Collins, John, 1811-1874

Long time Pittsburgh resident John B. Collins was an active member of the city's Irish Catholic community. A strong supporter of the struggle for an independent Irish Republic, Mr. Collins was an active member of the Pittsburgh chapters of the American Association for the Recognition of the Irish Republic (AARIR) and the Friends of Irish Freedom (FOIF) during the 1920s and 1930s. A supporter of Eamon de Valera's pro-republican Fianna Fìl Party, Collins helped arrange the leader's 1927 and 1930 visits to Pittsburgh. Mr. Collins also took part in an active religious life. A member of Pittsburgh's Catholic community, he served as president of local chapters of the Holy Name Society and the Knights of Columbus and was also a member of the Cecilian Society, the Catholic Society for Social Justice, and the Bishop's Club. A man of strong political and religious conviction, Mr. Collins was a prolific letter writer to people, organizations, and publications that he believed misrepresented the Irish cause or the beliefs and practices of the Roman Catholic Church.