Eyewitness Account of Michael Collins Death, 1965
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- Опубликовано: 19 авг 2021
- John O’Connell was a private in the Free State army travelling in the convoy that was ambushed at Béal na Bláth on 22 August 1922 when Michael Collins was killed.
John O’Connell recalls the hours in the lead up to the death of General Michael Collins the Chairman of the Provisional Government and Commander in Chief of the National Army.
"Whilst he was loading his rifle one lone shot apparently like from a sniper rang out and hit him in the side of the head."
In this interview filmed in 1965, John O’Connell gives his account of the day Michael Collins died. He was travelling in the Crossley Tender which was one of the three vehicles ambushed when the convoy met a road block at Béal na Bláth, 
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What a detailed and fascinating account of that terrible day in our history. Rest in Peace, Michael Collins - a true son of Ireland.
Collins was a traitor to Ireland.
This man's recollection and delivery, is incredible.
Isn't it, very competent, clever, clear, accurate account.
This man’s speech is very easy on the ear, well an Irish ear anyway. All but gone. Fantastic we have these recordings.
Do. We know who shot Michael Collins the Collins 22society says Denis sonny o Neill admitted the following morning to James Kearney that he said it was accidental
One hundred years on Rest In Peace Michael Collins Ireland's son
💚🤍🧡🇮🇪 Never forgotten 🕊️
I get upset when I see the carry on them traitors in dail eireann
@@peterclohessy9425 there day will come.
You mean Ireland's father
From an OConnor family in America, we will remember. A great man. RIP.
My Great Grandmother was Kitty Kiernan, this lead to my obsession with all things Collins. Thank you very much for sharing.
Didn’t Michael have a relationship with Kitty
@@liamodonnell469 , cant tell if you're being serious or not. But yes they were engaged to be married, then he got shot.
@@matthewdarcy6859 Sorry Matthew I’m sorry to have given you that impression I am being serious i knew there was a relationship between them but I didn’t know they were to be engaged it was such a shocking end to one of our greatest leaders
@Caroline who did kitty marry after
@@matthewdarcy6859 are you Michaels or Felixs grandson? I met Michael Collins Cronin a number of times. Michael Collins was my Great grand Uncle, my grandfather was General Sean Collins-powell, Collins' nephew and former Chief of Staff.
GOD BLESS THE BIG FELLA , RIP , OUR MICK COLLINS , LEGEND , WHO WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN. GOD GIVE HIM PEACE.
hear, hear! what a beautiful soul. a truly great human being.
Michael God bless you
The great man wil never be forgotten. Xxxx
RIP Michael Collins true Irish Patriot.
@Bres of the Tuatha De Danann ah you again!
@Bres of the Tuatha De Danann eamon de valera is the real traitor, causing a civil war, letting the troubles happen, his power hungry fallers, has given us the shit hole Government we have today
Sup bro breas
Michael Collins was the only politician I ever heard my father refer to as a great man.
Probably because he wasn't a politician.
@@allisnotwhatitseems. bit like trump
@@grlfcgombeenhunter2897 Trump was lucky they didn't JFK him
@@grlfcgombeenhunter2897 Is that a joke? Michael Collins was a dedicated patriot and a brilliant person, nothing like Trump.
@@SaveJenny why would u rather slow mo Biden lmfwao
I'm English but agree that he was a great man. The best leader Ireland never had and I'm afraid it shows even today.
I reckon our great leaders would probably of stayed in bed
If they seen Ireland 🇮🇪 today.
A typical nasty underhanded compliment from your pathetic ilk.
Suit yourself but he had the commander in chief of the British Army assassinated two weeks after signing the treaty and was re organising the IRA for an outright assault on the north arming it with weapons the British had provided the new Irish army. He was actually going to take on thousands of crazy orangemen many of whom are veterans of WW1 with about 5000 IRA men. That would have been fun.
Why lead in with the line- “im English “ - mate no one gives a fuck, Collins fought for freedom like any oppressed man would so fuck off
@@grlfcgombeenhunter2897 why? Independent, a Republic instead of a free state tied to Britain, successful economy, thriving in Europe , full employment , good education etc.
Yes there are problems such as housing but all countries have problems but the truth is Ireland is doing very well.
RIP MICHAEL COLLINS, GONE BUT NEVER FORGOTTEN 🙏.
Who was he?
@@hmq9052 do your research
@@rossthomas3982 Can't you tell me?
@@hmq9052 theres a britannia article literally under the video describing him
@@kamikazefilmproductions I don't have that
99 years ago on Sunday next 22nd August. I would love to know Michael Collins opinion of Varadkar's Fine Gael, I am sure many of those great people are turning in their graves.
No it is the men and women of SF, now that would disgust him..he believed it was possible to be an Irish patriot even if you had mixed heritage like Barton and Varadkar did. It is there belief in freedom, politically and economically and love of Ireland. He esp would approve of Varadkar's belief that Ireland is for people who get up and go to work in the morning.
@@taceyh i doubt Collins would tolerate the suffering and pain that Varadkar and co have inflicted on the Irish people over the past decade
@@brianodonovan3133 he'd have varadkhar and half of sinn fein current woke leadership disappeared ..... traitors to Ireland and her people
@@taceyh Collins was a conservative catholic, not a hope he would approve of the indo European homosexual who wants to change everything about Ireland and wants a foreign power to rule us .
That clown is the exact opposite of Collins
@@taceyh He probably wouldn't approved of Provisional IRA bombing campaign in the troubles
Priceless footage 👏
“When you have sweated, toiled, had mad dreams, hopeless nightmares, you find yourself in London’s streets, cold and dank in the night air. Think - what have I got for Ireland? Something which she has wanted these past 700 years. Will anyone be satisfied with the bargain? Will anyone? I tell you this - early this morning I signed my own death warrant. I thought at the time how odd, how ridiculous - a bullet might just as well have done the job five years ago.” Michael Collins, December 6, 1921
God bless you micheal collins a GREAT son of ireland lost far to young , God bless you and rest your soul all the souls of irelands freedom fighters and thank you all 🙏❤🇮🇪
Mr Varadkar was pictured at the Mighty Hoopla festival in Brockwell Park in London on Saturday where Cheryl Cole was set to make her return to the stage after a long hiatus. He took the government Jet too.
He’s like a 42 year old skateboarder. Imagine Michael Collins was 11 years younger than this man when he was shot dead at 31. Centenary next August 2022. MC was Chairman of the Provisional Government of the Free State when he gave his life for THIS? FG have some gall to claim this man’s legacy as their own. FF/FG government since 1932 is insane. Irish people are yellow bellies. Albert Einstein once famously said “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result”.
Very good account on events of the ambush in detail Rip to all those brave men
Wow amazing stuff thanks so much
collins has to be one of the greatest irishmen to have lived, even after dying so young i feel he has left a far bigger land resounding legacy than his contemporary dev, or as churchill use to call him the devil era.
He was a British collaborator
His legacy has a big black stain on it because of the North by accepting partition as it stood and not doing more to protect his people in the 6 counties and then abandoning his people and leaving them in a state that discriminated against them murdered them at times and beat them of the streets when they complained and his successors did nothing either
Dev set Collins up, he knew perfectly well a suitable outcome, that suited all couldn't be reached, and he had no intention of taking the blame.
@@jackdavidson2612 nonsense, the delegates were to report back to Dublin before signing anything. The buck stopped in Dublin. Or was supposed to.
@@shredder9536 🤦♂️
I remember when the Israeli PM Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated by a right-wing extremist - it seemed resonant of the killing of Collins. Two visionaries who angered the hotheads on their own side. If they'd both survived, they'd have led their respective countries to a better place. Frankly - I blame the cynical politics of De Valera - there, I've said it :)
Brilliant first hand account, 💯 years of history.
Brilliant thanks for shearing keep up the great work 🏆 🇮🇪👍🏻
shed a tear for leo and his beloved black and tans
Ireland lost a great man that day. But Mick was warned that these West Cork guys knew how to set up an ambush. Dalton told Collins that this was a bad move because any ambush was always going to favour the attackers. Collins made it quite clear that if there was any attack they were to stand and fight for two reasons. 1/ To show that the free staters were in control of the whole country. 2/ Collins was in intelligence during the Anglo-Irish war and by his very nature was up for what he would have called a real fight. When the IRA was told Mick Collings was dead there was silence and the reality of his death went very deep. I would argue that his death cut short the civil war and saved a lot of lives. Both sides were willing to die for Ireland and die for what they believed was right.
Dev certainly turned the entire country into the hands of the Roman Catholic cardinals & priests.
@@johngilmore6688 No better lads to bring on the de-anglicisation of Ireland. The place was crawling with British Unionists and West Brit Prods whose loyalty was to England and not Ireland. Let's just hope Brexit finishes the job.
Collins was lured to Cork as he was trying to negotiate peace in the civil war and prevent more deaths. He was very brave and his true heart couldn't apprehend that his good intentions would be so abused.
Rip big fella 🙏 🇮🇪
Greatest irish man of the last 150 years and they shot him. For what? Ireland is no longer the same country of our ancestors.
No country is.everything changes. As do people
@@amysands2413 yes, the people of Ireland are changing. Soon they will all be east Europeans. Asians , and Africans.
He was shot for betraying his oath to the Republic, taking an oath of allegiance to the British crown, accepting the division of the country and turning his newly acquired British guns on his former comrades who stood by the Republic.
Your Name Sake Is Destroying It As We Speak.☘🇮🇪
Sad but true
Michael Collins was a great man, fight for the liberty is not wrong.
RESPECT FROM ITALY
He was like Mussolini.
A real piece of history. If only it were known for sure who set him up. We know why. I am guessing he travelled with so few men to make it harder to follow or find. Someone knowing this info had to be involved in his end.
Fantastic to hear this
✊🏼❤️ move those trees for the folk who will be having a fair later. what a guy.
Interesting. There were 2 O'Connells on the Crossley Tender - Commandant Sean O'Connell (who went to fetch Collins body - we are told) and I presume this man (John) O'Connell. One thing he says rings true - he didn't see any of the shooters - indeed they themselves said they saw nothing as they were running from vastly superior firepower. That the ambush was aimed at Collins exclusively is speculation on his behalf - nor did he see the shooting and he gets the location of the wound completely wrong (again, according to a general consensus of where it was - behind the right ear at the bottom of the skull). In the Collins death it is very important to understand that no-one actually saw ant happened and his recounting has the air of a second-hand account. Especially as Collins fell hundreds of feet behind the Crossly and around a corner with a high ditch blocking any possible view. So the title of this vid though well-meaning is hardly an 'eyewitness' account. As with everything to do with BNB, we can't trust anything, especially long-held certainties. In all of those cases, we can only answer 'according to whom'. Who we choose to believe is entirely on us, entirely our choice.
Absolutely fascinating, my wife was born in Bandon and her Mother in Rosscarbery.
Wow
How have I never seen this
Amazing
Greatest Irish ☘️ man rip big fella
Sorry we let our country come to this.
Dalton told Collins inspecting the troops was an unnecessary risk. Should have taken the boat back.
This very much appears to have been an assassination, not an abush. Why the cover-up? Collins was too important to Ireland to let this go without setting history straight. Irish people should demand an accounting.
Thank You.... Eamonn
R.I.P a real legend ☘️🇮🇪
It's a coincidence that I am watching this, I am living abroad and dont get the calendar reminders of events from tv or family etc, was there even a mention that this was the 100 year anniversary?
His last words were "forgive them, bury me in glasnevin beside the boys."
Sounds like truth.
"""The killing of Michael -- the Enemy appeared at that time it was a GOOD THING TO DO.. that good was only TEMPORARY as the EVIL IT DID IS PERMANENT...R.I.P. Michael--- Remember Ireland in your Paradise.. """💚💚💚🙏🙏🙏🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪
@Bres of the Tuatha De Danann Oh yes that old chestnut! That bullshit has been put to bed decades ago pal.
To.bad the.Wittnesses never told the truth about what happened in the.Ambush like this guy .
@Bres of the Tuatha De Danann who cause the civil war, and killed Irish men and women, the real traitor eamon de valera
Go and see the grave of his killer in Nenagh, died 1950. Opposite Arrabawn, figure it out.
bless
If dev had ov let him go with out dev haven't had an ego trip micheal collins would have saved ireland from 1921 onwards to this day
The new book 'Solving the Murder of Michael Collins' takes these findings into account.
Does anyone know the name of the speaker?
John O’Connell
This man spoke faster than I am able to listen. I really can not understand very much of it.
If you listen intently and without interference it will be as clear as can be.
Power house, beautiful expression
Vivid
If he,would have stayed behind the armored car, he might have lived a long life !
Collins never left cover during the ambush, he took cover firstly behind the touring car then moved to the nearby armoured car while standing and reloading his rifle; Dalton of the British Secret Service shot him with a pistol from a crouched position three yards away, his instructions were that Collins was not to leave Cork alive, because Collins had discovered that the agent 'Thorpe' was Tim Healy.
Collins was a dead man walking from when he personally ordered the assassination of the North Down MP and former CIGS Sir Henry Wilson; Lloyd George and Churchill had agreed Collins was to be taken out at an appropriate time, there was also a lot of pressure from James Craig to deal with the Collins problem.
@@kevinluby4783 Interesting Kevin, where did you hear that account?
@@RUclipsChannel-ol7zx What matters is this; are the claims accurate? And I'll contend, they are. The evidential material may come out in the future to show the claims are correct.
@@kevinluby4783 It is interesting that during this first hand account, he slows down and gets nervous when recounting Collins' death. That is an interesting alternative account though. He was shot in the back of his head so it does make you wonder. Thanks
@@kevinluby4783 that’s Really interesting , I just started watching this RTE special on this past Wednesday it of course says the official version that he came out from cover to chase down what he thought was the IRA retreating down a lane and didn’t see the remaining members who gunned him down , I haven’t finished it yet girlfriend had to go to bed waiting on tomorrow , have you any info sources I can look up to read what you say ?
today 22nd august 2023 on 101st anniversary 🕊🇮🇪🕯
What a beautiful accent. Free Ireland 🇮🇪 🇮🇪
What organisation in particular were the blue hooded women? A branch of CnamB?
Oh for God's sake! Black not blue.Traditional clothing of a by-gone era.Nothing to do with politics.
Leaders today would have been put against the wall for their treachery.
Wonder what Collins would think of varadkar leaking secret documents
A Bullet.
@@odonnchada9994 Collins got a bullet for his treachery
One and done even without the leak.
anyone know the name of this eyewitness...
This is John O Connell he was a private in the free state Army when the ambush took place. Emmet Dalton gives an even better account of it here on RUclips.
@@antseanbheanbocht4993 ruclips.net/video/SLrGnImYCwU/видео.html
Wel never forget u jimmy collins
Mick
Michael Collins was around before fine gael was formed i don't what the connection is
Waal ,that's easy.Michael Collins was pro-treaty. So were future leaders of Cummann na nGaedheal and Fine Gael, eg Cosgrave, O'Duffy, Mulcahy....
@@dnhy7951 ml Collins was backed into a corner to sign the treaty which makes his thoughts on it ambiguous fine gael was pro treaty I understand
@@kieranflynn7582 I think Collins was more dubious about the Treaty than guys like Griffith and Cosgrave.
Above all, Collins was a realist.If he had lived, he would have pushed back to the max on partition as far as he could when the Boundary Commission was established. Cosgrave made no efforts there.
If Collins had lived....if Lenin had lived....if JFK and Bobby had lived...
2:40
If you dish it out,...then you have to be able to take it.
So what would u have him do
When I think about Leo makes me sick, destroying Ireland,
🐀
☘🇮🇪🕊
Anyone know where this man O Connell was from?
Mallow, Co Cork. 1894-1968
@@historyofcountylimerick Thankyou. I think he may be related to me!
@@vivaibizababy here is a newspaper report following his death, which mentions family members www.ouririshheritage.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/john-oconnell-collins-bodyguard.jpg
Executed by Irish national men on a traitor of out land.
I was told that MI5 (British Secret Service) killed Michael.
I very much doubt it
De Valera was against the treaty.No one knows for sure who killed Collins,all speculation.Collins just wanted as much of Ireland as he could get and the republicans wanted the whole thing.This led to a division in the party,all or nothing.
I always said only my opinion the brits were not letting him away they new he was to good I sayvone of his own done him when the shooting started most x brit solders wouldn't surprise if dev was in d set up just an opinion
Edwin Dalton a decorated british officer shot Michael Collins on the orders of the british agents in the provisional government who later morphed into fg and ff. The starstad eireann corporation set up to run the country for the crown to this day.
True Irish Republican unlike modern day Sinn Féin/Provisional IRA
It's romantic to murder 12 different men in one day back then but deemed terrorism 20 years ago. Sinn Fein are no longer Sinn Fein. They're just politicians now. Fought for freedom and gave it up for an aul cough. They were a disgrace during the lockdowns. That whole affair was a stunt and no politician dared question it for fear of losing votes from the brainwashed sheep.
Facts
Why whats the difference between The Sinn Féin/ IRA as you put it and Sinn Féin / IRA in the early part of the 20th century ??????? Please tell me the difference
An fear mor.
.
When gay wiki sends u to the wrong page:
Collins was always going to meet this sorry fate. After all many men met the same end due to his orders. And many good Irish men too. He's no better or worse than any killers on the Anti Treaty side. I don't respect murderers whether English, Irish, Loyalist, Republican, American whatever. Taking another life is the biggest sin.
Very easy for you to say, sitting in your nice comfortable home, living in peace with a roof over your head, food in your fridge and the knowledge that if anyone attacks or robs you you can report it to the police. Collins generation did not have that luxury and they fought hard so that you could live freely, you ingrate.
@@jackspring7709 Its always the same with tossers like you. You have to resort to personal insults to make ypur point. Only one ingrate here i'm afraid.
It must be fierce lonely up there all by yourself on that sky high moral ground...
I see what you're saying but if you lost a loved one surely you would seek revenge.
@@allisnotwhatitseems. the point is . Irish men should have never been fitting each other .
We done what the brits wanted... a war without them in it and they could clean up the mess .
Collins died fighting Republican forces. The Civil war was a brutal war of course. At least Collins died in battle. As for the 77?
No back story, volume low. Needs explanation.
Stick to the history of your own country if you can’t figure it out.
Dude if your that impatient forget it.
You don't know about Michael Collins? Irishmen need no backstory about Michael Collins. Try wikipedia.
Backstory?
Tim Pat Coogans biography would be a good start!
Try the trinity lecture series on irish rebellion it's on RUclips....
Its on RUclips 64, 30 minute lectures on every thing from grattons parliament to the big fella and lots more...
He is the George Washington of Ireland
There is no Irishman responsible for this tragedy. In true form Britain divided a country and left mayhem in their wake. All of these freedom fighters were great men and women. We owe everything to them. They deserve no blame for anything they did. The separation of the six counties was a well laid plan by London. Sinn Fein will lead us to a united Ireland.
Don’t think so
Sinn Fein will lead us to hell!
You are clueless. 6 counties was a majority unionist Protestant province. Michael Collins did the right thing to stop another civil war. You probably love Éamon de Valera. Wasn’t even born in Ireland.
@@owencampbell8799 I rate Collins way ahead of Dev but you can't blame the latter for being born abroad.He hardly decided that himself...
The shinners will destroy this country
Dalton murdered Collins, a friend and colleague gone to America never to be heard of again....
Ehhh..I doubt it
Best way to deal, with the traitor.
Be quiet.
Goon
You know nothing, stfu
Why do people eulogize this man? A lying, ambitious, perfidious self-serving politician who never fired a shot in anger at the enemies of the Republic.
Ridiculous comment
I don’t exault in anyone’s death; however, I am quite skeptical about the “cult of personality” around Michael Collins.
He always had the aura of a proto-Fascist to me.
Bed wetter
@@shredder9536 Sorry, to hear about your "complaint."
@@patrickgleason2066 keep your fantasies to yourself
He wasn't a proto-Fascist. He may well have been impatient with others. It goes with the territory when someone is very decisive and supremely quick-witted.He didn't suffer fools gladly.
I think Collins might well have fallen out with some of his pro-Treaty political colleagues had he lived.
I have little doubt that a fair few officers in the new National Army would have staged a military coup on his behalf if he had suggested same.Where is the evidence that he would have gone down that road?
One of his brothers took the boat to America.Maybe he would have ended up doing that.God knows,he was young enough.
@@dnhy7951 I'm just a bit concerned about the "canonization" of a man who took to violence quite easily. The "Collins movie" was ridiculous. I do respect your comments. All the best.
Brilliant guerrilla operation. The sniper got the traitor with one clean shot in battle. Unlike on December 8th 1922 in Mountjoy Jail when Rory O'Connor, Liam Mellows, Joe McKelvey and Richard Barrett were executed on the orders of the Free State. And unlike on 24 November 1922 when Erskine Childers, the Secretary of the Treaty negotiating group was executed by firing squad. Childers was the Republican head of propaganda and seven low-ranking Republicans were shot before Childers so that it would not look as if he had been singled out to be executed. Childers was put on trial by a military court on the charge of possessing a small Spanish-made "Destroyer" .32 calibre semi-automatic pistol on his person in violation of the Emergency Powers Resolution.The gun had been a gift from Michael Collins before Collins became head of the pro-treaty Provisional Government. Childers was convicted by the military court and sentenced to death on 20 November 1922. So much for Collins and his Free State.
Evil comment....
@@Pdmc-vu5gj Go cry a river pathetic snivelling Free Stater
Plank cabbage brain
Education what you need, listing to you grandfather's 2nd hand accounts 😂
@@mjp8278 Listing? Pity you didnt know who your Dad is, much less listen to Grandad champ LOL