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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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ancavker | Aug 22, 2012, 09:33 AM EDT

Dan: Here you go again. If the Irish Parliamentary party had the kind of influence you speak of, then they would have gotten Home Rule, but they did not. They were still way outnumbered by their British counterpart. Second even if Home Rule was won, Ireland would have been partitioned as the unionists wantted no part of it. So we would still have 2 Irish parliaments under the British crown. Three the home rule that the British may have ultimatley given the Dublin Parliament was incredibly limited, much, much less than what the Scots have today, and with no control over fiscal policy. To repeat, the independence achieved in 1922 was far greater than the Home Rule offered in 1914, and it took a violent war of independence to achieve it. That its ideals were not achieved is the fault of the generations that followed, including this one. It seems the Irish will blame anyone but themselves for their problems, including the dead.

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ancavker | Aug 22, 2012, 09:26 AM EDT

oonafitz: When a topic comes up about a dead historical figure, it is only natural that there would be a coverstation, discusioon, and yes of course speculation and what if's. Since we cannot all meet in a Pub or around the kitchen table, this forum will have to do.

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ancavker | Aug 22, 2012, 09:24 AM EDT

ferganamin: Yes Brian Boru did. Stop trying to delegitimize the past Irish fight for independence and freedom. We all today recognize that partiton is here, and will not change until the majority od Irish people north and south vote otherwise. Revisionism in Irish history over the last 100 years is one thing, but in your case you go back 1000 to 3000 years or more.

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Fergananim | Aug 22, 2012, 08:34 AM EDT

@SeamusMor - Brian Boru didn't united Ireland. Sorry about that.

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Fergananim | Aug 22, 2012, 08:32 AM EDT

"Indeed, I could see him leading the charge outside parliament," Collins had many talents, but being a soldier wasn't one of them. He fought in two battles, during which he was respectively captured, and shot dead.

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IrelandNorth | Aug 22, 2012, 06:36 AM EDT

Apropos the constitutionality vs physical force debate. It's worth reminding ourselves that various Irish Home Rule Bills were kicked around the British Parliament as political footballs for the guts of a century with little progress. Not the thing to encourage faith Irish nationalist in British constitutionalism. Physical force is regrettable, but a deliberate policy of parliamentary frustrationism, obfuscationism and downright subversionism doesn't/didn't help.

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IrelandNorth | Aug 22, 2012, 06:14 AM EDT

It isn't unheard of for contemporary politicians to invoke a pantheon of national heroes to retrospectively legitimise idological heresies. Archive film footage in Colm Connolly's (1992) excellent 70th anniversary historical documentary - "The Shadow of Béal na mBláth, (an edited version of which is viewable on YouTube), shows Collins accepting subscriptions from nationalist notables of the day at the footsteps of Pearse's Gaelscoil St Enda's to fund the new state. Using the block upon which Irish patriot Robert Emmet was beheaded by the English over a century before. And not a corporate loansharking bankster in sight! An Taoiseach Ó Cíonnaith/Kenny does as unconvincing a Collins impersonation as he does of Martin Luther kicking the pope in Dáil Éireann. Thing is, none of us know what any historical legend would or wouldn't have done. And we should cease and desist from pretending that we do. Real question is, to what island (or islands) does the Irish political establishment owe its allegience - Ireland, Great Britain or the Caym€n I$land$?

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IrelandNorth | Aug 22, 2012, 06:13 AM EDT

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James555 | Aug 21, 2012, 04:09 PM EDT

I think Michael Collins would have this government and the last one shot for treason.

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mayoman1 | Aug 21, 2012, 03:56 PM EDT

Michael Collins record states quite clearly that he was a pragmatist,but, it's really futile to guess what he might have done in circumstances that were beyond imagination in his time.

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DanOLoingsigh | Aug 21, 2012, 02:29 PM EDT

We can equally, and as pointlessly, speculate about what if certain events never happened, so what about if 1916 never happened? No executions - IPP again hold balance of power in first post-war government - so they ensure Lloyd George and Co. honour the Home Rule Act provisions - stand up against Unionist pressure - therefore no partition - so take a bow PP, JC et al...you ensured partition...

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DanOLoingsigh | Aug 21, 2012, 02:22 PM EDT

ancavker - If I was petty I would point out that some posters DID say WOULD HAVE DONE...but as I'm not petty...I won't!!!

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pndirishandprou | Aug 21, 2012, 02:20 PM EDT

What would Jesus do in the Euro crisis.... What a stupid hypothetical question, also about Michael Collins. He would have embraced any support from anywhere as long as it would have helped in achieving Irish sovereignty.

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SeamusMor | Aug 21, 2012, 12:19 PM EDT

Brian Boru lived the greatest Irish life! He alone in history united Ireland. Michael Collins' mother was an O'Brien, and he shared the ambition and vision of his most illustrious ancestor to see Ireland whole and enjoying peace and prosperity. Like Brian Boru, Michael Collins shared another highly prized trait in a commander and statesman; the willingness and ability to regroup and consolidate gains before pressing on towards the final victory. Due to Michael Collins, the British Army marched out of Ireland, and then the Irish made "immediate and terrible war" upon themselves! The Irish Republic, a dubious and regrettable flirtation with self government occurring between the departure of the British and the arrival of the Troika, is a failed state. Someone strong has to come along a lead a revolution, burn the debt, and start over with a government, perhaps a direct democracy, that lives within its means.

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barneyjo | Aug 21, 2012, 10:54 AM EDT

Retrospective wishful thought on the past is never a waste of time. It can help to shape the future!!

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