Rare footage of  the Irish leader Michael Collins has been unearthed by Pathe News.

The footage, which was shot in 1922, shows Collins campaigning up and down the country and shows the sheer size of the throngs who turned out to hear him.

The videos are from Pathe's old newsreels which the company has been digitizing to put on the web.

Pathe of course, was the original eyewitness news, filming events which were then shown at the local movie house.

The footage of Collins is extraordinary because there are so few photographs of him.

The newsreels are mostly silent which blunts their impact but the images convey Collins' passion.

Cut down in his prime, Collins remains one of Ireland's most tragic heroes.

The archive also features footage from both JFK and Edward Kennedy's visit to Ireland and a treasure trove of Irish history.

Click here to see a slideshow of images / Click here to visit the archive.