Brian Leddin (Limerick City, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

It gives me great pleasure to speak to a fellow Limerick man on a matter that I think is dear to both of us. I am very glad the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, is standing in for the Minster of State, Deputy Noonan, although this is also very relevant to his brief. This summer, 332 years ago, the Wild Geese left these shores for France and further afield. They left after the Treaty of Limerick. I live a stone's throw from the treaty stone marking where some of the major battles of the two Sieges of Limerick of 1690 and 1691 happened. The Minister of State will be well aware of the efforts of Dr. Loïc Guyon, who is the Honorary Consul of France in Limerick. Through extraordinary research, he has, we believe, located the remains of Patrick Sarsfield, the national hero who led the army that defended this country. He was not defeated at Limerick. Limerick was the only city in the country that was not defeated by the Williamite army. After two sieges, the Treaty of Limerick was signed and that took its place in Irish history. Generations of school children in this country beyond Limerick have learned of the fascinating story of Sarsfield and his army. Of course, many of them went on to become leaders of the great European armies of the 18th century.

We believe Dr. Guyon's research has led to finding the location of the remains of Patrick Sarsfield. All going well, these remains will be repatriated to this country in the coming year or so. It is only fitting that these remains would be repatriated to Limerick. Sarsfield's dying words were to remember Limerick and I think it would be his wish that his final resting place would be in that place he was so proud to defend more than three centuries ago. Once brought back, the remains of Patrick Sarsfield will be a significant cultural artefact for this country and we must do everything we can to protect them and make sure they are appropriately placed in Limerick.

I ask the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, and the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, to work with the Belgian authorities to ensure this happens and that every support is given to Dr. Guyon and the broader team working on this very exciting project. Indeed, he might encourage the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, to attend the event that will be hosted by the French Embassy on 11 May.

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