Plot

Neil Jordan's historical biopic of Irish revolutionary Michael Collins, the man who led a guerrilla war against the UK, helped negotiate the creation of the Irish Free State, and led the National Army during the Irish Civil War.

After the disastrous defeat of Irish rebels by superior UK forces during the Easter Rising, Michael Collins develops new strategies for the independence of Ireland. His tactics include what is now recognized as urban guerrilla tactics and organized assassinations of those Irish who work as informers for the UK government, and later members of British intelligence. Although Collins is conflicted about the necessity of this violent course, 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 partitioned Ireland and an Irish Free State, not a Republic, within the British Empire he is vilified by de Valera and repudiated by lifelong friend Harry Boland after Boland learns that his girlfriend Kitty Kiernan is in love with Collins. Collins is now faced with civil war as he struggles against those who insist on complete and unconditional independence for all of Ireland.—duke1029@aol.com

In 1922, Joe O'Reilly (Ian Hart) attempts to console Kitty Kiernan (Julia Roberts), who is mourning the death of Michael Collins. Flashback to the end of the Easter Rising in 1916, the besieged Irish republicans surrender to the British Army at the republicans' headquarters in Dublin. Collins (Liam Neeson), Harry Boland (Aidan Quinn), Eamon De Valera (Alan Rickman), and other survivors surrender to the British Army. As the Dublin Metropolitan Police's "G" Division identifies the leaders, Collins tells Boland that next time, "We won't play by their rules, Harry. We'll invent our own." Several key figures of the Rising, including Patrick Pearse, Thomas MacDonagh, Tom Clarke and James Connolly, are executed by firing squad, but De Valera, an American citizen, is imprisoned in England. Collins, Boland, and the others are sent to Frongoch internment camp.

After his release, Collins runs for a seat in the First Dail. The 1918 Irish general election results in the victorious Sinn Féin party unilaterally declaring Irish independence and in so doing beginning the Irish War of Independence. De Valera is elected President and Collins is appointed Director of Intelligence for the emerging IRA.

While giving a speech, the rally is attacked by the Royal Irish Constabulary. Collins is severely beaten but is rescued by Boland. While recovering on a friend's farm, they meet Kitty, who begins a romance with Boland.

Collins is tipped off by Detective Ned Broy (Stephen Rea) that the British plan to arrest De Valera and his Cabinet. De Valera, sensing that the arrest will spark a worldwide outcry, dissuades his cabinet from going into hiding and persuades them to allow their arrests to take place. Collins and Boland evade arrest, though there is no response to the wider action.

As the last senior leader still free, Collins begins a counter-intelligence campaign with help from Broy. Numerous assassinations of agents and Irish collaborators are carried out by the IRA's Dublin Brigade. Later, Boland and Collins travel to England and break De Valera out of Lincoln prison. Angry that Collins has overshadowed him, De Valera announces that he will travel to the United States to seek recognition from Woodrow Wilson, and orders Boland to accompany him. Before they depart, Collins informs Boland that De Valera fears leaving them alone together. The war continues to intensify; the British assign SIS Officer Soames (Charles Dance) to counter the Irish Republican Army, though he and several of his agents are killed in an attack orchestrated by Collins.

Left in command, Collins orders the IRA to begin raiding police barracks for weapons. He also issues a statement that all collaboration with the British will be punished by death. Collins then 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. Broy's assistance to Collins is also discovered by Soames, who subsequently has Broy tortured and killed.

De Valera returns from the USA having been unable to secure President Wilson's support. After returning, De Valera decrees that the IRA must attack The Custom House. The British hint at direct communication with the Irish, though Collins' guerrilla campaign has boded poorly for Ireland's image. Collins argues that fighting conventionally will allow the British to win, but the Irish Cabinet votes to support De Valera. The attack fails catastrophically, leaving six men dead and seventy captured. In the aftermath, Collins declares that the IRA can only hold out for a month. In private, he tells Boland that the IRA will be lucky to hold out for another week. Despite the desperate situation the Irish Republican Army now finds itself in, the British unexpectedly call for a cease to the conflict.

Collins is ordered to London to participate in negotiations with the British, despite objecting that he is not a diplomat. After the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty in December 1921, De Valera erupts upon learning that the terms have been published without his agreement. Though the Republic of Ireland is not immediately granted independence, the treaty enables Ireland to achieve it over time while remaining a British dominion during the interim as well as losing six of the nine Ulster counties, which will remain under British control. Collins argues that the Treaty gives them the freedom to achieve the Republic.

De Valera and his supporters resign in protest after the Dail approves the Treaty by 64-57. Both Collins and De Valera try to sway the Irish people in their respective directions. Collins is attacked by an anti-Treaty Republican during a rally, but escapes. In the aftermath, he asks Kitty Kiernan to marry him, and she accepts.

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. Ordered by the Cabinet to retake the Four Courts, Collins is appalled at having to fight former comrades. Arthur Griffith (Owen Roe), however, informs him that, if the Irish Free State Army will not deal with the IRA, the British Army will. In the subsequent Battle 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.

Devastated by Boland's death, Collins travels to County Cork. He reaches out to De Valera through an intermediary, asking for a peace conference. Without De Valera's knowledge, the intermediary informs Collins that De Valera will meet him at Beal Na Blath the following day. As a convoy of Irish Army vehicles approaches, they find a cart laid across the road and IRA men open fire from a nearby hillside. A short ambush starts, and Collins is shot and killed after breaking cover from behind an armored car. Joe O'Reilly (Ian Hart) tries to revive Collins, but he dies and his attacker unknown. Kitty is informed of his death just after trying on her wedding gown. She is devastated by his death.

Completing his story, O'Reilly tells Kitty that Collins would not want her to mourn as long as she has.