Indexed episode4 mentions

The Rest Is HistoryThe Irish Civil WarJul 9, 2025

581. The Irish Civil War: The Killing of Michael Collins (Part 2)

Summary, books mentioned, transcript quotes, and timestamps for 581. The Irish Civil War: The Killing of Michael Collins (Part 2) with Ronan McGreevy on The Rest Is History.

Guest

Ronan McGreevy

Books mentioned

Great Hatred The Republic Riddle of the Sands+1 more

Listen

Loading the embedded player…

Open audio source More from The Rest Is History

Context before you listen

In 581. The Irish Civil War: The Killing of Michael Collins (Part 2), Ronan McGreevy and the hosts mention Great Hatred by Ronan McGreevy, The Republic by Charles Townsend, Riddle of the Sands by Erskine Childers, and Garth Prendergast with timestamps, quotes, and episode context.

Great Hatred The Republic Riddle of the Sands Garth Prendergast

3 books from this episode

Great Hatred

Ronan McGreevy

Ronan, take us through the story.

The Republic

Charles Townsend

in fact and against the odds, the emergent Irish state, however tyrannical it seemed to its republican victims, so that's the anti-treatyites, became…

Riddle of the Sands

Erskine Childers

the provisional government starts executions in November 1922 and, within a few weeks they've executed Erskine Childers who was a very famous author,…

Guest: Ronan McGreevy

Episode summary

After the assassination of Sir Henry Wilson and the signing of the polarising Anglo-Irish Treaty, how did the bombastic Battle of the Four Courts break out in Dublin? With British guns opening fire on the building, how long did the men of the IRA hold out? What was the outcome of the battle? With the IRA split, were more people for or against the Anglo-Irish treaty? Was Michael Collins trying to bring the war to a close by this point? Why were he and Éamon de Valera so opposed? How was Michael Collins killed in 1922, and why? Who killed him? And, how significant was this for the future of Ireland? To end their mighty series on the Irish Civil War, Dominic and Tom are joined once more by historian Ronan McGreevy, to discuss the dramatic Battle of Dublin, the death of Michael Collins, and the fate of Ireland in that cataclysmic conflict. The Rest Is History Club: Become a member for exclusive bonus content, early access to full series and live show tickets, ad-free listening, our exclusive newsletter, discount book prices on titles mentioned on the pod, and our members’ chatroom on Discord. Just head to therestishistory.com to sign up, or start a free trial today on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/therestishistory. For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Producer: Theo Young-Smith Assistant Producer: Tabby Syrett + Aaliyah Akude

Mention timeline

Jump between the book moments.

View every mention

Great Hatred

Ronan McGreevy

The host mentions 'Great Hatred' to provide context on the complexities surrounding the assassination of Sir Henry Wi…

Card

The Republic

Charles Townsend

The host references 'The Republic' by Charles Townsend to highlight the paradox of the Irish state emerging as a stab…

Card

Riddle of the Sands

Erskine Childers

The host mentions 'Riddle of the Sands' in the context of discussing Erskine Childers' execution during the Irish Civ…

Card

Garth Prendergast

The host mentions the book 'Garth Prendergast' to highlight the rapid military developments during the Irish Civil Wa…

Card

Book mentions4

Media mentions1

Event size2

Quick answers

Quick FAQ

Answers to common summary, books, and takeaway questions for this episode.

What is 581. The Irish Civil War: The Killing of Michael Collins (Part 2) about?

Summary, books mentioned, transcript quotes, and timestamps for 581. The Irish Civil War: The Killing of Michael Collins (Part 2) with Ronan McGreevy on The Rest Is History.

Listen to the episode

What are the main takeaways from 581. The Irish Civil War: The Killing of Michael Collins (Part 2)?

These are the strongest takeaways surfaced by the transcript, summary copy, and linked mentions for 581. The Irish Civil War: The Killing of Michael Collins (Part 2).

The conversation centers on Erskine Childers execution.
A second recurring theme is Irish Civil War.
Referenced books include Great Hatred by Ronan McGreevy and The Republic by Charles Townsend.
The strongest audience signal points to History enthusiasts and those interested in Irish history and Historians and political science students.

Listen with timestamps

Which books are mentioned in 581. The Irish Civil War: The Killing of Michael Collins (Part 2)?

Great Hatred by Ronan McGreevy, The Republic by Charles Townsend, and Riddle of the Sands by Erskine Childers are the clearest linked books in this episode, each tied back to transcript timestamps and quote cards.

Jump to books mentioned

Why are listeners searching for 581. The Irish Civil War: The Killing of Michael Collins (Part 2)?

581. The Irish Civil War: The Killing of Michael Collins (Part 2) keeps attracting summary-style searches because this page combines episode context, transcript quotes, book references, and direct jump links back into the audio.

See topic signals

Topic and sentiment signals

Aggregated from transcript-derived mention metadata for better topical navigation and citation.

Top triggers

Erskine Childers execution(1)Irish Civil War(1)Irish Civil War analysis(1)Irish Civil War strategies(1)

Mention sentiment

Passing Reference(2)Critical Analysis(1)Deep Dive(1)

Audience signals

History enthusiasts and those interested in Irish historyHistorians and political science studentsListeners interested in Irish history and literatureThose interested in Irish history and military strategy

Books Mentioned

The full list below is ranked by how useful each mention is to a listener: stronger recommendation language, clearer quote context, and better timestamp support rise first.

Great Hatred

Ronan McGreevy

Best for History enthusiasts and those interested in Irish historyOften cited around Irish Civil War

“Ronan McGreevy is the author of a brilliant book on the assassination of Sir Henry Wilson, Great Hatred.”

View mention details

Sentiment: Deep Dive

Trigger: Irish Civil War

For: History enthusiasts and those interested in Irish history

Key quote: “Ronan, take us through the story.”

The host mentions 'Great Hatred' to provide context on the complexities surrounding the assassination of Sir Henry Wilson and its implications during the Irish Civil War. This book offers a detailed exploration of the events and tensions that characterized this tumultuous period in Irish history.

Direct Amazon listing · affiliate link

Check price

The Republic

Charles Townsend

Best for Historians and political science studentsOften cited around Irish Civil War analysis

“Charles Townsend writes at the end of his book The Republic, discussing the emergent Irish state and its stability.”

View mention details

Sentiment: Critical Analysis

Trigger: Irish Civil War analysis

For: Historians and political science students

Key quote: “in fact and against the odds, the emergent Irish state, however tyrannical it seemed to its republican victims, so that's the anti-treatyites, became a remarkably stable democracy.”

The host references 'The Republic' by Charles Townsend to highlight the paradox of the Irish state emerging as a stable democracy despite its tyrannical perception by some. This mention serves to underscore the complexities and contradictions of the political landscape following the Civil War.

Direct Amazon listing · affiliate link

Check price

Riddle of the Sands

Erskine Childers

Best for Listeners interested in Irish history and literatureOften cited around Erskine Childers execution

“Erskine Childers, who was a very famous author, the author of the Riddle of the Sands, is executed by the provisional government.”

View mention details

Sentiment: Passing Reference

Trigger: Erskine Childers execution

For: Listeners interested in Irish history and literature

Key quote: “the provisional government starts executions in November 1922 and, within a few weeks they've executed Erskine Childers who was a very famous author, the author of the Riddle of the Sands”

The host mentions 'Riddle of the Sands' in the context of discussing Erskine Childers' execution during the Irish Civil War. This reference highlights the tragic fate of a notable author and political figure amidst the violence of the time.

Direct Amazon listing · affiliate link

Check price

Garth Prendergast

Best for Those interested in Irish history and military strategyOften cited around Irish Civil War strategies

“There's a new book by an Irish army officer called Garth Prendergast when he talks about this and how quickly they were able to overwhelm the garrisons in both Waterford and in Limerick.”

View mention details

Sentiment: Passing Reference

Trigger: Irish Civil War strategies

For: Those interested in Irish history and military strategy

Key quote: “there's a new book by an Irish army officer called Garth Prendergast when he talks about this and how quickly they were able to overwhelm the garrisons in both Waterford and in Limerick.”

The host mentions the book 'Garth Prendergast' to highlight the rapid military developments during the Irish Civil War. It serves as a reference to the author's insights on the overwhelming of garrisons in key locations like Waterford and Limerick.

Direct Amazon listing · affiliate link

Check price

Weekly source-backed picks

Get the strongest books from new The Rest Is History episodes.

A short weekly email with transcript-backed book recommendations, source quotes, and exact moments from recently indexed episodes.

Great Hatred

The Rest Is History · 3:59

Ronan, take us through the story.

The Republic

The Rest Is History · 38:51

in fact and against the odds, the emergent Irish state, however tyrannical it seemed to its republican victims, so that's the anti-treatyites, became…

Riddle of the Sands

The Rest Is History · 32:37

the provisional government starts executions in November 1922 and, within a few weeks they've executed Erskine Childers who was a very famous author,…

One useful email a week. Unsubscribe anytime.

Shop This Episode