Battle on to bring Patrick Sarsfield's remains back to Limerick

ONE OF Ireland’s greatest war heroes could be at the centre of a battle one last time as two local authorities have made a claim for his remains.

Patrick Sarsfield signed the Treaty of Limerick in 1691, and now his remains are understood to be buried in Huy in Belgium, where he died fighting for the French Army in 1693.

The potential burial site was discovered by Dr Loïc Guyon, Honorary Consul of France in Limerick, and founder of The Sarsfield Homecoming Project, after over two years of research.

A delegation from Limerick including Dr Guyon; the then Mayor of Limerick Francis Foley; Dr Pat Daly, Chief Executive of Limerick City and County Council; Frank Coyne of Aegis Archaeology and sponsor of the project John Shaw of Carelon Ireland, visited the site in Belgium in May and met with authorities.

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However, South Dublin County Council have also staked a claim for Sarsfield's remains, as the general was named as the Earl of Lucan by James II for his actions in the Williamite wars in Ireland, and his family had resided in the area.

A motion was submitted to the February 2023 Lucan/Palmerstown/North Clondalkin Area committee meeting asking that “the Council would prepare to make the case that if [Sarsfield's] remains are repatriated to Ireland, it should be to Lucan.”

For Dr Guyon, who set the whole project in motion, the important thing is that Sarsfield’s remains return to Ireland. After that “it is for the Irish government to decide,” he said.