinets authorisation. Most of the Irish Republican Army oppose the Treaty, opening the prospect of civil war
Peace
de Valera nominates a team of delegates headed by Arthur Griffith, with Michael Collins as his deputy, Collins agreed to go to London
1922
Anglo-Irish Agreement
A group of 200 anti-Treaty IRA men occupy the Four Courts in Dublin in defiance of the Provisional Government, Collins, who wanted to avoid civil war at all costs, does not attack them until June 1922, when British pressure forced his hand
Assassination of Henry Wilson
The British forces Collins to take action against the Four Courts men, Collins borrows two 18 pounder artillery pieces from the British and bombards the Four Courts until its garrison surrenders. Collins orders the killing of Henry Wilson in reprisal for failing to prevent the attacks on Roman Catholics in Northern Ireland
Records, sources and methodology
These dates and descriptions come from the historical_events database. Exact duplicate records have been collapsed. Names are grouped by the country, Name 2 and Name 1 fields; records with missing Name 2 cannot be reliably assigned to an individual biography. Check the underlying sources before formal citation.