Limerick's 'Wild Geese' go in search of Patrick Sarsfield's remains

Limerick’s annual summer festival commemorating the Flight of the Wild Geese, represented on Social Media by @limerickwild, have today begun the search for Patrick Sarsfield's remains.

In a post to Twitter, the group behind Limerick's Bastille Day 2021, claim "we are setting off on an ambitious mission: locating the remains of our beloved local and national hero Patrick #Sarsfield and bringing them back to where they belong, our great city of #Limerick! Follow us here as we embark on that exciting adventure"

The 'mission' comes several months after Limerick man Denis O'Shaughnessy added his voice to have Patrick Sarsfield's remains brought home. - Read more here:

Leader of the Wild Geese, the defeated Irish army who declared for France, Sarsfield was fatally wounded fighting for the French in the Battle of Landen in 1693 and legend has it that his dying words were “Oh, that this were for Ireland”. He is buried in the grounds of St Martin's Church in Huy, Belgium, and a plaque on the wall of this church is reputed to mark the approximate location of his grave.

If Patrick Sarsfield is repatriated there will be a lot of debate over where he would be buried. In 2016, there was heated debate over proposals to relocate the Patrick Sarsfield memorial at a council meeting.

Former mayor, John Gilligan’s call to move the statue from Cathedral Place to John’s Square was met with both opposition and support from a number of city councillors. He said that the statue, which was built in 1881, has been “hidden” from the public for 135 years. He said that when it first came to Limerick, the council “was full of unionists” and that they “didn’t want anything to do with it”.

Limerick will celebrate Bastille Day, marking the 330th anniversary of the Flight of the Wild Geese, with a weekend-long event involving a French market, concerts, visual displays and a regatta from 9th - 11th July, 2021.

Organised by Limerick City and County Council and the Consular Agency of France in the Mid-West, in association with Shannon Heritage and Alliance française Limerick, the Limerick celebration will feature free family entertainment, a free tour of the castle, displays in the courtyard, a parade, musical performances and historical talks on ‘The Flight of the Wild Geese’ and Limerick’s connections to France.