On this special date in history, RTE remembers the "my adopted soldier" project with a 1 hour Nationwide special
Nationwide - RTE ONE TV - Friday JULY 1st at 7pm.
This is a re-vamp of the original programs and combines both into a 1 hour Nationwide special and is broadcast as part of a group of programmes to commemorate World War 1. RTE's decision to broadcast this on the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme is indeed a reflection of the impact the "My Adopted Soldier" project has made.
Below is an extract from the RTE Nationwide Page:
FRIDAY 1ST JULY
NATIONWIDE: MY ADOPTED SOLDIER PROGRAMME
Tonight we focus on a unique project involving a secondary school student from every county in Ireland, paying tribute to a soldier from his or her county who died in World War 1. Presenter Eileen Magnier, RTÉ's North West Correspondent, and cameraman Brian McVeigh followed the students, as they researched their soldier's story and in some cases found living relatives. They uncovered some intriguing and tragic cases before travelling as a group to the Somme to get an insight into what their soldiers had gone through and to pay their respects at their graves. In many cases it's believed this was the first time that the soldier's story had been told and his grave visited.