I Signed My Death Warrant Read Online Free PDF Page B

this quarrel with Brugha. Brugha was, I consider, a difficult man to work with. A man of iron will and scrupulous honesty he often argued fiercely over details that were of little moment and in a manner that was at times offensive though generally unintentionally so. At every meeting Dev exercised self-control and patience that filled me with admiration in his endeavours to prevent an open rupture between Brugha, Collins, Stack and Griffith. Brugha had, I believe, always distrusted Griffith as a Republican.’
    Barton would later come to the conclusion that the rift with Collins was at least partly the result of the Big Fellow’s ‘effort to control the national movement through the IRB of which he was the leader.’ The IRB had been ‘strengthening its hold upon the Volunteers by appointing its nominees to all the important positions in the Army as vacancies occurred through capture or casualties.’
    â€˜De Valera on all occasions played the role of peacemaker and I endeavoured to support him,’ Barton added. ‘I never spoke to him alone and knew as little about him as I did of my other colleagues.’ Barton concluded that his lack of familiarity with cabinet colleagues was partly the result of the circumstances of being in jail for so long, but it was also partly due to his own upbringing as a member of the Protestant landowning class, who were generally unionist in outlook. He had worked with Collins, but their relationship was tempered more by the ‘risks to which we were subjected than by temperamental affinity’.
    Barton was obviously more sympathetic to de Valera than to Collins, as he was clearly not impressed with the manner in which the Big Fellow was critical of the president. Barton held de Valera in enormous regard.
    â€˜He is a patriot without personal ambition,’ Barton wrote. ‘A supremely honest and conscientious leader.’ The faults of other leaders were conspicuously lacking in de Valera. In the light of history it was absurd to suggest that de Valera had no personal ambition. He grew up as an unwanted child with enormous ambition. He had a driving need to be recognised as somebody, and this was a significant factor in his difficulties in the United States, where he admitted that his problems were largely the result of his personal determination to block Daniel Cohalan, unless the judge was prepared to consult him first. De Valera would demonstrate his ambition by serving as head of government more than twice as long as any other Irish leader in the twentieth century, He also served as chancellor of the National University from 1919 to his death in 1975.
    Collins had a different kind of appeal. On Tuesday night, 12 July 1921 Collins sent a message to Brigid Lyons to arrange for him to accompany her to see Seán MacEoin in Mountjoy Gaol the following afternoon. He entered the prison with her under the name of James Gill.
    â€˜It was a joy to see Seán MacEoin’s surprise when he saw Mick Collins walk into Mountjoy that day,’ according to Brigid. ‘Seán just greeted him as a visitor but there was no hiding his inner delight.’
    â€˜I don’t know how to explain to you how grateful I am to you for your visit yesterday,’ MacEoin wrote to Brigid next day. ‘My old heart beat high with joy and all I could do was stare and murmur to myself “Thank God”. I am sure you understand how I felt.’
    â€˜I will be forever grateful to you for that visit,’ he continued. ‘Never were you so welcome and that welcome will always re­­main so long as I remain.’
    There was no doubting the intensity of MacEoin’s appreci­ation at the gesture by Collins. Part of the loyalty that Collins attracted was prompted by the sense of caring that he generated. Men believed that he was really concerned about them as individuals and that he would go to extraordinary lengths to try to help them.
    Even though