Michael Collins Micheal Collins (1890-1922) was one of the most influencial figures in the Irish rebellion against England, leading to the separation of the Irish Free State.
…After the Easter Rising, Collins, officially acting as Minister of Finance under the newly erected Sinn Fein government, organized groups of volunteer guerillas to carry out assassinations, ambushes, and other important strikes against the British occupational forces. Between the success of Collins' ventures and the public campaigning of DeValera and his deputies, Great Britain agreed to a hold negotiations, resulting in the separation between the Irish Free State and the Ulster Provisional Government. Collins, having been on the negotiation team, drew a large amount of criticism for the treaty. He was elected Chairman of the Provisional Government, and commanded the northern forces during the subsequent civil war, battling former comrades fighting with the Republican army. Collins was travelling on a peace mission through his own hometown in West Cork, when his convoy was ambushed at Beal na mBlath, near Bandon, on August 22. 1922. He was killed by a single shot through the head. Miceal is the Gaelic version of Michael and the Micheal version is just a twist on it, ie he is the Irish rebellion leader Michael Collins (English ) miceal Ocolleain (Gaelic version) Michael Collins was the most important Irish military leader during the War of Idependence. Born in Co.Cork in 1890, he went to London at the age of 15 to work in the British Post Office. He soon became a member of the IRB (Irish Republican Brotherhood) and the Irish Volunteers and returned to Ireland for the 1916 Rising. Collins did not make his mark on events until after his release from prison at the end of 1916. He then set about re-organising the Volunteer movement whch now became known as the Irish Republican Army (IRA). During the War of Independence, Collins directed IRA activities. He master-minded his own spy network which successfully countered the British spying system. The British government offered �10,000 for the capture of Collins. To them,he was the most wanted man in Ireland. In 1921, Collins was part of the Irish delegation that went to London to arrange a treaty with the British government which contained many points one of which being that Britain would keep six counties in the north of Ireland. Collins signed the treaty. When he returned many were angry that Ireland was to be divided. The Irish people split in two, half defending Collins decision and the other half saw the treaty as a 'sell-out' to the British. This sparked the Irish Civil War. In 1922, Collins was shot dead in an ambush in Co.Cork. His death, at the age of 32 was a tragic loss to the new state. (MORE) 
