Wednesday, February 9, 2011

The Meath Writers' Circle (9) January 2011.

Jimmy Peppard


"The First Day Of July"

Their have been many fine ballads written of war and especially of the First World War. Eric Bogle's "The Band Played Waltzing Matilda"  about the landings of the Australians troops at Gallipoli or "The Green Fields of France"  are perhaps the most recent and have become classics. Cormac MacConnell's "Christmas 1914" is another one that springs to mind and gets dusted off every Christmas with recordings by Jerry lynch or Tommy Fleming, The events in Ireland around the same period have contributed more than a few, and there are any number of fine poems. Alan Seeger's "Rendezvous" or "In Flanders Fields" by John McCrae and you could go on.... but it's not often that you come across one so close to home. Try this!

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