Fighting for the love of Michael Collins

As well as being a political giant, Michael Collins is said to have won the hearts of women everywhere he went. Niamh Hayes discovers a long list of women rumoured to have caught his eye

WOMEN played a huge part in Michael Collins’ life, from his mother and sisters, to the countless women who helped him in his fight for freedom.

Romantically, Michael has been linked to a number of women, most famously, his fiancée Kitty Kiernan, but there are also others, who he may have won over, too.

When he was in his early 20s, Susan Killeen is said to have been Michael’s first girlfriend. Originally from Co Clare, she lived in London with Michael’s second cousin, Nancy O’Brien.

She worked in the savings department at West Kensington where Michael had worked previously, and was active in Irish society where they met each other at social events and dances. After the outbreak of the First World War, Susan returned to Dublin, and although they wrote to each other for some time, their romance tapered off due to the distance.

Madeline Dicker was a spy during the War of Independence. She travelled on the mail boat to and from England, intercepting letters being sent from Dublin Castle to the British establishment, and revealing the names and activities of British intelligence men to Michael. A romance between them is said to have blossomed, with Michael affectionately calling her Dilly, and using her home in Dublin as a safe house when he was back there.

Lady Hazel Lavery was the American wife of painter Sir John Lavery. She had a lot of connections in the UK and brought Michael to meetings and social functions regularly, connecting him with many people. Their friendship is said to have flourished into something more, but this was during the time of the Treaty negotiations and may have been exaggerated by his opponents.

After the death of Michael, Lady Lavery’s husband painted a portrait of Michael, titled Love of Ireland, while he was lying in state, dressed in military uniform with the Irish flag draped over him.

A few years after Michael’s death, Lady Lavery wrote a letter to a biographer describing Michael as a man of brilliancy and a romantic figure. While it is unknown whether they had a romantic connection, they certainly did have a deep friendship.

Moya Llewelyn Davies, formerly Moya O’Connor, was a friend of Michael’s sister Hannie, who lived in London. Michael also became friendly with her, and she assisted him as an intelligence agent. Similar to his relationship with Lady Lavery, rumours about a romance between Michael and Moya began to surface around the time of the Treaty negotiations.

Moya was back in Dublin at this time and helped Michael by storing guns and giving him another safe house. After his death, rumours surfaced that he had fathered a child with Moya, but there was never any light shed on these. But Moya did write affectionately about Michael in letters written by her after his death, and after buying the letters at an auction over 15 years ago and reading them, Moya’s granddaughter Melissa has described Michael as the love of Moya’s life.

Lady Edith Londonderry and her husband Charles lived in Mount Stewart in Northern Ireland. She entertained many guests at her home, including Michael. Rumours of an affair between the two emerged but like Lady Lavery and Moya, these surfaced around the time of the Treaty negotiations, so their relationship was likely exaggerated to benefit his opponents.

The one woman we do romantically associate with Michael is Kitty Kiernan, of course. He was engaged to Kitty at the time of his assassination, but their romance wasn’t a straightforward one, either. Michael met Kitty in 1917 while he and his friend, Harry Boland, were staying in her family’s hotel in Granard in Co Longford.

Kitty Kiernan.

Harry was the first to be romantically linked with Kitty but soon after, a love triangle ensued, with Michael winning out, and their relationship became official in October 1921. They were due to get married in October 1922, but Michael’s life was cut short, and so, too, was their life together. Kitty later married Felix Cronin and they called their second son, Michael Collins Cronin.

She died in 1945 and had requested that she be buried as close as possible to Michael in Glasnevin Cemetery.

In his short life, Michael was linked to many women, but whether he was romantically involved with any of them (other than Kitty) or not, it is clear that he had many close connections to them and was certainly held in high regard amongst them.

He was a devoted man, to his work, to his country and to all the women that made an impact on his life.