'The Last General Absolution of the Munsters at Rue du Bois' by the Italian War artist Fortunino Matania is one of the most iconic paintings to emerge from the Great War. Originally published in The Sphere magazine in November 1916, over the years it has also appeared on the dust jackets and within the covers of a number books on the Great War. It is also believed that, after the war, many households in Ireland displayed a print of the painting in honour of a loved one who was killed in the conflict. This presentation looks at the background to the painting's origins, the story the Royal Munster Fusiliers and the four members of the regiment depicted in the painting, and the life of the artist,
Gerry White is the Island of Ireland Trustee and Chair of the Cork Branch of the WFA, He has published a number of books and articles on different aspects of Ireland's military history for the period 1913 - 1923.