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PHONE: 22/190
64 ST. PATRICK'S STREET,
CORK.
19. 5. 1965
Dear Batt,
Please excuse the delay in my reply to your very kind letter about the Michael Cullins memorial, I have had a fairly heavy operation but I am now Y. G. on the road back. I was also invited with letters similar to yours and it will take another two months to reply to them.
It was a great day on Easter Sunday at Sams Cross. The crowd was enormous; the weather kindly, and best of all was the sight of hundreds of the veterans, divided by the Civil strife marching together once more. There was not a word about parties or politics and the only reference to the civil strife was mines when I appealed for the burial of past dissensions. Re Y. D., County Counsellor or Senator of any party were allowed in the platform and
the organising committee did a marvelous job. Everything was perfect.
However, your tribute to me is hardly failly deserved. Even during the Civil war, I spoke of Much's great services to Ireland and I paid him the same tribute eighteen years ago in Gweild Days in Ireland. Only artest and spoke as I saw the truth about the man.
Anyway thanks again for your kind and generous letter. With all good wishes to you & yours.
Sincerely
Your Barry

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MICHAEL COLLINS WEST CORK MEMORIAL COMMITTEE
MICHAEL COLLINS
MICHAEL COLLINS
(1890—1922)
MICHEAL O COILEAIN, the youngest of a family of eight, was born at Woodfield, Sam's Cross, mid-way between Clonakilty and Rosscarbery, in the year 1890. Having attended the local National School at Lisavaird, and later Clonakilty N.S., he passed, at the age of fifteen, for the British Civil Service, and was called to London, where he worked as a Boy Clerk in the Post Office Savings Bank, until he secured, some years later, an appointment with the Guaranty Trust Company. Before long he became prominent in Gaelic League and G.A.A. circles, was admitted to membership of the I.R.B., and when, in 1914, a company of Irish Volunteers was formed in the English Capital, he at once became an active member.
Crossing to Dublin in the Spring of 1916, he served in the G.P.O. during Easter Week, and was subsequently interned in Frongoch, being released at the General Amnesty in December of that fateful year. On his return to Dublin, Michael Collins, now a member of the Supreme Council of the I.R.B. became Director of Organisation of the I.R.A. and proceeded with incredible success, to organise and arm the Volunteers. His genius for organisation, however, found full scope when he was appointed Minister of Finance to Dail Eireann, having been elected a member for South Cork at the 1918 General Election.
In spite of all the British efforts to wreck them, the National Loans which he organised realised £379,000. About the same time, he accepted a new Post as Director of Intelligence, and within one year, with the help of fearless subordinates, he had effectually paralysed the British Government's political spy system in Ireland—a system that had defeated all the efforts of Irish Separatists in the past. By the end of 1920, the hunt for Michael Collins, now acting President of the Republic and Head of the I.R.B., was incessant, £10,000 having been offered for his arrest, yet, unarmed and unaccompanied, he travelled openly around Dublin, evading capture by his coolness, resourcefulness, and complete lack of fear.
With the greatest possible reluctance, he agreed to take part in the Treaty negotiations, with the British, which led to the establishment of Saorstat Eireann. As one of the principal signatories of that Treaty, and as Chairman of the Provisional Government, the task of taking over the machinery of administration from the English, fell on his shoulders.
While engaged, as Commander-in-Chief, on a tour of Army Posts in the South, he was fatally wounded, when on the 22nd August, 1922, his Convoy was attacked by a party of anti-Treaty forces at Beal-na-mBlath, seven miles north of Bandon.
That over one thousand of his political and military opponents, in Kilmainham Jail, knelt and recited the Rosary for the repose of his soul, on the night of his death, bears ample testimony to the greatness of Micheal O Colleain, and to the esteem in which he was held by all.
*
A ré ba ghairid, bhi lán,
De ghniomhartha gaisce na ndán
A chroi mar leanbh bhi grádhach,
'Ar ngui—a anam go h-ard.
*
Samis Lowes
Sunday. 18th April 1964.
Michael Collins West Cork Memorial Committee
OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
CHAIRMAN—JAMES L. O'KEEFFE, Skibbereen.
VICE-CHAIRMAN—JOSEPH O'BRIEN, Macroom.
HON. SEC.—JOHN P. O'CROWLEY, Clonakilty.
ASST. HON. SEC.—JAMES O'REGAN, Clonakilty.
HON. TREAS.—MICHAEL WHITE, Sam's Cross.
BANDON—Tom Hales, Liam O'Donoghue, N.T.; Jeremiah Holland, Emmet O'Regan.
BANTRY—James O'Shea.
CASTLETOWNBERE.—Jack Hanley, John Sheehy.
CLONAKILTY.—Dr. E. Barrett, Paul Blewitt, Paddy Hayes, Timothy O'Regan, Padraig Walsh, Jack O'Donovan, John Lyons (Derriveen).
CORK—M. Murray.
DRINAGH.—Daniel Coakley.
DUNMANWAY.—Jerry Bernard, Maurice Collins, Owen McCarthy, Con O'Sullivan (Togher); Jeremiah O'Mahony (Ballinvard, Ballineen).
DRIMOLEAGUE—Jack Forbes, Ned Forbes.
GLENGARRIFFE.—Bernard Harrington.
MACROOM.—John Farrell, Michael Healy.
ROSSCARBERY.—Con Harte, Charles Hodnett, James Nagle.
SAM'S CROSS—James O'Brien, James Collins, Denis O'Hea.
SKIBBEREEN.—Paddy O'Mahony, Dermot Nagle, Frank Collins (Cross House).
SCHULL.—Daniel O'Regan, T. O'Mahony.
TIMOLEAGUE.—P. J. Deasy (jr.), Michael Staunton.
LEAP.—Ted O'Leary, John O'Donovan, N.T.

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PHONE: 22190
64 ST. PATRICK'S STREET,
CORK.
16. 5. 1966
Dear Batt,
Thanks very much for your.
Kind letter about your Gov Hales, R. I. P.
It was heartening to receive such a letter
from such an old friend and comrade of
You & indeed myself.
You & I were as you know
friends as well as comrades & I visited
him in the hospital two days before
his death which I did not anticipate
would come so soon. However we
gave him a good send off. We
marched him through the city with
a guard of honour - halted the capse
outside Ballenadee and marched him
through his native village again with
a guard of honour to his Church.
On the following day again we marched
him through his village and stopped
the coverage at the I. R. A. movement.
From there were marched him with guard
of Honour through the town of Bandon
to his grave adjoining the Church.
Yes, any honour we could give
You was given but I was & am
saddened at his passing. Since his
death I have been able to arrange
that his brother (Bill Hales) will
surveil the Crossbarry memorial as
Yours Deputy & thus pay our trubate
to You.
I had a very since letter
of thanks from Yours Sandow - Annie.
She was so pleased with our efforts.
Yours glad you will be with
us for the survivings.
Karmachael
will be first - not later than
July I hope.
There is a possibility
that Crossbarry will be in Sept.
Nothing depends yet.
I'll tell Mrs Hales, Bill
& the others of your sympathy.
With all good wishes
Batt to you & yours:
Smarchy
Your Barry