Michael Collins is a 1996 historical biographic film, written and directed by Neil Jordan and starring Liam Neeson as Michael Collins, revolutionary who played a highly influential role in the Irish Civil War.
After the defeat of Irish rebels by the British forces during the 1916 rising, Collins develops new guerrilla strategies for the independence of Ireland. Although Collins is conflicted about the necessity of this violence to free his beloved homeland, by 1921 the British are willing to negotiate. Sinn Fein President Eamon de Valera sends a reluctant Collins to London to negotiate a settlement. When Collins returns with a compromise of a divided Ireland and an Irish Free State, he is vilified by de Valera.Collins is now faced with civil war as he struggles against those who insist on complete and unconditional freedom for all of Ireland.
Croke Park/Carlisle Grounds
When de Valera travels to the US to seek the support of Woodrow Wilson he leaves Collins in command of the Irish Republican Brotherhood. Collins recruits a squad from the IRA's Dublin Brigade, which, on Bloody Sunday, assassinates fourteen members of MI5's Cairo Gang. In retaliation, the Black and Tans fire into the crowd at a Gaelic football match at Croke Park. The Croke Park Stadium was not actually used to shoot this scene. The Croke Park Set was located at Carlisle Grounds, Bray, and County Wicklow, Ireland.
Located on Jones Road in Dublin 3, Croke Park has been used primarily by the GAA to host Gaelic games since its establishment in 1908. GAA member, Frank Dineen, borrowed much of the £3,250 asking price and bought the ground in 1908. Named Croke Park in honour of Archbishop Thomas Croke, one of the GAA's first patrons. In 1917, the rubble from the Easter in 1916 was used to construct a grassy hill on the railway end of the stadium. This stand is now favoured by Dublin supporters and is known as Hill 16.On the 21 November 1920 Croke Park was the scene of a massacre by the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC). The Police, supported by the British Auxiliary Division entered the ground, shooting at random into the crowd killing or fatally wounding 14 during a Dublin-Tipperary Gaelic football match. The dead included 13 spectators and Tipperary's captain, Michael. Posthumously, the Hogan stand built in 1924 was named in his honour. These shootings, on the day which became known as Bloody Sunday, were a reprisal for the assassination of 15 people associated with the Cairo Gang, a group of British Intelligence officers, by Michael Collins's 'squad' earlier that day.
The Carlisle Grounds is a football stadium in Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland. It is home to Bray Wanderers A.F.C. its capacity is approximately 7,000 with 3,185 seats. It is more commonly known to football fans as "The Field of Dreams”. The Carlisle Grounds is the Football Association of Ireland ground with the longest history as a sports venue. Opened in 1862 as the Bray Athletic Ground, it was renamed the Carlisle Cricket and Archery Ground, in honour of the 7th Earl of Carlisle who performed the opening ceremony as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. Later it was shortened to the Carlisle Grounds.
The Custom House
After returning from the US, de Valera decrees that the IRA must attack The Custom House. Collins argues that fighting a conventional war will allow the British to win, but the Irish Cabinet votes to support de Valera. The attack fails catastrophically; Collins declares that the IRA can only hold out for a month, however, the British soon call for a cease fire.
The Custom House is a neoclassical 18th century building on Custom House Quay which houses the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government. The building of a new Custom House for Dublin was the idea of John Beresford, who became first commissioner of revenue for Ireland in 1780. In 1781 he appointed James Gandon as architect, after Thomas Cooley, the original architect on the project, had died. This was Gandon's first large scale commission. The new Custom House was unpopular with the Dublin Corporation and some city merchants who complained that it moved the city’s central trading point. Beresford was determined to complete the project and ignored the protests. It was used as the headquarters of local government in Ireland. During the War of Independence in 1921, the IRA burnt down the Custom House, in an attempt to disrupt British rule in Ireland. Gandon's original interior was completely destroyed and the central dome collapsed. Many historical records were also destroyed. After the Anglo-Irish Treaty, it was restored by the Irish Free State government. The results of this reconstruction can still be seen today – the dome was rebuilt using Irish limestone which is noticeably darker than the Portland stone used in the original construction.
The Four Courts
De Valera and his supporters resign in protest after the Dáil approves the Anglo-Irish Treaty. Both Collins and de Valera try to sway the Irish people in their respective directions. When the people vote to approve the Treaty, de Valera refuses to accept the results and orders the IRA to seize the Four Courts in Dublin.
Also built by George Gandon, The Four Courts is located on Inns Quay in Dublin. It was built between 1786 and 1796. The building originally housed the four courts of Chancery, King's Bench, Exchequer and Common Pleas. The Four Courts were seized by Commandant Ned Daly's 1st Battalion during the Easter Rising in 1916. However they survived and on 14 April 1922 they were occupied by Republican forces led by Rory O'Connor who opposed the Anglo-Irish Treaty. After several months of a stand-off, the new Provisional Government attacked the building to force the rebels to leave the rebels, on the advice of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army, Michael. This provoked a week of fighting in Dublin during which the historic building was destroyed. One thousand years of archives were destroyed during the fighting.
The Ha'penny Bridge
Ordered by the Cabinet to retake the Four Courts, Collins is appalled at having to fight former comrades. Arthur Griffith, however, informs him that, if the Irish Free State Army will not deal with the IRA, the British Army will. In the 1916 battle through ought the streets of Dublin, the IRA is driven from the city. Despite Collins' attempts to capture him, Boland is shot by a sentry while trying to swim the Liffey.
The Ha’Penny Bridge is featured briefly in the film and its historic importance in Irish history should not be overlooked. The Penny Ha'penny Bridge, and officially the Liffey Bridge, is a pedestrian bridge built in 1816 over the River Liffey in Dublin, Ireland. Made of cast iron, the bridge was cast at Coalbrookdale in Shropshire, England. Before the Ha'penny Bridge was built there were seven ferries, operated by a William Walsh, across the Liffey. The ferries were in a bad condition and Walsh was informed that he had to either fix them or build a bridge. Walsh chose to Build the bridge and planned to extract a ha'penny toll from anyone crossing it for 100 years. However the Dublin residence found the toll to be "objectionable" within its first year of operation, it was to be removed at no cost to the city. This Caused great debate and the toll was increased for a time to a Penny Ha'penny (one and a half pence), but was eventually dropped in 1919. While the toll was in operation, there were turnstiles at either end of the bridge.
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