More than 6,000 documents dating from 1918 to early 1922 are held in The Collins Papers, which is one of the Military Archives’ most accessed and established archival collections.
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| Michael Collins in 1919 |
The chief creator and man behind most of the paperwork held in this collection was General Michael Collins. The collection, which has been in the custody of the Military Archives for decades, was named ‘The Collins Papers’ to signify that connection.
You can read an overview of the contents here.
The release of these papers online marks the final stage in a very long journey which took these papers from their point of creation to eventual preservation in the Military Archives.
The advent of The Collins Papers online presents new opportunities to a global audience to analyse the years preceding and encompassing the War of Independence and the post-Truce and -Treaty period (1919–1921) using the records created by IRA leaders and General Headquarters staff.
More details on the collection's contents and archival history, plus a customised search tool can be found via The Collins Papers link above.