▁of ▁Collins ' s ▁constitution ▁committee ▁and ▁a ▁former ▁Chair man ▁of ▁Dublin ▁County ▁Council . ▁Because , ▁unlike ▁his ▁prede cess or , ▁he ▁was ▁not ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom ' s ▁official ▁representative ▁in ▁the ▁Free ▁State , ▁but ▁merely ▁the ▁personal ▁representative ▁of ▁the ▁King , ▁Mc Ne ill ▁found ▁himself ▁with ▁less ▁influence ▁than ▁He aly ▁had ▁possessed . ▁ ▁De ▁Val era ▁executive ▁After ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 2 ▁general ▁election , ▁the ▁Cos gra ve ▁government ▁left ▁office ▁and ▁was ▁succeeded ▁by ▁the ▁anti - tre aty ▁F ian na ▁F á il ▁party ▁of ▁É am on ▁de ▁Val era , ▁who ▁now ▁became ▁President ▁of ▁the ▁Executive ▁Council . ▁F ian na ▁F á il ' s ▁immediate ▁goal ▁was ▁to ▁republic an ise ▁the ▁Irish ▁Free ▁State ▁and , ▁as ▁such , ▁it ▁opposed ▁the ▁very ▁existence ▁of ▁the ▁governor ship - general . ▁With ▁this ▁in ▁mind , ▁de ▁Val era ' s ▁cabinet ▁decided ▁to ▁boy c ott ▁and ▁hum ili ate ▁Mc Ne ill ▁at ▁every ▁turn . ▁This ▁policy ▁was ▁followed , ▁for ▁example , ▁during ▁the ▁E uchar istic ▁Congress ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 2 , ▁when ▁Mc Ne ill ▁was ▁s idel ined ▁and , ▁on ▁one ▁occasion , ▁the ▁army ' s ▁band ▁was ▁with dra wn ▁from ▁a ▁function ▁that ▁he ▁attended . ▁On ▁another ▁occasion , ▁two ▁minister s ▁public ly ▁storm ed ▁out ▁of ▁a ▁diplom atic ▁function ▁in ▁Dublin ▁when ▁Mc Ne