RetCollinsed

Today the hundredth anniversary of the Easter rising is being celebrated in Dublin 

It is  not the actual historical anniversary, that will be in April the twenty fourth, 1.15 pm . The anniversary is commemorated as a movable feast on the Easter Sunday of each year rather than the historical date

 Also its the premiere of Game of Thrones season 6. So I presume no one wants to miss that. It is notable that during the Troubles commemoration of the Rising became very low key

Scott  asked  what if Collins, could return to the Easter rising? How would it be different.

 I thought about this. I have put my thoughts down here

This will be an ASB but I will try to keep things as grounded as possible. Collins will wake up in NYC in 1905, with his memories a full Rolodex or of names and addresses. IRB, Clan na Gael, a few Irish American politicians and gangsters, prominent members of the Irish diaspora across the sea. Newspaper editors Printers union shop stewards.  There will be a few thousand dollars in the bank, and a decent apartment-office.  Mr Collins will enjoy rude health.

I may be demanding some advances in motion picture technology. I am probably pushing the edge of what could be done, with editing and disseminating motion pictures 

The Rising itself will not be much larger in a military sense. There will be some more rebels in Dublin, and probably more isolated incidents across Ireland. The odd shooting and burning.  The men Collins sends to Dublin, will have some up time knowledge. It will not be presented this way. Just the Crown will come down here...so...

There will be no purges on the Irish side. Collins will not seek to take Devalera out of the equation or quietly see that Cathal Brugha will bleed out.

There will be no German intervention beyond that which happened in our time line. In fact one of the dangers is the longer the Rising goes on; the greater the chances the German intervene. Note intervention here means someone from Casements Irish brigade turning up soaking wet at the Valencia Island post office, and saying ''De Rebulick iz Grand Lads''. Any German action allows the Crown ( I will use that term, we do use that Term, we use it in a historical context)to present the rebels as German pawns. Its not a question of numbers and utility its a question of presence and memory

  In the pre Rising  years Collins will spend his time, between Ireland and the US. Some side visits to Britain and Australia. The big fellow will establish a sizable fortune split off and on the books. Mr Collins will keep a low profile, payments to the right charities and politicians. There will be generous funding for the Irish diaspora. No Spiddle Sister of Mercy in Tumbes, or seminary in Salamaca will go unrewarded  No more long nights in pubs for the man from West Cork either . 

 Instead Collins will start a splinter group with the youngest and most able of the clan na gael members.This should not be difficult as the Clan was in decline at this point. These men, will now acquire passports.  There is the possibility of one or two, informers in the US being shot, or falling out of windows. Politics is a blood sport

 Collins will also make contacts with Hollywood.  Tiny tinsel town will get a quiet and  reliable source of funding, who is interested in cameras. Collins will be interested in the manufacture and copying of motion pictures This is going to be important later on. Favors are going to be called in. 

 Collins will also reach out to the print unions, in Boston and NYC. Small printing firms etc

As events progress, Collins will raise money, and recruit. Some shipments of arms will be sent to Ireland In part to support the cause, in part to gain leverage over different volunteer units, 

Some arms will be hidden away for future use. For the purposes of the revolution after 1916 and in case things just butterfly out of control.

  So in 1916 Collins men, Irish American youth, some rebels with out causes. Old Fenians, will travel to Ireland. These men will stay quiet, until they get the order to assemble. Perhaps Collins volunteers take over the shell of the Hibernian rifles

On Easter Friday Collins will flood U.S Irish neighborhoods, with fly stickers and news sheets. The brave Casement captured! Cruelty of British police.Many words about Casement as a politician and a humanitarian and a protestant.  

We will of course be quite vague about what Casement was doing. The first vigils and protests happen,

 There will be no attempt to countermand the countermanding order. Events in Dublin will play out as otl. Collins men will be ready. It is elsewhere that Collins will strike. 

On Easter Monday. At 7.15 The  Palacio del Congreso will be a buzz with clients of the Duggan and Cavanagh familes. Demanding recognition for the Irish republic. Boston will awake, to posters, saying Rising in Dublin . Dublin castle falls! The king of Spain, will receive a polite call from a down on his luck Spanish aristocrat, asking him to mediate between England and Ireland.  Newspapers in Holland and Switzerland will talk about a rebellion in Ireland. This is a result of Collins largess and funding. The checks came with a letter to opened on the 24 of April.  Mother is going to have a very big welcoming party, after the operation 

 In Ireland Dublin Castle falls to a volunteer attack

 In otl, there was a half hearted attack that was driven off. Now  there will be nearly 200 men. Well armed, and with as much training as can be mustered.  Collins volunteers take Dublin castle . The garrison is captured. Collins men, than loot the files. Dublin Castle is at this period a hospital  so there will  be no attempt to fortify the castle. Taking it will be symbolic enough. Wounded men, as POW'S  is bad PR anyway

As this happens, someone is taking pictures and the a cine camera records the green flag being raised over the castle.  While  someone tall and handsome, reads out the proclamation. The Irish then run like hell. For  giggles have some people steal the Guinness lorries , which the Crown would later use . 

 What be remembered is the image The green flag going up the flagpole. Dublin castle fell. They were beat. Just for a second, but they were beat. The whole world knows it ! Emmett epitaph is written!

 With the British distracted. Collins men, will drive hell for leather for the countryside. Abandon the lorries, burn them, but hide the files. The film, will be placed on a fishing boat. Which several days later, will land in Spain. From there, to Hollywood. Once in Hollywood, the Irish rebellion is edited, processed and published

 Using the Clan-Hibernians, Collins will stage incidents across Ireland. A group of  volunteers, will read the proclamation and fire a volley over the treaty stone. Someone will wander ashore on Rutland Island and read a proclamation. The shooting will be done with cameras. Green flags will be raised and the proclamations printed. Vinegar Hill, Tara,   The Widow McCormack's house will again be overrun 

You do not need to be brave to raise a flag and read a piece of paper. You are not required to fight, you are not required to die for Ireland. If the police come, you run like hell. The photos are the victories. A few may be inspired to attack a medium sized barracks in Cork city, or to burn the odd hay rick

Oh but one caveat. The six counties are left alone. Push loyal Ulster, and you start a sectarian war. So there will be no symbolic storming of Derry´s walls. The British beat the rebels maybe half a day or a day later. Except that this time, The O Rahily charge will be reinforced. Collins men will rush the British line, Instead of a platoon with black powder weapons, there will be Millgrenades, Chauchats, and land mines. The British barricade  will be penetrated, and a green flag will be carried out and away into the West. The green flag, which the world will see, in the battle of Dublin films. The Green flag which  will be paraded in Comiskey Park in front of thousands. The Green flag which will raise millions in bonds for the Irish republic. The Green flag,that flew over a free Dublin. The Green flag that Collins will produce in the treaty debate

Collins will force the British empire to fight a media war, and blitzkrieg them, from Perth to St Johns point.