Sir, - I strongly object to Kevin Myers's treatment of General Michael Collins in the "Irishman's Diary" of September 26th. The Division of the Dublin Metropolitan Police was the lynchpin of the British intelligence system in Ireland and was responsible for numerous atrocities, including the killing of many friends and colleagues of Collins. To counteract their activities, he formed his own squad, called the Twelve Apostles, in September 1919.
Mr Myers mentions the deaths of two detectives from G Division as being examples of Collins's organised murder. In the first case, Det Sgt Patrick ("The Dog") Smith was actually warned to lay off, but replied that "nobody was going to tell him how to do his duty". The second case, that of Det Daniel Hoey, was in response to the banning of Sinn Fein by the British authorities. (Incidentally, the latter detective was responsible for picking out Sean Mac Diarmada for the firing squad after the 1916 Insurrection.)
I appreciate that Mr Myers acknowledges in his article that he is one of the tiny, tiny (and still dwindling) band of people who detest Michael Collins. - Yours, etc.,
(no relation),
Slane,
Co Meath.