1922 AD - 6 / August

August: Eamonn de Valera had joined in with the Irregular I.R.A against the Anglo - Irish Treaty and the 3rd Dail Eireann of the Irish Free State, and by now he could finally see that the writing was on the wall, as besides this, he was a very tired and depressed person when he was to arrive at Fermoy in Co. Cork in Southern Munster, where he was informed that Harry Boland had been killed. The IRA Irregulars there in retaliation then burnt down the Fermoy Barracks and left the area.

August 5th:  The Irish Government's I.N.A. Dublin Guards under General Daly, landed at Fenit and recaptured Tralee in Co. Kerry in the south - west of the Munster Province from the anti - Treaty IRA - Irregulars.

August 7th: The town of Kilmallock in Co. Limerick in the mid - north - west of the Munster Province was also recaptured by the Irish National Army from the IRA Irregulars, followed then by the town of Newcastle West, the very same day.

August 8th: After further heavy fighting, Cork City in Co. Cork in Southern Munster was still held by the anti - Treaty IRA Irregulars and Liam Lynch who was their Chief of Staff was now determined to continue on with the fight, regardless.

August 9th: 470 Irish National Army troops under General Emmet Dalton landed at Passage West in Cork Harbour in Co. Cork in Southern Munster 6 mile out, taking over Youghal and Unionhall, after fighting their way through. Michael Collins as their Commander - in - Chief went south to inspect the towns of Limerick, Castleconnell, Tipperary, Charleville, Kilmallock, and also Co. Kerry, where the Irish National Army barracks were, to see what additional support they needed there.   

August 11th: Rochestown, in Co. Cork in Southern Munster, was now also secured by the I.N.A. and the anti - Treaty IRA Irregulars there then fled from the vicinity of Cork City, which was also secured by the Irish National Army.

August 12th: Arthur Griffith, the founder of the Gaelic League, the political Sinn Fein Party, and now known as the "Father of the Nation," had a heart attack and died suddenly on this day, although his patient courage and unselfishness had always shone out, he had finally been worn out by it all. Michael Collins returned to Dublin from Limerick were William T. Cosgrave was now the acting - President of the 3rd Dail Eireann. (At this time Dunne and O Sullivan who had previously assassinated Sir Henry Wilson in London were still in Wandsworth Prison in England waiting to be hung.)

August 13th: Eamonn de Valera, who had previously personally joined in with the anti - Treaty IRA Irregulars, was now having second thoughts of trying to get the IRA Irregulars to quit the fighting, as it was also beginning to dawn on him that the Irish people themselves must somehow, be won over to his own personal point of view, before any successful resistance to the Irish Free State could really occur.

August 15th: Michael Collins, as the Commander - in - Chief, received a message that certain Irish - Americans were considering coming to Ireland to kill him and Richard Mulcahy the Irish Free State Minister of Defence, and he said, "Let them come, we have stood up to better men then them. Where were they when the real fighting men were needed ? " He also now decided to try and convince the anti - Treaty IRA Irregulars in Co. Cork in Southern Munster, once and for all, to bring it to an end, and if they wouldn't, then he had finally decided to use extreme force to bring them to heel.

August 20th: Michael Collins, as the Commander - In - Chief, on this day went on his I.N. Army rounds, and he called in at the Curragh in Co. Kildare in Central Southern Leinster, and then went on to Co. Limerick in the mid - north - west of the Munster Province, from where he left escorted by one of his Commanders, Sean O Connell, along with Captain Conroy and Joseph Dolan and 12 members of the Irish National Army and a small armoured car. They arrived at Mallow in Co. Cork in Southern Munster, which was under the command of Tom Flood, and from there he travelled through Whitechurch and arrived in Cork City at 8.30 p.m., which was now under the control of General Emmet Dalton and he was greeted there by a huge crowd who gathered outside the Imperial Hotel.           

August 21st: Michael Collins, as the Commander - In - Chief, at first interviewed the Bank Managers in the City of Cork, who had been recently swindled out of 120,000 pounds by the anti - Treaty IRA Irregulars, and he then went to inspect the Macroom Barracks that afternoon that were under the control of Captain Conlon, and he was to return that evening to the City of Cork were he was able to return a large amount of the Banks' lost money.

August 22: Michael Collins, who was now 33 year old and the Commander - In - Chief of the Irish National Army had been the catalyst for the British Imperial Government's withdrawal, and he had given his all in this tremendous quest, but he would soon to be killed on this day at "The Pass of the Flowers" / Beal na m Mlath on the road to Macroom, near Bandon, in his own Heberian Eoghanacht Ui Coileain Sept 's territory in Co. Cork in Southern Munster. (This was to mean that within 10 days Ireland was to lose 2 of her greatest leaders.) On this his last day alive on earth he was accompanied by his escorts, under the command of Lieutenant Smith, while General Emmet Dalton was with him also in the car, as he carried out the tour of Macroom. From there he travelled on to the Bandon Barracks, which were now under the control of Sean Hales, while at Clonakilty all of his relatives came out to greet him at Sam's Cross. There he met up with his brother, Sean Collins and many of his other relations and viewed the remains of his family home, which was previously destroyed by the British Imperial Government's R.I.C. Black & Tans. With intentions of returning to the City of Cork, after passing back through Skibbereen and Bandon at about 7.30 p.m., they were fired upon by a machine gun, and the windshield in their car was shattered, so Emmet Dalton told the driver to keep going, but Michael Collins said, "Stop and we'll fight them." The immediate firing that was aimed at their Crossley Tender, which was at the head of the group under the command of Sean O Connell, ceased, but it then broke out once again, in the direction of Michael Collins, and Sean O Connell ran over to assist him and Emmet Dalton, and the firing continued on for another 20 minutes, then ceased again. Michael Collins decided to duck in behind the armoured car, just as 2 of the IRA Irregulars came out on the road within their sight ahead, and he rushed towards them and then dropped down to take aim. Emmet Dalton, Sean O Connell and Joseph Dolan, at this time, were further back as they heard him cry out, "Emmet." By the time they reached him they could see he was wounded behind his right ear but his eyes were still wide open, while the fire from the IRA Irregulars was still coming fast and furious in their direction, and Sean O Connell took him by the hand and recited the Act of Contrition to him and he squeezed his hand acknowledging his friend. Emmet Dalton continued to return their fire, until Sean O Connell could get Michael Collins back in behind the armoured car, but when Emmet Dalton reached him and raised his head his eyes were to close forever and the Light of Ireland was gone.

      Michael Collins had been born in Clonakilty in Co. Cork in Southern Munster in 1890 AD and he was to be the last of the I.R.B, / Irish Republican Brotherhood, which was to disintegrate after his death. With Lieutenant Smith assisting they lifted him up into the armoured car but then, he too was shot in the neck, but was still able to help them to get Michael Collins into the car, and they set off for Cork City, but did not arrive there until 3 a.m. the next morning. Michael Collins's body was returned by boat from Innisfallen to Dublin, to the Pro - Cathedral from where he was to be eventually interred at the Glasnevin Cemetery, where today he is surrounded by the circular graves of all of his comrades. Richard Mulcahy spoke of his greatness and of the personal loss to Ireland. William T. Cosgrave (1880 - 1965) became the Chairman of the Irish Government and Kevin O Higgins the Minister for Home Affairs, and between them they were now to bring about the conclusion of the Irish Civil War.    

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