Quotes from Tim Pat Coogan

Lloyd George's main interest seemed to lie in meeting the amazing escapologist 'Mick' as he always referred to him. He took a mischievous delight in the rage of 'the Castle contingent' at their inability to lay hands on Collins when the Archbishop could apparently see him at will.

Freedom, what crimes are committed in thy name.

We have clearly demonstrated our willingness to have peace on honourable terms. Lloyd George insists on capitulation. Between these two there is no mean; and it is only a waste of time continuing.30

the Irish... qualities are hidden, besmirched, by that what has been imposed upon us, just as the fine, splendid surface of Ireland is besmirched by our towns and villages

He advocated land reform, breaking up the big estates, 'the ranches' and studying Denmark's, Holland's, and Germany's farming methods so as to promote agri-business, specifically, meat processing, cheese-making and dairying and a range of downstream activities, including agricultural machinery.

When Fitzgerald saw it he pointed out that it might be construed as meaning that de Valera was opposed to the settlement. He was surprised and puzzled, because at that stage, he, like a lot of other people judging de Valera on his published statements, regarded him as a moderate.

election were held in the forthcoming three to four months, under the terms of the Government of Ireland Act, 'there would be a general boycott, at the point of a pistol, on the word of Michael Collins'. To which Lloyd George replied feelingly that if Michael Collins could stop three million people using their vote, it did not say much for the success of the policy they were pursuing.

de Valera summoned a Cabinet meeting of the members available in Dublin and announced that he was calling for the resignations of the three absent members, Collins, Barton and Griffith. Cosgrave stood up to him, saying he ought to wait to see what the three had to say first.

he had not taken the trouble to study the Treaty. Apparently the fact that a Treaty had been signed without first being referred to him was the source of his agitation.

It was far from good enough for de Valera, Brugha and Stack.

He recommended that factories should 'as far as possible' be dispersed about the country instead of being concentrated in a few areas, both to avoid congestion, improve the earning power of the rural population and 'enlarge their horizon'.

Barton 'strongly reproached the President'79 and said the whole situation had arisen because of de Valera's 'vacillation'. He had had his chance of going to London and had refused.

He drew attention to the vast amount of money (£194 million in banks and £14 million post office deposits) 'lying idle in banks', the huge capital outflows and forecast 'with scope for our energies, with restoration of confidence, the inevitable tendency will be towards a return of this capital to Ireland

Kevin O'Higgins did not like the Treaty which he felt should not have been signed, but having being signed it should be supported.

He had detailed plans for developing industry, using hydro-electric power – 'the white coal of Ireland'.

De Valera was back to his old tactic of taking an extreme course while sounding moderate.

He wanted to avoid both State socialism which he saw as merely another form of monopoly, and industrial development along 'the old commercial capitalistic lines of the huge joint stock companies':

the question of labour in relation to industry, and it is consequently vitally necessary for the development of our resources that the position of employers and employees should rest on the best possible foundation.

It was a 'revelation' to Childers to discover that de Valera was not thinking of appealing to moderate opinion.

The majority have no right to do wrong.

Government should be democratic and 'carry out for them all, and only, what is needed to be done for the people as a whole. It must not interfere with what the people can do for themselves in their own centres.

His development plans were all set in a united Ireland context. The rivers Erne and Bann lie in the Six Counties but in 1922 Collins was writing about methods which would,'utilise the water-power of the Shannon, the Erne, the Bann and the Liffey.

The resort to force is a two-edged weapon which has a persistent habit of recoiling on the user and which in the last analysis seldom achieves anything that could not be obtained by reason and peaceful means.

His abiding belief was that 'a prosperous Ireland will mean a united Ireland. With equitable taxation and flourishing trade our North-East countrymen will need no persuasion to come in and share the healthy economic life of the country.