George Collie was born 14th April 1904 in Carrickmacross County, Monaghan, Ireland. His father was George Collie born in Scotland who moved to Ireland in 1889. His mother was Ellen Donovan from County Monaghan.

George went to school at St. Kevins, Blackpitts, Dublin where he displayed a talent for art and exhibited two paintings at the Royal Hibernian Academy by the time he was 18.

He received his formal training at the Metropolitan School of Arts where in 1926 he won the Taylor scholarship with his painting The Mid Day Meal. The following year he won the scholarship again with his most famous painting A Dublin Market, which depicted Smithfield's fruit and vegetable market.

George took the scholars...