Collins was born near Sam's Cross, Clonakilty, Co Cork, on 16

October 1890. He became a post office clerk in 1906. Sent to London,

he learned Irish at Gaelic League classes and joined Sinn F�in. He

later joined both the Irish Republican Brotherhood and the Irish

Volunteers before returning to Ireland in January l916, to avoid

conscription in England.

During the Easter Rising, Collins fought in the General Post Office. In

December 1916, he was released from internment and became a

member of the IRB supreme council. When Eamon de Valera and

other republicans were arrested in 1918, Collins eluded the police and

began to build up a remarkable intelligence system. Elected MP for

South Cork in 1918, 'the Big Fellow' became home minister in the First

D�il, but missed its opening; he was preparing de Valera's escape

from Lincoln jail. He later became president of the IRB's supreme

council.

In the ensuing guerrilla warfare, Collins' special squad systematically

assassinated members of the 'G' division of the Dublin police, Dublin

Castle's main source of intelligence; he had his own informants at

detective headquarters. On 'Bloody Sunday', 21 November 1920, his

men shot dead eleven British intelligence officers. In retaliation, British

Black and Tans killed fourteen people at a football game. Collins'

family home in Cork was burned out in April 1921.

A reluctant negotiator and signatory of the 1921 Anglo Irish Treaty,

Collins wrote 'early this morning I signed my death warrant'. He

became chairman of the provisional government which preceded the

Irish Free State, and Dublin Castle was surrendered to him. On the

outbreak of the Civil War in June 1922, he took command of the forces

loyal to the government.

On 22 August 1922, ten days after the death of Arthur Griffith he was

ambushed and shot dead at B�al na mBl�th, Co Cork.