Michael Collins Quotes

“A nation which fails to adequately remember salient points of
its own history, is like a person with Alzheimer's. And that can be a
social disease of a most destructive nature.”
― S.M. Sigerson, The Assassination of Michael Collins: What Happened At Béal na mBláth?

“It is not to political leaders our people must look, but to themselves. Leaders are but individuals, and individuals are imperfect, liable to error and weakness. The strength of the nation will be the strength of the spirit of the whole people.”
― Michael Collins, A Path To Freedom

“[These]were the legitimate acts of self-defense which had been forced upon the Irish people by English aggression... We did not initiate the war, nor were we allowed to choose the battleground.”
― Michael Collins

“Capitalism has come, not only to serve Britain's purpose by keeping the people divided, but, by setting worker against worker, it has profited by exploiting both. It works on religious prejudices. It represents to the Protestant workman any attempt by the Catholic workman to get improved conditions as the cloak for some insidious political game.”
― Michael Collins, A Path To Freedom

“I am a war man in the day of war, but I am a peace man in the day of peace.”
― Michael Collins

“The Treaty is already vindicating itself. The English Die-hards said to Mr. Lloyd George and his Cabinet: ‘You have surrendered’. Our own Die-hards said to us: ‘You have surrendered’. There is a simple test. Those who are left in possession of the battlefield have won.”
― Michael Collins, A Path To Freedom

“The enemy government quickly realised that the economic policy of the Dáil was as great a danger to them as its political policy, that in fact the elected Government of Ireland stood for social and economical deliverance, no less than for political deliverance.Without finance, however, the policy would be inoperative.The enemy must, therefore, at all costs prevent our getting the necessary funds. He attempted, certainly—and with a renewed determination and savagery.’ — Letter from Michael Collins to Éamon deValera on 10 February 1920”
― Patrick O'Sullivan Greene, Crowdfunding the Revolution: The First Dáil Loan and the Battle for Irish Independence

“In the absence of an established distribution network, he built his own—a financial ‘Ho Chi MinhTrail’ between Dublin and the four corners of the country to target the people directly. Couriers had to distribute the prospectus, promotional material and receipts for the Loan, and carry subscriptions (cheques, notes, coin, gold) back to Dublin.”
― Patrick O'Sullivan Greene, Crowdfunding the Revolution: The First Dáil Loan and the Battle for Irish Independence