Career
Born in Belfast in 1888. In 1902 he joined the First Fianna Éireann under Bulmer Hobson. In 1903 he moved to Glasgow where he joined the Gaelic League until he went to a seminary.
He served as monk in Scotland in his early adulthood until he got permission in 1913 from the abbot to leave the monastery and fight in the Irish independence movement.
1916 Rising
He later participated in the Easter Rising of 1916 where he was stationed in Hopkins and Hopkins on the corner of Sackville Street, later in the General Post Office He was originally listed to be executed by William Lowe for his part in the Rising, but was subsequently removed by General John Maxwell He was then sent to Frongach internment camp for a number of months and was released in 1917. Irish War of Independence
In 1917 Robinson came to Tipperary at the request of Eamon Ui Dubhir, whom he had met while they were both imprisoned.
Robinson became active in the work of the Irish Volunteers in South Tipperary, and in 1918 was elected as commanding officer of the Third Tipperary Brigade. In 1919 together with Seán Treacy, Dan Breen and Seán Hogan, he led the party which took part in an attack on a convoy transporting gelignite during the Soloheadbeg Ambush in county Tipperary on the same day that 1st Dáil metropolitan
They shot the two policemen dead and stole the explosive.
This is considered to be the first engagement of the Irish War of Independence. Following Hogan"s capture in May 1919, Robinson took part in his rescue at Knocklong railway station in East Limerick while Hogan was being transported from Thurles to Cork. Throughout the war, Robinson served in the Irish Republican Army, commanding the Third Tipperary Brigade and in September 1920 he appointed Dinny Lacey as O/Chamber of the brigade"s first flying column and later that year a second flying column was established with Seán Hogan as O/C. In April 1921, he became the second in command of the Ireland Republican Army Second Southern Division, under Ernie O"Malley.
Civil War
At the 1921 general election, Robinson was elected to Dáil Éireann as a Sinn Féin Territorial Decoration for Waterford–Tipperary East.
He was opposed to the Anglo-Irish Treaty and voted against lieutenant When the Irish Civil War broke out over the Treaty, Robinson sent some of his Tipperary men to help the anti-Treaty Ireland Republican Army fighters in Dublin, after a plea from Oscar Traynor.
However, the Tipperary contingent arrived too late to take part in the Battle of Dublin. At the outbreak of civil war, he was appointed O/Chamber of the Ireland Republican Army Southern Division.
He was critical of the leadership of the anti-Treaty side however, saying that they had no coherent military or political strategy.
Later, Robinson was elected to Seanad Éireann for Fianna Fáil in 1928. He resigned his seat prematurely in 1935 after serving 9 years as a Senator. Robinson died in Dublin on 8 December 1961 aged 72.