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Home Page > Blogs > News blogs > People and Politics > Michael Collins would be deeply unhappy with the Ireland of today -- Enda Kenny statement that he’d approve of bailout is off the mark

People and Politics by Patrick Roberts

Michael Collins would be deeply unhappy with the Ireland of today -- Enda Kenny statement that he’d approve of bailout is off the mark

Posted on Monday, August 20, 2012 at 08:07 AM

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Enda Kenny and Michael Collins

The Irish Times reported today that Irish leader Enda Kenny had made clear that Michael Collins would have supported the government’s economic policies—i.e. paying back billions in loans given to rotten banks by European banks.

The Times stated, “Mr. Kenny told the 90th annual Béal na mBláth commemoration he was certain Collins would have approved of the restructuring program embarked upon by the Government to regain economic sovereignty.”

Collins will be 90 years dead this week, hence the Kenny speech at the annual commemoration—but I seriously doubt if he was alive he’d agree with the economic policy of this Irish government, or the previous one.

Indeed, I could see him leading the charge outside parliament, hurling the “little streets upon the great” as Yeats so wonderfully wrote. Once a revolutionary, always one.

Given his revolutionary past he would hardly be likely to accept that the Irish people put themselves into near bankruptcy to serve foreign banks.

Collins would be much more likely to put two fingers in the air to Brussels, Germany, and all their works, and tell the Irish people to cop themselves on.

He would have been outraged over the corrupt bankers and the gombeen men who brought Ireland to its knees — and at the politicians who allowed the crimes to fester.

Collins would have been standing with the ordinary people and not the establishment on this one.

Collins is Ireland’s most iconic figure and Irish America’s too. When we did a poll last year as to the greatest Irishman he won hands down.

His legend lives on –sometimes in extraordinary and hilarious ways.

There were two wonderful student rascals let loose here in America this summer who had brought along a huge cardboard cutout of Michael Collins and posed with photographs of him everywhere – in subway stations, Empire State Building, et cetera.

It spoke volumes about the stature of Collins that even kids today there clearly revere him.

That is as it should be. He has become the most iconic figure in Irish history.

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Towngate | Aug 31, 2012, 07:40 AM EDT

Who can say what Collins would do now? What we do know;is that when he 'had his turn' - he made a right bollix of it! ~~~ amd as for Brian Brew; Consider Laoghaire('King of Dublin'). Brian wouldn't help rid them of the pesky Norsemen without total power of 'kingship'. Clever Laoghaire stood down and Brian got himself duly killed, The Noesemen were discouraged from settling in 'Dublin' for a time. Laoghaire reclaimed the kingship and the Norsemen came back and stayed. Yep,even then 'Irish' powerbrokers were a tricky bunch and Enda is no different, although he is doing a fantastic job of standing up to the delusional populace by persuading them to take a long overdue 'reality Pill'!

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aherlowglen | Aug 25, 2012, 01:45 PM EDT

Never mind Enda. He assured us that Collins brought Lenin to Ireland in 1921. That never happened.

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DanOLoingsigh | Aug 24, 2012, 04:33 AM EDT

curtisj with his well-balanced riposte - carrying a chip on both shoulders...all Commonwealth countries are independent...its a free association of equals..even has member countries that were never connected with Britain in the past...

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curtisjohnson | Aug 23, 2012, 06:59 PM EDT

"Home Rule WAS WON…the act passed into law in 1914, and without WW1 it would have been enacted . . . ." Just like the Treaty of Limerick I guess? Realistically, even if it passed Ireland would have had less autonomy than many Commonwealth nations. Britain never freely admitted to the right of the Irish people to self determination - the additional freedoms after 1921 had to be unilaterally asserted by the Free State (following a a trade/tariff war) and none were voluntarily acquiesced to by the british terror state. From the northern land grab onward british conduct suggest that it intended to keep as much control over Ireland as possible.

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DanOLoingsigh | Aug 23, 2012, 06:49 PM EDT

ancavker – Home Rule WAS WON…the act passed into law in 1914, and without WW1 it would have been enacted…IPP outnumbered?? It held the balance of power in the UK Parliament…whichever party it supported would form the government…so it was ‘punching well above it weight’…given that, it was in a strong position to pressure the government into being less accommodating about partition…and that version of Home Rule could have been developed, just as the Free State version was…of course this would not fit the republican narrative…but one cannot say that a peaceful IPP brokered settlement would not have led to a more positive outcome

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ancavker | Aug 23, 2012, 09:37 AM EDT

fergananim: Of course we can agree to disagree. That is how a civilized conversation should be.

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Fergananim | Aug 22, 2012, 10:51 PM EDT

Well ancavker, I apoligise if I insulted you. That was not my intent. Its too easy to give into invective here. Can we just agree to disagree? My measure of Brian's support is that so few marched with him to Clontarf - no one from Ulaid, Airgiall, In Tuisceart, Osraighe, south Munster/Desmond, and virtually no one from Connacht. Quite clearly, becoming king of a unified island state was the goal of high kings before and after Brian, but not one that was ever (in my view!) achieved. It would have being marvellous, though.

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Happyhippo | Aug 22, 2012, 01:38 PM EDT

Be sure to take all comments by those who were elected to steer the country in the right direction with an extra large grain of salt,looking up from the deep hole we're in.

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mamaginnty | Aug 22, 2012, 12:42 PM EDT

It was quite sickening to hear Kenny waffling on, I think the eejit thinks he is a second Michael Collins, or that all republicans will now follow him. Gilmore in Labour tried the same carry on during the referendum with posters saying ..."Labour the real republican Party " They are running scared and trying to jump on the bandwagon for republican support.....never. Collins would have had this government bunch up for treason for sure.

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SeamusMor | Aug 22, 2012, 11:45 AM EDT

Ancaver is correct about Brian Boru, and Fergananim is misinformed. The Battle of Clontarf was the final act of a violent tax revolt lead by the Kings of Leinster and Dublin, in alliance with invading Vikings, against the central authority of Irish High King, Brian Boru.

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ancavker | Aug 22, 2012, 10:53 AM EDT

I was not indoctrinated that is what happens with uneducated ignorant people. And I am neither. Brian Boru did unite the Irish if only for a short period of time, and proved that when united they (the Irish) could accomplish much. Alas it did not last, and the Irish resorted to what they are still famous for, fighting amongst themselves, just as many of the Scottish clans in the highlands. It has been the achilles heel of the Irish. And I believe you do attemot to delegitimize the struggle for Irish independence in justifying partition. Even mainstream British historians now acknowledge that it was a mistake, and retarded the potential for both parts of the island. That howvever is ignored by those Irish who preach revisionism.

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Fergananim | Aug 22, 2012, 10:13 AM EDT

@ancavker - Central is playing up again, so I'm reposting. "Brian Boru: King, High-King, and Emperor of the Irish" by David B. Beougher, is a pretty good overview of Brian's carear. Look for it at Medievalists.net

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Fergananim | Aug 22, 2012, 10:01 AM EDT

If you REALLY want a decent summation of Brian's carrear, try this link - "Brian Boru: King, High-King, and Emperor of the Irish" by David B. Beougher. but please remember that not one of the High-King's ever unified Ireland into a sovernign independent state. No one ever has. Someday, perhaps, but not so far. http://www.medievalists.net/2008/09/25/brian-boru-king-high-king-and-emperor-of-the-irish/

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TayandCake | Aug 22, 2012, 09:59 AM EDT

How does he know what Collins would think of the whole thing, Skype????

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Fergananim | Aug 22, 2012, 09:46 AM EDT

@ancavker - No, he did not. Why else do you think the battle of Clontarf occoured? I'm not trying to delegitimize Irish independence, I'm simply stating historic fact. It appears revisionist to you because you were indocrinated with a version of Irish history that accords with nationalist dogma, not history as it occoured.

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