Over €1,000 raised by Limerick Salesian Students in aid of Sarsfield Homecoming Project

Limerick Salesian Students – Alexandria Fitzgerald (left) pictured above with her fellow 6th Year classmates 

Limerick Salesian Students raised the funds for Sarsfield Project by organising a number of events

In the lead up to the Saint Patrick’s Day weekend, students from Salesian Secondary School in Pallaskenry, Co. Limerick raised over €1,000 in support of the Sarsfield Homecoming Project.

This project, launched in 2020 by Dr Loïc Guyon, Honorary Consul of France and Head of the Department of French Studies at Mary Immaculate College aims at locating and repatriating to Ireland the remains of Patrick Sarsfield.

The project is currently in its final phase with archaeological excavations having started last December in the Belgian city of Huy on the site identified by Dr Guyon as the most likely resting place of the 17th-century hero.

In order to raise the funds, 6th Year student Alexandria Fitzgerald and her classmates Conor Lavan, Zoe Kellett and Róisín O’Gorman (pictured) organised a number of events on 14 March.

Alexandria said “Being an avid history fan I was inspired to organise this fundraiser with my classmates when Dr Loïc Guyon came to my school to talk about the historical episode of the Flight of the Wild Geese, what Patrick Sarsfield did for the city of Limerick and the importance of the Sarsfield Homecoming Project. It really spoke to me. I believe bringing him home is an amazing way to honour a man who is not only a heroic figure in the history of my hometown of Limerick but also an Irish national hero. Sarsfield deserves to be brought home and I’m proud to lend my support to the Sarsfield Homecoming Project”.

Their Politics & Society teacher, Ms Derval Ryan added “The students raised funds for the project through a colours day and a 1st year quiz led by Alex Fitzgerald. She was inspired to get involved following her attendance at a talk delivered by Loïc and her research on Sarsfied for her Leaving Cert History Project. A total of €1142 was raised”.

Commenting on the initiative, Dr Loïc Guyon said “Nothing could make me prouder than to have inspired the young generation to rediscover this key figure in the history of Limerick and in the history of the relationship between Ireland and France. The Sarsfield Homecoming Project has been progressing very well and is in a crucial phase but it needs a lot more funding in order to be brought to completion, so I am extremely grateful to Alexandria and her classmates for making such a significant contribution to the project’s budget”.

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If Sarsfield’s remains are found and repatriated to Ireland, Dr Guyon said he would hope to invite to a special event all of the people who have helped fund the project.

Find our more about the Sarsfield Homecoming Project by visiting the Go Fund Me page or by searching for the hashtag #SarsfieldHomecoming on social media platforms.

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