1921 AD - 6 - August / September

August 6th: Eammon de Valera the President of the 2nd Dail Eireann redrafted his personal External Association Theory, that now contained an even less offer of association with the British Commonwealth, which he then presented for perusal to Arthur Griffith, Eoin Mac Neill and Erskine Childers and it was passed by the 2nd Dail Eireann Cabinet. The idea for this was that the lesser offer would create a longer period of correspondence to carry out further discussions on the Anglo - Irish Treaty over a longer period into the Winter in case the Anglo - Irish War should begin again. The British Coalition Government now decided to free all of the Dail Eireann members except for Sean Mac Eoin who had been charged with murder under pressure from the British Military.

August 8th: Michael Collins stated once again that there would be no meeting of the 2nd Dail Eireann until Sean Mac Eoin was free and this finally bought about his release that evening after Eammon de Valera also was to release a statement that he must be released or there would be no further proceedings with the Anglo - Irish Treaty negotiations.

August 10th: Robert Barton and Eammon Duggan went to London with the reply from the 2nd Dail Eireann Cabinet to give it to David Lloyd - George the British Coalition Prime Minister, with two copies, one in English, and one in Irish. The 2nd Dail Eireann then met privately and Eamonn de Valera was once again elected President and Arthur Griffith the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Michael Collins the Minister for Finance, Cathal Brugha the Minister for Defence, William T. Cosgrave the Minister for Local Government, Austin Stack the Minster for Home Affairs and Robert Barton the Minister for Economic Affairs together with Kevin O Higgins as the Associate Minister for Local Government. (Arthur Griffith, William T. Cosgrave, Kevin O Higgins and Robert Barton were strong supporters of Michael Collins at this time).

     Eamonn de Valera now took it upon himself, without any consultation with the 2nd Dail Eireann Cabinet to advise David Lloyd - George the British Coalition Prime Minister personally that the 2nd Dail Eireann / 2nd Irish Assembly could not accept his previous proposals for an Anglo - Irish Treaty, but the decision by the Irish Ministers to reject David Lloyd - George's proposals was endorsed. They they then held a public meeting at the Mansion House in Dublin where a large crowd attended and Michael Collins especially was received with great warmth, which upset certain Ministers in the 2nd Dail Eireann Cabinet whose egos were effected by his personal popularity.

     The Irish Volunteers / I.R.A. / Irish Republican Army also met for the first time since 1920 under Eamonn de Valera at the Mansion House in Dublin, where Cathal Brugha and Austin Stack insinuated that Michael Collins had used I.R.A. funds for his own purposes, which had been channelled through the I.R.B. and Eamonn de Valera, for some reason known only to himself, made no effort to have the matter clarified.   

August 13th: Robert Barton and Eammon Duggan returned with the reply from David Lloyd - George the British Imperial Coalition Prime Minister, that there would be no acceptance of the Irish proposals for an Anglo - Irish Treaty, especially as to their not giving allegiance to the British King, and that Ireland was bound to the British Imperial Empire.

August 23rd: The 2nd Dail Eireann Cabinet held their meeting where Eammon de Valera advised them that it was his intention not to personally attend any future meetings with David Lloyd - George the British Imperial Prime Minister over the Anglo - Irish Treaty although he was the President of the 2nd Dail Eireann / Irish Assembly as he already knew personally what David - Lloyd - George was willing to consider.

August 24th: Eamonn de Valera as the President of the 2nd Dail Eireann advised David Lloyd - George the British Imperial Coalition Prime Minister officially of the 2nd Dail Eireann's affirmation of the decision not to accept his proposals and that there had to be government in Ireland by consent of the people if there ever was to be lasting "Peace." 

August 26th: The 2nd Dail Eireann's reply was unacceptable to David Lloyd - George the British Imperial prime Minister who replied with the supposition that the former Irish leaders, Daniel O Connell the Liberator and Thomas Davis the Young Irelander ("You must educate to be free") had not claimed separation for Ireland from England and he even dropped in a few quotes from Abraham Lincoln for good measure made by him during the American Civil War. The 2nd Dail Eireann met again over the same issue, and as Eammon de Valera was point blank refusing to attend any future meetings with David Lloyd - George, they all agreed that the Irish delegates to any future Conference on an Anglo - Irish Treaty with the British Imperial Government should be given a free hand to discharge their duty to the best of their ability in the circumstances prevailing, (Eamonn de Valera was already well aware of what these would be.)

September 1st:  The I.R.B. / Irish Republican Brotherhood also had a meeting to discuss the present situation in regard to the Anglo - Irish Treaty.

September 7th: David Lloyd - George the British Imperial Coalition Prime Minister wrote again to Eamonn de Valera wanting to have a further meeting at Inverness on the 20th of September to discuss an association of Ireland with the British Imperial Empire to see were it could be reconciled with the Irish National aspirations. Meanwhile Eamonn Duggan the Irish Volunteers / I.R.A. / Irish Republican Army's Chief Liaison Officer in conjunction with Alfred Cope the British appointed Under - Secretary in Ireland was having difficulties maintaining the Anglo - Irish Truce due to the longevity of the on - going negotiations.    

September 9th: The 2nd Dail Eireann delegates who were to to attend the coming conference with David Lloyd - George were agreed upon, but they did not include Eammon de Valera the President who was totally opposed to the British Government proposals and who made this decision by his own casting vote, and Cathal Brugha and Austin Stack who were also totally opposed to the British proposals also declined. Eammon de Valera chose Arthur Griffith who he knew was a moderate and well disposed to bringing about a compromise, although he was previously a monarchist, and Robert Barton whom he considered was an uncompromising extremist Irish Republican.

September 12th: Eammon de Valera sent Joseph Mac Grath and Harry Boland to advise David Lloyd - George the British Coalition Prime Minister that the 2nd Dail Eireann delegates would attend the conference on the date suggested, but as the representatives of a Sovereign State, which had already declared it's independence. David Lloyd - George said he would not accept the letter in it's original form stating that "Ireland was a Sovereign State," and that this would be the end of negotiations if the letter was ever published stating these facts. Despite this Eamonn de Valera ignored his advice and published it anyway.

September 14th: Eammon de Valera advised the meeting of the 2nd Dail Eireann / 2nd Irish Assembly of the results of these discussions with David Lloyd - George and that he had ignored his advice and published the letter anyway, which he now put before them for their approval as he had felt that a strong statement was necessary at this stage to make it more difficult for David Lloyd - George to break off negotiations. The 2nd Dail Eireann Cabinet ratified the appointment of the Irish delegates to meet with David Lloyd - George and William. T. Cosgrave moved that Eammon de Valera as the President of the 2nd Dail Eireann should lead the delegation himself, but the motion was lost for want of a seconder. Eamonn de Valera's personal explanation later on to Joseph Mac Garrity, as to his not attending this particular important meeting,  was that he did not want to let down the side, as he would be a reserve against David Lloyd - George's tricks, and that he would have greater influence over Cathal Brugha, Austin Slack and Mrs. Kathleen Clarke and others if he was not personally involved in the negotiations.      

September 15th: David Lloyd - George the British Coalition Prime Minister replied that he could not negotiate with Eammon de Valera as a representative of an Independent or Sovereign State, as this would be official recognition by the British Imperial Government that Ireland was a separate Country from the British Imperial Empire. Eammon de Valera then replied that, "Negotiators must meet without prior prejudices and conditions, with only the facts."

September 19th: The Anglo - Irish Conference to be held at Inverness was then called off by David Lloyd - George the British Prime Minister, and correspondence then ensued between him and Eammon de Valera as he tried to convince him to change the Irish Cabinet's position and altogether 15 letters and telegrams went back and forth until eventually the term of, "Chosen majority leader of the Southern Irish people," was introduced by David Lloyd - George and Eamonn de Valera then backed off from the permanent Sovereign State position.  

September: Due to the Anglo - Irish Truce, Michael Collins was now physically able, but at great risk to himself, to address the voters in his other elected seat in  Co. Armagh, one of the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province, in the south - east of the Ulster Province, on all the matters related to the British Imperial Government's continuing hold on Ireland.

September 29th: David Lloyd - George the British Coalition Prime Minister gave up and ended his correspondence with Eamonn de Valera, which he felt had produced no basis for any further talks, which he could accept, to hold an Anglo - Irish Conference and there would certainly be no recognition of a Sovereign State. He said that he was ready to make a new start and hold a Conference in London on 11th October, "To decide how Ireland and Britain may be reconciled with Irish National interests," and the 2nd Dail Eireann Cabinet then accepted his offer.

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