Michael John "Mick" Collins Biography

Birth of Michael John ("Mick") Collins

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

Collins rises to become a member of the executive of Sinn F‚in and director of organisation of the Irish Volunteers

Collins rises to become a member of the executive of Sinn Fein and director of organisation of the Irish Volunteers

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

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

Appointed Director of Intelligence of the Irish Republican Army

Helps found the IRA & becomes its Director of Intelligence. Collins and Richard Mulcahy become the two principal central organisers for the Irish Republican Army

Appointed Director of Intelligence of the Irish Republican Army

Elected President of the IRB (and therefore, in the doctrine of that organisation, de jure President of the Irish Republic)

That new Parliament, called Dail Eireann (meaning "Assembly of Ireland", First Dail) meets in the Mansion House

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

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

Appointed to the Aireacht (ministry) as Minister for Finance

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

Creates a special assassination squad called The Twelve Apostles to kill British agents

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

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

The British offer a bounty of œ10,000 for information leading to the capture or death of Michael Collins

Collins is credited with organising the IRAs guerrilla "flying columns" but the main organiser is Dick McKee

de Valera nominates a team of delegates headed by Arthur Griffith, with Michael Collins as his deputy, Collins agreed to go to London

Collins crushes opposition to the Free State Treaty in Dublin & is ambushed in Cork

Collins crushes opposition to the Free State Treaty in Dublin & is ambushed in Cork

Death of Michael Collins

Collins crushes opposition to the Free State Treaty in Dublin & is ambushed in Cork

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

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

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"

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.

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).

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"

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

This record states: 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."

This record states: 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).

This record states: 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.

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"

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"

Appointed Commander of the Armed Forces

The new Provisional Government is formed under Collins, who becomes "President of the Provisional Government"

Appointed Head of State for Ireland, for 10 days

Appointed Minister of Finance

The new Provisional Government is formed under Collins, who becomes "President of the Provisional Government"

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

Sinn Fein splits over the Treaty, and the Dail debates the matter bitterly for ten days until it is approved by a vote of 64 to 57

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

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

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

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

Under Collins supervision, the Free State rapidly takes control of the capital. Leads to the Irish Civil War as fighting breaks out in Dublin between the anti-Treaty IRA and the Free State troops

Leads to the Irish Civil War as fighting breaks out in Dublin between the anti-Treaty IRA and the Free State troops

Collins lays down responsibilities as Chairman of the Provisional Government to become Commander in Chief of the National Army, a formal, structured, uniformed army that formed around the nucleus of the pro-Treaty IRA

Collins lays down responsibilities as Chairman of the Provisional Government to become Commander in Chief of the National Army, a formal, structured, uniformed army that formed around the nucleus of the pro-Treaty IRA

Under Collins supervision, the Free State rapidly takes control of the capital

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. Leads to the Irish Civil War as fighting breaks out in Dublin between the anti-Treaty IRA and the Free State troops

Collins, along with Richard Mulcahy and Eoin ODuffy decide on a series of seaborne landings into republican held areas that re-takes Munster and the west in July-August 1922

The Irish Army Council is founded under the leadership of Michael Collins

Free State troops capture Waterford & Limerick from anti-treaty rebels

Free State troops capture Waterford & Limerick from anti-treaty rebels

Free State troops capture Waterford & Limerick from anti-treaty rebels

In Cork city, Collins meets neutral IRA men Sean Hegarty and Florrie ODonoghue, with a view to contacting Anti-Treaty IRA leaders Tom Barry and Tom Hales to propose a truce. Collins travels to his native Cork, against the advice of his companions, despite suffering from stomach ache and depression, Collins reputedly told his comrades that "They wouldnt shoot me in my own county"

In Cork city, Collins meets neutral IRA men Sean Hegarty and Florrie ODonoghue, with a view to contacting Anti-Treaty IRA leaders Tom Barry and Tom Hales to propose a truce

In Cork city, Collins meets neutral IRA men Sean Hegarty and Florrie ODonoghue, with a view to contacting Anti-Treaty IRA leaders Tom Barry and Tom Hales to propose a truce

The ambush party, allegedly commanded by Liam Deasy, had mostly dispersed to a nearby pub by 8pm, when Collins and his men returned to Beal na mBlath but the remaining five ambushers open fire on the convoy