Hanging on the Old Barbed Wire…

If you want to find the old battalion, I know where they are,
I know where they are, I know where they are.
If you want the to find old battalion, I know where they are,
They're hanging on the old barbed wire.
I've seen 'em, I've seen 'em, hanging on the old barbed wire.
I've seen 'em, I've seen 'em, hanging on the old barbed wire.

For some reason, empty chairs seems the best choice for a concert and recital of love letters from the Trenches. The letters were from Lt. Eric Appleby (Royal Field Artillery) back to his fiance Phillys Kelly in Athlone, read by members of the Bewley's Cafe Theatre Group, while the Delmaine String Quartet played a mixture of classical, popular and trench music from the time, including that charmingly morbid ditty above.

It's hard to tell which was the most disturbing; the tales of decomposing body parts and comrades blown apart beside him, the accounts of walks and sunsets in the French countryside or the inevitable telegrams…

As for his fiance, Phyllis moved with her mother to London becoming an opera singer, and returning eventually to Athlone where she died 25 years ago aged 99. She never married, and kept his portrait above her bed until she died. 

The fantastic artwork is from an exhibition by Jordi Forniés which was on at the same time- the Irish Georgian Society certainly maximise their return on the space. You can see some more photos here if you're so inclined!

Addendum–
RTE produced a documentary and reading of the letters, after their publication a few years ago. You can listen to it here if you're inclined