The 'Big Fella's' Buttons [Collins, Michael] A collection o...

Hammer

€9,000

The 'Big Fella's' Buttons

[Collins, Michael] A collection of eight Irish Army brass uniform Buttons, with one smaller, cased with a photo of Collins in Army uniform and with an ALS from M. Collins Powell to ‘Dear General O’Duffy’, dated 27.1.33, asking for a receipt for ‘the enclosed, found in Michael’s tunic pocket, August 22nd 1922’.

22 August 1922 was the day of Michael Collins’ death. Mary Collins Powell was his sister.  Presumably O’Duffy had asked her for a memento.

O’Duffy, from Co. Monaghan, was a leading associate of Collins in the War of Independence. In 1922 he became Garda Commissioner. In January 1933 he was still Commissioner, but he was removed by the Fianna Fail government the next month. He went on to head the Army Comrades Association (a.k.a. Blueshirts) and was briefly leader of Fine Gael, before leading an Irish Brigade to Spain in support of General Franco.
Mounted and framed in a hardwood box, a unique memento of the Big Fella.  (1)