To JimmyC - thanks for the words. To others I grew up in Ireland and I often wonder if Michael Collins had lived how different life might have been. One thing for sure I nor the hundreds of thousands like me would never had to cross the sea to "Sean Bui." The dead hand of Dev was too long and too often on the tiller of Irish affairs. I can do no better than quote from Michael Collins' own words about his vision of a free Ireland. "The Irish people have a large amount of capital invested abroad. With scope for our energies, with restoration of confidence, the inevitable tendancy will be towards the return of this capital to Ireland. It will then flow in its proper channel. It will be for opening new and promising fields in this country. Ireland will provide splendid opportunities for the investment of Irish capital, and it is for the people of Irelandto take advantage of these opportunities."

I sometimes feel that Michael should have left Dev to languish in Lincoln Prison instead of rescuing him. Imagine that Ireland might have been the "Celtic Tiger" of the 1920s and 30s instead of waiting nearly 75 years. M.