When Michael Collins died, a priest almost went with him

On August 22nd, 1922, Michael Collins was assassinated by Anti-Treaty IRA forces following an ambush at Béal na Bláth in County Cork. Collins' convoy, consisting of somewhere between 18 and 24 men, depending on the source, was then faced with the grim task of bringing their Commander-in-Chief home.

His body was lifted into the open-top Leyland Eight touring car. During this process, Lieutenant Joseph Smith suffered a bullet graze to the neck. Beside Collins sat Major General Emmet Dalton, one of his closest friends and colleagues, cradling the bloodied head of the dead Commander-in-Chief as the convoy finally moved away from the fighting.

Their journey, however, was far from straightforward.

Many of the surrounding roads had been blocked by Anti-Treaty forces, leaving the convoy with few available routes. Before long, in the darkness, they became hopelessly lost. After taking a wrong turn, they arrived at a house in Cloughduv — the residence of the local Catholic curate, Father Timothy Murphy.

The Leyland Eight came to a halt outside the presbytery. One of the soldiers walked to the front door and knocked. Moments later, Father Murphy emerged.

It is at this point that the historical record diverges. Two very different versions of what happened next have survived:

1. The convoy's account.

2. Father Murphy's account.

I'll begin with the convoy's version.

According to members of the convoy, Father Murphy looked upon Collins' body before silently turning away and walking back towards his house without saying a word. Whether or not this is exactly what happened, it's worth considering the state of the men present. They had just watched their Commander-in-Chief, whom they loved and admired dearly, die, had escaped an ambush through hostile territory, and were exhausted, grieving, and on edge. Interpreting the priest's apparent silence as a refusal to bless Collins or administer the Last Rites, Commandant Seán O'Connell raised his rifle and attempted to shoot Father Murphy. Only the swift intervention of Emmet Dalton, who struck O'Connell's arm aside at the last moment, sent the shot harmlessly into the air and saved the priest's life.

Father Murphy's version differs slightly in regards to his own intent. He claimed that he was not told, following the initial knocks on his door, that the man who lay dead in the vehicle was Michael Collins and that it was only upon reaching the vehicle that he realized who the dead man was. As he turned back, he maintained that this was to fetch the sacred oils in order to perform his ministry, not in an attempt to disregard their pleas or his ministry as Commandant Seán O'Connell thought at the time.

Despite the rather messy events in Cloughduv, all was not lost. As the convoy approached Cork City, they stopped at the Sacred Heart Mission at Victoria Cross where Father O'Brien, without any interruption, successfully administered the Last Rites to Collins.