Collins - Craig Meeting in Dublin

Serious differences emerged over settlement of boundary issue with Collins putting forward a series of alternatives based on different ways finding out majorities (i.e. counties, constituencies, county council areas, Poor Law areas, etc.) – all of which would have given large tracts of the Six Counties to the Free State.  Afterwards, Craig told reporters that he had British government’s assurances that the Boundary Commission would make only minor changes.  However, Collins issued a statement saying that the South would not coerce the northeast but would not allow them to coerce their nationalist minority. Anti-partitionists were in a clear majority in Fermanagh and Tyrone, and large parts of Derry, Down and Armagh.  He called for an all-Ireland parliament to draft a constitution for the whole country.  This was a coming into the open of  the conflicting assurances that Llyod George had (deviously?) given both sides during the Treaty negotiations. 

Also, discussed was the situation of the expelled workers.  Unemployment situation meant that Craig could not get Catholic workers re-employed in Belfast shipyards.  Craig undertook to ensure that expelled workers were engaged in relief work.  Collins was also of the impression that political prisoners would be released.

Two related issues: (1)Macardle says that Collins, on his own initiative cancelled the Belfast Boycott which the Dáil had imposed and Curran says that he lifted the boycott on the 24^th Jan.  It seems, according to Phoenix, both were right.  Collins did undertake – on his own initiative – to drop Belfast Boycott at his meeting with Craig in London on 21^st January.  But he got it formally dropped on the 24^th. (2) On the issue of recognising the Northern parliament, Hopkinson says that Collins did not want to recognise Northern Ireland parliament but, as noted above, Macardle suggested that he had implicitly done this by entering into discussions with Craig.

Back