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The Green Fields of France

Factual: Arts, Culture & the Media

Factual: History

03/07/2016

BBC Radio Ulster - The Green Fields of France

Gerry Kelly goes on a personal journey to discover the story behind his favourite song.

On the centenary of the Battle of the Somme, presenter Gerry Kelly goes on a personal journey to discover the story behind his favourite song.

In this, the centenary year of the Battle of the Somme in World War One, Gerry Kelly goes on a personal journey to discover the story behind his favourite song, The Green Fields of France. 

Made famous by The Furey's and Davey Arthur, and recorded by a host of musicians down the years, The Green Fields of France is also known as No Man's Land or Willie McBride. It was written by the Scottish folk songwriter Eric Bogle, who penned it after visiting the military cemeteries in Northern France and seeing all the young soldiers headstones. It's now one of the most enduring anti-war songs of the twentieth century, and has a particular significance in Ireland. 

In an attempt to understand more about World War One, and to discover who the real Willie McBride was, Gerry travels to France and comes face-to-face with the same scenes that inspired Eric Bogle.

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