A community programme of events to commemorate the death of Michael Collins 100 years ago will reach its height in Clonakilty, Co Cork, this weekend.
A parade, with many people wearing period dress, made its way through the main street, ending at Emmet Square.
Michael Collins was born a short distance from Clonakilty and lived there as a teenager.
The parade is followed by a wreath-laying ceremony at a sculpture of Michael Collins, on behalf of the Cork County GAA board and the Collins family.
Music and re-enactments of his life followed in the square, while the Michael Collins House museum nearby will remain open until 7.30pm.
The formal commemoration of Michael Collins' death will take place tomorrow afternoon at the ambush site at Béal na Bláth, where he was killed on 22 August, 1922.
The ceremony begins at 3pm and it will be addressed for the first time by the leaders of the parties whose origins lie in the Treaty split and the Civil War - Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Leo Varadkar.
The event will be broadcast live on the RTÉ News channel.
"He's a national hero. You don't get many of them."
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) August 20, 2022
Crowds have attended a parade through Clonakilty, Co Cork to mark the death of Michael Collins. pic.twitter.com/67MIWkBMVh
Read more:
Q&A: How was Collins killed and what was the reaction?
Collins' diaries to be made available to public for first time
'It would be a great pity if Collins were killed'
