My tribute to the brave men of a bloody war

ILIT my Passchendaele candle that sits next to my terminal at work this week and said a silent prayer... to my two great-uncles from Donegal who died in the Great War, one buried near Tyne Cot Cemetery, the other whose name is on the wall with the other Missing.

Last year I had the huge privilege of being asked to present the wreath at the Menin Gate in Ypres on a visit to Flanders and The Somme... I was there to mark the centenary of that battle.

Like me, you doubtless watched the commemorations this week to the brave men from the four corners of the Earth and this island who fought at the Third Battle of Ypres, or Passchendaele.

As we approach the final year of First World War centenaries there has been talk that the laying of the wreath ceremony in Ypres may be discontinued.

Battlefields tourism is an uneasy subject but I am a fully-signed up supporter.

Skirting the fields of Flanders and picking up shells from the soil, you can begin to imagine the industrial scale slaughter and the sacrifice of our forebears.

GTI, the Group Travel Specialists provide comprehensive tours with expert guides while also ensuring that there is free time to take breath.

They have released the dates for their WW1 Battlefields Tours for next spring. And there is still limited availability for the autumn departures for this year.

WW1: Flanders & The Somme Irish Focus. Four days from €667 pps. Dep. Dublin: 19 Sep, 11 Nov, 25 Mar, 1 Apr. 2018 & 9 May, 2018 Departing Cork: 7 Sep. Call (01) 8434734. Visit: www.gtiireland.com.