Patrick Collins (1911–1994) was one of Ireland's foremost painters of the 20th century. He was elected HRHA (Honorary Council of the Royal Hibernian Academy) in 1980 and a member of Aosdána in 1981 and had a major retrospective exhibition by the Irish Arts Council (Cork, Belfast, Dublin) in 1982. Several solo exhibitions followed, including a Retrospective at Sligo Art Gallery in 1985. Two years later, Patrick Collins was the first artist to be honoured with the accolade SAOI by Aosdána in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the visual arts in Ireland. In 1988 he received an Honorary Doctorate of Literature from Trinity College, Dublin. His paintings have been exhibited widely in Ireland and in Europe, and are held in many public and private collections of Irish painting worldwi