22 Facts About Emmet Dalton

James Emmet Dalton MC was an Irish soldier and film producer.

Emmet Dalton served in the British Army in the First World War, reaching the rank of captain.

Emmet Dalton was a close associate of Michael Collins and travelled with Collins to London separately from the Irish treaty negotiating team.

Emmet Dalton was military liaison officer for the treaty talks.

Emmet Dalton grew up in a middle-class Catholic background in Drumcondra in North Dublin and lived at No 8 Upper St Columba's Road.

Emmet Dalton was educated by the Christian Brothers at O'Connell School in North Richmond Street.

Emmet Dalton joined the nationalist militia, the Irish Volunteers in 1913 and the following year, though only fifteen, was involved in the smuggling of arms into Ireland.

Emmet Dalton joined the British Army in 1915 for the duration of the Great War.

Emmet Dalton's decision was not that unusual among Irish Volunteers, as over 20,000 of the National Volunteers joined the British New Army on the urgings of Nationalist leader John Redmond.

Emmet Dalton initially joined the 7th Battalion of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers as a temporary 2nd Lieutenant.

Emmet Dalton was awarded the Military Cross for his conduct in the battle.

In 1918 Emmet Dalton was re-deployed again to France, and in July promoted to captain, serving as an instructor.

Emmet Dalton later commented on the apparent contradiction of fighting both with and against the British Army by saying that he had fought for Ireland with the British and fought for Ireland against them.

On 14 May 1921, Emmet Dalton led an operation with Paddy Daly that Emmet Dalton and Collins had devised.

Emmet Dalton was in command of troops assaulting the Four Courts in the Battle of Dublin which marked the start of the war in June 1922.

Emmet Dalton became commander of the Free State Army under Mulcahy's direction.

Emmet Dalton had advised him to drive on, but Collins, who was not an experienced combat veteran, insisted on stopping to fight.

Emmet Dalton was married shortly afterwards to Alice Shannon in Cork's Imperial Hotel.

Emmet Dalton did not agree with the execution of republican prisoners that marked the latter stages of the Civil War.

Emmet Dalton's company helped produce films such as The Blue Max, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold and The Lion in Winter, all of which were filmed in Ireland.

Emmet Dalton died in his daughter Nuala's house in Dublin in 1978 on his 80th birthday, never having seen the film that Cathal O'Shannon of RTE had made on his life.

Emmet Dalton wished to be buried as near as possible to his friend Michael Collins in Glasnevin Cemetery in Dublin, and was buried there in March 1978 after a military funeral.