Dalton was criticised for allowing Collins to tour West Cork with a “totally inadequate” escort on the fatal day on which the Big Fellow was killed, but the author astutely recognises that even though Dalton had the rank of major-general, he was still only 24-years old and was in no position to order Collins not to endanger himself. There was little doubt that Collins came down to Cork to demonstrate that the provisional government was gaining control of the country. The people of Cork City generally welcomed the Free State troops, and this was seen at the time as a devastating blow to the Republicans. This was the spark that ignited the Civil War, after the British - mistakenly believing that the Republicans occupying the Four Courts were behind Wilson’s assassination - gave Collins an ultimatum to clear out the buildings.ĭuring the ensuing Civil War Dalton was in charge of the Four Courts assault and he later led the seaborne invasion of Cork. He had great difficulty accepting that Collins was behind the murder of Field Marshal Wilson in London. Dalton so admired Collins he did not appreciate the extent of the Big Fellow’s macabre activities in the run-up to the Civil War.
In the ensuing Treaty negotiations Dalton acted as a military advisor to Collins in talks with Winston Churchill on defence issues. But Seán Boyne overlooks the fact that it provided the propaganda impetus that prompted the British to seek a negotiated settlement. He recognised that the IRA could not defeat the British militarily he saw the conflict as a means of outmaneuvering the British politically.ĭalton believed the Custom House assault was a military disaster. De Valera never really thought of fighting the war in military terms. Shortly afterwards he was highly critical of the IRA attack on the Custom House, for which Eamon de Valera was largely responsible. In May 1921 he played a leading part in a daring attempt to spring Seán MacEoin from Mountjoy jail, where he was awaiting execution. His younger brother Charlie was involved as an active member of Michael Collins’s intelligence operations.Įmmet Dalton joined the IRA and was appointed assistant director of training. When he got out of the British Army in April 1919, the War of Independence had already begun at home.
He saw further action in the Middle East the following year before returning to the front in France with the rank of captain, while he was still only 20.
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