Gabriel Doherty, University College Cork history lecturer and Birmingham native, will be making the case for Michael Collins to be named Britain’s number one enemy this weekend.
The Irish Examiner reports that Gabriel Doherty, who was born to Irish parents in Birmingham, was chosen to lead the Michael Collins’ bid for number one foe. The UCC lecturer will be given 40 minutes to convey as to why Collins should be granted the title at an all-day speaker’s event at the National Army Museum in London on Saturday.
Doherty has his work cut out for him as the other contenders for the title - Napoleon, George Washington, Ataturk, and Rommel are all worthy opponents.
Ultimately, the winner will be chosen after a secret-ballot vote. The final five opponents, however, were decided upon following an online poll that narrowed the selection from twenty to five historical figures. In the preliminary poll, Collins landed in second place to the founding father of Turkey, rebel army commander Mustafa Kemal Ataturk by around 300 votes.
Doherty, who has been a lecturer of history at UCC for 20 years, was confirmed as a speaker for the event on Tuesday after he was initially approached about participating only last Saturday. The lecturer plans on “blocking out” the days leading up to the speaking engagement in order to be adequately prepared.
While he’ll of course be brushing up on his Collins history, Doherty realizes the importance of knowing about the others as well. "I also need to do some research on the other four foes, who were all tremendous figures, to learn more about them.”
"But Collins was much more than just a great military leader,” added Doherty. “He had many different hats and the political and administrative skills of Collins tend to be a lot more overlooked and less appreciated.”
"You could argue that the single biggest contribution he ever made was on the financial side by raising money in the US for the Dáil loan.”
"Also, the speech he gave in the Dáil following the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty was superb, and better than de Valera’s. The political side of Collins was underrated."
Doherty finally added: "I don’t know exactly what angle I’ll be taking, but... by Saturday I’ll be prepared."
20 Comments
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.skyrider | Apr 18, 2012, 12:12 PM EDT
Yes. Michael Collins stands Meteorically @ the Fore. Forever N our hearts & memory
warrenpoint00 | Apr 14, 2012, 07:19 PM EDT
I would have thought and probably my friends in Uladh would agree that the great Shane O Neill of the UNeill clann of Ulster (that is the nine counties of Ulster na Eireann) would have been a greater foe to the old brits than Michael Collins.They absolutely hated Shane O Neill for his stance against their illegal occupation of Ireland and branded him as a brutal savage.Of course any one who stood up to and fought the british terrorist invaders were all branded as brutal savages. Beannach de Michael Collins and Shane O Neill the Ulster gael salutes your heroic stand.
89west | Apr 14, 2012, 12:14 PM EDT
Stevenstar.......I would agree, this forum certainly doesn't resemble the Irish press nor does it represent the kinship of the Irish diaspora. Many who post on here may be only remotely connected to modern day Ireland, yet they tend to put their spin on the cultural and political issues of the day, without walking a mile in your shoes.
STEVENSTAR | Apr 14, 2012, 10:21 AM EDT
@@89west | Apr 13, 2012, 10:55 PM EDT Stevenstar.......Try as I may I cannot find any anti British sentiments expressed by any of the 15 other folks who responded to this story. What are you rabbling about??>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>IM NOT SPECIFICALLY POINTING TO THIS ARTICLE IM TALKING ABOUT THIS WHOLE NEWSPAPER AS IT STANDS.. THIS IS NOT AN IRISH NEWSPAPER.. NOR DOES IT EVEN RESEMBLE ANYTHING LIKE THE IRISH MEDIA ITS AN AMERICAN NEWSPAPER FOR AMERICANS ... simple as that
89west | Apr 13, 2012, 10:55 PM EDT
Stevenstar.......Try as I may I cannot find any anti British sentiments expressed by any of the 15 other folks who responded to this story. What are you rabbling about??
TayandCake | Apr 13, 2012, 09:02 PM EDT
aloistmartin, is your real name Steven Forward?, I know you
aloistmartin | Apr 13, 2012, 08:01 PM EDT
Stevenstar: For a Real Amusing Time: Put on your Fancy " Holy Joe-sephine Coat ", and try to make your way from the Protestant,to the Catholic side of Town ? But your Right you know. Belfast, Homburg, Boston, Seatlle; There`s No Difference ~
STEVENSTAR | Apr 13, 2012, 05:54 PM EDT
IM IRISH LIVE IN IRELAND BORN IN IRELAND BELIEVE ME UNLIKE ALOT OF AMERICANS WHO TRY TO BE IRISH , THE MAJORITY OF IRISH PEOPLE HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THE ENGLISH OR THE BRITISH PEOPLE .. MY GRANDMOTHER WAS ONE OF THE BIGGERST ROYALISTS I KNOW ...EVERY TIME I MEET AN IRISH AMERICAN THEY ARE SO ANTI BRITISH IT AMUSES ME ... BUT PLEASE DONT TRY AND PUT YOUR VIEWS OF BRITISH PEOPLE ON US...AS AN IRISHMAN MYSELF I FEEL WE HAVE ALOT MORE IN COMMON WITH BRITISH PEOPLE THEN WE EVER DID WITH AMERICANS...
esatdigiwank | Apr 13, 2012, 07:31 AM EDT
AloisTMartin who has an ex-Pope on your work cubicle - LOL. You really are a Holy Joe-sephine!
esatdigiwank | Apr 13, 2012, 07:29 AM EDT
The Big Fellow - arguably Ireland's 2nd great uncrowned King (after C.S. Parnell). what has run the country since but the 'Soldiers of Infamy, Cronyism, Roguery, Charlatanry. No Irish figure of authority is worthy of Collins' mantle.
89west | Apr 13, 2012, 06:45 AM EDT
Lest you forget. Hitler drove their army off the continent, blitz their cities and all but destroyed their maritime industry and nearly left them bankrupt.
IrelandNorth | Apr 13, 2012, 06:44 AM EDT
The British proper (i.e. the English) are a very fair-minded people. Only they could come up with an Emmy or Oscar award for the warrior who best put their imperial noses out of joint, and burst their stiff upper lip. Hard to beat Big Mick though, having been in on Pearse's 1916 GPO gig in Dublin - 'High Noon on Sackville Street'! Still, nothing sticks in the craw of hard-boiled English-Brenglish imperialists than a Croppy who won't lie down. Or a Paddy who doesn't know his colonial place. If they do give it to him, though, it will be a sign of marked diplomatic maturity between Ireland and the auld enemy.
Seanmor | Apr 12, 2012, 10:13 PM EDT
Collins fought the forces of G.B. in an effort to win full independence for he whole Irish nation. (Upholding Partition was never his aim). He and the I.R.A. never presented a serious threat to the British nation. But he taight the British a very lesson which they put to use as they prepared for an invasion by Germany in W.W.11. Few seem to know that their gov't had onganized civilians in S/E England to resist Germany's occupation forces in they should land there. The Brits were prepared to use Collins-type tactics to delay the enemmy's advance.
aloistmartin | Apr 12, 2012, 06:05 PM EDT
I'm Scanning that Photo of Collins and Posting It next the Ones of R.F.K. and Pope John Paul II on my Work Cubical !
aloistmartin | Apr 12, 2012, 06:03 PM EDT
jhonnyb: " Hundreds of republicans and socialists gathered in Belfast’s Milltown cemetery on Monday [April 9] to mark the 96th anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising. " Yea ...
aloistmartin | Apr 12, 2012, 06:01 PM EDT
Re Wee suppossed to use words like Enemy and Foe at the Dinner Table ( Anymore ) ?
slainte9 | Apr 12, 2012, 10:57 AM EDT
Fans of George Washington and ... in 1814 we took a little trip with Colonel Andy Jackson down the mighty Missasip to fight the Bloody British at the Town of New Orleans. Andy Jackson, the Irish man who kicked British butt at New Orleans.
Murph46 | Apr 12, 2012, 10:44 AM EDT
Ho Hum!!!!!
johnshiel | Apr 12, 2012, 10:15 AM EDT
a contest to determine britain's greatest foe... is this massively self-absorbed....OR WHAT???
johhnyb | Apr 12, 2012, 09:55 AM EDT
I can't see anyone in Ireland caring in the least. Honestly.