Meda Ryan, author of several books on Michael Collins and his time, expresses her feelings on the 80th anniversary of "The Big Fellow's" death

On Sunday August 20th, 1922, Michael Collins Commander-in-Chief of the Irish Army, embarked on an inspection tour of southern Army barracks. It was to be his final journey.

He was shot dead in his home county of Cork on his return two days later. When this influential, dynamic and controversial man of Irish history died, some of the vision that he inspired died with him. The day that he was shot, August 22nd, 1922, became a historical landmark. Tonight, in Emmet Square, Clonakilty, an Army band will play as a respectful crowd assembles. Actor Liam Neeson, the Ballymena man with the physique to match Collins, and who played him in Neil Jordan's film, is to unveil a statue of Collins at 8 p.m. Afterwards, the Army band will play the Last Post.

On Sunday, another commemoration will take place, at Béal na Bláth itself, at 3 p.m where the speaker will be the leader of the SDLP, Mr Mark Durkan.

Michael Collins's stature has grown over the years. Many factors have intertwined to create an indelible image. He had the classical tall, dark and handsome physique. He was a gunman, orchestrator of a guerilla campaign, demonstrative, flamboyant and yet kind and generous. But above all, he became a hero and legend. And the hero who dies young remains forever young in memory.

Since the release of Neil Jordan's film, with Liam Neeson's powerful portrayal of Michael Collins as a man of action, our image of him is etched in that mode.

Although the film contained historical inaccuracies, a younger generation of Irish people with only a vague knowledge of Collins were awakened to certain aspects of history. While many of us would have liked to seen the manner of his death and the part played by de Valera (Alan Rickman) at that point portrayed much closer to the facts, we believe that enough interest has been aroused to take a more enlightened look at history.

And while the film has left us with a memorable action-man image, Michael Collins was as much a brilliant administrator with a sharp intellect, organisational abilities and a capacity to delegate. During the War of Independence he had his finger on the pulse of the guerilla movement. From his GHQ offices in Dublin, he was in constant touch with officers of the many country and city IRA brigades. However, in his home county of Cork, men such as Tom Barry, Liam Lynch and other brigade officers were doing as much to bring the British administration to the negotiating table and there is a tendency to raise Collins's contribution to a higher level.

However, it is as a member of the delegation to London to negotiate Ireland's freedom with the British government that has given us one of our memorable legacies of Michael Collins. Though initially a reluctant member, this militant man who had been "on the run" became a skilful negotiator. Though not the head of the delegation (Arthur Griffith held that role) he has been praised and blamed in equal measure for the outcome of what emerged from the "Treaty Agreement" signing.

While de Valera was the moderate prior to the treaty, the roles became reversed when Collins skilfully defended his stance of not choosing "the war" option. De Valera, with equal passion over the "Oath of Allegiance", became leader of the militant faction. It is most likely that there would be two divisions in any case as there were those who believed that they had fought in the previous years for a Republic and would not settle for less. This division, 80 years ago, set the scene for our political parties over the succeeding decades, although with the passing of time the divisions have become blurred.

I see Collins as a leader who initially did much to avoid a civil war. Reluctant to fight former comrades and friends in the months prior to the outbreak, even after the Army split, he worked tirelessly to reconcile the divergent views. Once the outbreak occurred on June 28th, he moved swiftly and took control as Commander-in-Chief of the National Army on July 12th.

He donned the military uniform and threw himself full force to speedily bring the war to a close.

With coastal landings and s heavy military presence countrywide, he believed just before his southern tour of Army inspection that the anti-treatyites "were beaten as an open force".

Though Collins spent most of his life in civilian clothes, it is in the soldier image that he is most often portrayed.

That he was shot dead in his own county of Cork, having visited army posts, his home place at Sam's Cross, and met childhood friends on that final day, has meant a reluctance to accept that his death was an act of war.

Throughout the decades, controversy has surrounded his death.

Speculation that the British intelligence service was involved, that a member of the convoy with the backing of the Provisional Government was implicated, plus other theories, were fuelled for years by the continued silence by those who set up the Béal na Bláth ambush.

In Ireland, the mention of the name Michael Collins will always bring a flood of stories. Because of his good looks, daring deeds and craftiness in espionage, stories of his involvement with women have been given a new dimension as the years have passed. Most of it is untrue.

He liked women, was kind to them. The hard core of women attached to his intelligence network was a mainstay of his spy system. They saved him on many an occasion from being captured, and they helped him keep tabs on his opponents.

At the time of his death he had hoped the Civil War would soon be over and had planned to marry Kitty Kiernan.

Irish people will forever harbour an affection for the man they affectionately called "The Big Fellow".