An Cosantóir

| 27 www.military.ie THE DEFENCE FORCES MAGAZINE | 27 Unravelling a 330-Year-Old Mystery Revealing that truth has demanded an exceptional level of historical detective work. Dr Loïc Guyon, Honorary Consul of France and Head of French Studies at Mary Immaculate College, began the 'Sarsfield Homecoming Project' in 2020 with a single aim: to verify on the basis of empirical evidence, not legend, where Ireland's hero fell and lies buried. Working almost single-handedly at first, he examined archival maps, parish registers and 17th-century correspondence across four countries. Over several years, he compared hundreds of documents produced in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Versailles, Huy, Liège and Namur, including some kept at the Service Historique de la Défense in Vincennes and in the French National Library. Each record was painstakingly translated, cross-checked, and dated to reconstruct the final days of Patrick Sarsfield. What emerged was not a myth, but a meticulous historical reality. The diaries of the Marquis de Dangeau confirmed that Sarsfield had been "dangerously wounded" at the Battle of Landen and died days later in Huy. Parish death registers from Saint-Martin d'Outre-Meuse, a now partially demolished church in the heart of Huy, listed two unnamed French officers buried on 8 and 12 August 1693. After having established the exact timeframe of Sarsfield's death based on various contemporary reports, Dr Guyon realised that one of those two officers, interred inside the church, was almost certainly Patrick Sarsfield. Reconstructing the site was a feat of historical geography. Using 18th and 19th century cadastral maps, architectural studies, and early photographs, Dr Guyon pinpointed the footprint of the old church, now beneath a terraced house on Avenue des Fossés, a modest urban plot. He then brought together a consortium of experts: comprising of Aegis Archaeology Ltd. of Limerick, French forensic anthropologist Dr Caroline Laforest, and Belgian geneticists Prof. Maarten Larmuseau and Noah Gaens from the University of Leuven. What began as one historian's quest grew into a trans-European mission linking academics, diplomats, and volunteers under a single banner: Bring Sarsfield Home. The Search in Huy Excavations by Frank Coyne of Aegis Archaeology Ltd and forensic anthropologist Dr Caroline Laforest began in 2023. Early trenches yielded several 16th to 18th century burials but the major phase, completed in October 2025, uncovered a disturbed grave beneath cobblestones containing a coffin outline, pottery shards and the skeletal remains of a tall, powerfully-built male. At around 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in), the remains match a description of Sarsfield as "of prodigious size." The bones show strong musculature and an age at death under 40, consistent with Sarsfield. A skull and mandible have been sent to the University of Leuven for DNA testing, with results expected early 2026. Commemoration and Connection The project's reach has extended far beyond archaeology. More than 400 donors have contributed, and RTÉ is producing a documentary on the search. Among its most touching stories is that of Alexandria Fitzgerald, a Limerick student who fund-raised passionately for the project before her untimely passing in 2024. Her family and school community continue to support the effort in her name, symbolising how new generations keep the past alive. You can contribute at their GoFundMe https://gofund.me/1a1d8fd9 "The Sarsfield Homecoming Project's educational dimension and its ability to bring communities together have always been essential to me" — Dr Loïc Guyon, Project Director In October 2025, Sgt Dave O'Brien and Pte James Fleming, soldiers from the 12th Infantry Battalion based in Sarsfield Barracks deployed to assist with the excavations. On 23 October 2025, General Seán Clancy, Chair of the EU Military Committee, visited the site. Speaking after the visit, he reflected: "Commemorating courage and sacrifice is not only about the past; it is about understanding who we are as a nation today." The French Ambassador to Ireland H.E. Céline Place added that the search was "embodies the enduring ties between France and Ireland, which are so deeply rooted in history" For Dr Guyon, "while the ultimate goal is to repatriate the remains of this Irish hero to where they belong, another aim of the project has always been to revive people's interest in an important part of Limerick's history, and beyond it, of Ireland's and Europe's history." Awaiting Homecoming If DNA results confirm the identity, plans will begin to repatriate Patrick Sarsfield to Ireland, an event certain to capture the national imagination. The Defence Forces could play a leading ceremonial role, connecting today's soldiers with their seventeenth-century predecessors of the Wild Geese. Until confirmation arrives, the excavation continues, a story of scholarship, persistence, and pride. Three hundred years on, Sarsfield's courage still unites Ireland and Europe. www.military.ie THE DEFENCE FORCES MAGAZINE

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