Michael Collins "Athlete"

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Prisoner number 1320, Michael Collins who was in charge of Hut number 10 was quite the athlete it seems at the Frongoch Games, as recorded by secretary Joe Stanley, who was in charge of Hut number 6.

The Wolfe Tone Commemoration Games was organised by the Games Committee. From Joe's carefully documented trackside reports it is clear to see that after 6 events Michael Collins was emerging as the composite all-rounder. He was the outright winner of :The 100yds Sprint, The Long Jump, The Hop Skip & Jump triple jump, and second in The High Jump. he jumped a respectable 19 feet 7and a half inches for the long jump. Later in the day Collins and Joe competed in the 100 yards Relay Race - with Collin's team coming first and Joe's second. 

In another 100yds race in August that Collins again won runner up M.W.O Reilly later said that Collins shouted at him "Ah you hoor you can't run" as he overtook him. Collins was ever competitive - another prisoner Joe Good in his book "Enchanted by Dreams" wrote of watching Collins one evening near dusk and long into the night repeatedly trying to put a 56lb shot weight over a high bar until he finally achieved it. A strong Galway-man had earlier in the day won that particular competition quite easily!. Football was probably not his forte also.

Fresh from his 100yds victory in the day - in a concert that night Michael Collins of Clonakilty brought the house down with his version of the song "The Fighting Irish" - obviously a man for all seasons.

Enclosed are the trackside reports of Michael Collins prowess in Athletics -