"Is there a thesis?" is the impression left after reading "Michael Collins." The tangled jumble of sentences collected together as an essay and titled "Michael Collins" is amazing in that an excess of factual data is supported by two sources and only eight sited references. It is hard to discern what should be learned from this essay; Michael Collins historical significance to the Irish Free State movement, the questions surrounding his death, or those individuals who molded and shaped the person, Michael Collins.
To the author's credit, a great deal of factual information is provided. The history of Michael Collins youth, major influences in his life, and perceptions of Michael Collins from outside sources who viewed him as a leading influence of revolutionary ideals are firmly established in the essay. Based on one truly creditable source, though, the veracity of the author's ideas must be questioned. Was the use of this one source purely because, it was the only source available with information on Michael Collins or was it for the positive bias? With a title of The Man Who Made Ireland: The Life and Death of Michael Collins, one can assume that the author, Tim Coogan was biased on the subject matter. Although much of the historical information on Michael Collins is inconclusive, due to a purging of records and historical documents regarding his involvement in Ireland's affairs, there is information detailing the negative influences and perceptions held on Michael Collins. Specifically some of the resources which are available are numerous articles in the periodical The Irish Times, Frank O'Connor's Death in Dublin: Michael Collins and the Irish Revolution, Piaras Beaslai's Michael Collins and the making of a new Ireland, and numerous web sites. Based on these reasonably available sources and the numerous opinions offered about Michael Collins it is interesting that the essay "Michael Collins" scantily presents this opinions and perspectives to refute or support them
One area which has been neglected, to the detriment of the essay, is the effect Michael Collin's signing of the Treaty with England had on his popularity and ability to influence political groups. This one act separated Michael Collins from the organizations with which he had worked for many years. The author of the essay states that the treaty "was seen by many to be Collins greatest mistake," yet does not continue by establishing why. Collins died believing that his decision was the correct one, so who believes his decision was a mistake. If the treaty was his greatest mistake, what could Collins have done to improve the situation? Although Michael Collins decision to establish a free Ireland in the South and an English state in the North was not a popular decision, it could be viewed as Collins himself saw it, a stepping stone to an entirely free Ireland.
Finally, the questions surrounding Michael Collin's death are raised numerous times throughout the essay, but nothing firm is stated about it. Should it be surmised that his death was a result of his decision to agree to the Treaty? Was it an accident as is suggested or an intended execution by the IRA or other faction?
This essay reasonable establishes many of the essential elements surrounding Michael Collins
life, but the numerous questions the essay asks lie unanswered. Michael Collins is, if anything,
a man of many questions. He rose to a position of leadership in the IRA because of his active
involvement in the organization and natural leadership abilities, but following the Easter
Rebellion of 1916, he was immortalized for coming out of it alive. His country trusted and
relied on him to carry them through some rough times, yet his treaty with the English was
scorned. This essay would be better received if minor details were omitted or formed as a base
for further discussion of the major details, and if the crucial focal points, such as questions
surrounding his death and his decision to sign the treaty, were amplified.