Michael Collins, comandante in capo dell’esercito nazionale, ai funerali di Arthur Griffith. Sarebbe stato assassinato in un’imboscata pochi giorni dopo. Dublino, Irlanda, 1922. [675×1200]

It’s incredibly Irish that, despite everything he did for Ireland, he was killed because he was pragmatic and realistic and not willing to be some  tragic romantic of “nearly did it!” He did do it and people still attack him and still call him a traitor today. 

He might not have even been needed had the Irish not torn down Parnell decades earlier, but purity has always been held in higher regard than results in Irish history, we prefer tragic romantics over pragmatic winners 

To quote the youngsters – “that’s serious drip”.