War is a common theme in Irish music and reflects the history of the now neutral country. Written in 1976 by Scottish-born Australian singer-songwriter Eric Bogle "The Green Fields of France," also known as “No Man's Land” and “Willie McBride” serves as a profound example of how music can be a vessel for storytelling and historical reflection. It was written in the height of the Troubles in Northern Ireland in part to combat anit-Irish sentiment in the UK, hoping it would remind others that many Irishmen died preserving the British Empire during WWI.
“The Green Fields of France” describes the pondering of the singer, tired from a long walk who decides to take a short break beside the gravestone of a young Irish soldier who died during World War I. The singer asks questions of the 19 year old Willie McBride, buried in foreign soil, in an attempt to understand how he came to die and if the sacrifice was worth the cost.
There are 5 known William McBride's who died in France during WWI though the one who's circumstances best fit the description from the song is Private William McBride from Lislea, Armagh, who was killed April 22, 1916. His grave is in Authuile Military Cemetery in northern France. However, he died at age 21, not 19 as the song describes.
We have often heard stories from veterans and their families about the importance of this song to them and how they are working hard to live lives that the loved ones they lost would be proud of. It is an honor for us to include this song in our repertoire as a way to remember the sacrifices made during times of war and the significance of preserving the memory of those who never returned home.