History
Pallaskenry weighs in behind the Sarsfield Homecoming Project with special quiz night
Pallaskenry weighs in behind the Sarsfield Homecoming Project. Dr Loïc Guyon, Project Director, Head of the Department of French Studies at Mary Immaculate College and Honorary Consul of France pictured with the Fitzgerald family and Cllr Tommy Hartigan
A special quiz night was held at Clancy’s Bar in Pallaskenry on Friday 28 March in memory of Alexandria (Alex) Fitzgerald and in support of the Sarsfield Homecoming Project
19-year old Alex, who tragically passed away last year, was a student of Salesian College who was passionate about history.
The had developed a keen interest in the Sarsfield Homecoming Project, a project aiming to locate and repatriate to Limerick the remains of Irish national hero Patrick Sarsfield.
Only a few weeks before her passing, Alex had organised a very successful fundraising event in support of the project. To honour her memory, Alex’s family chose to organise a similar event, in the form of a quiz night, in aid of the project which was so dear to her. In a heartwarming display of affection for Alex, over 100 people replied to the call and gathered in Pallaskenry raising over €4,000 for the Sarsfield project.
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Adding to their generosity, Cllr Tommy Hartigan decided to make a further €1,000 donation out of his discretionary fund. “I told myself that, if elected, I would do something to honour Alex and this family for their strength. So I asked myself what Alex would want me to do, and the answer became clear”, said Cllr Hartigan.
Commenting on the event, Dr Loïc Guyon, Project Director, Head of the Department of French Studies at Mary Immaculate College and Honorary Consul of France, said, “Alex embodied the very reason why the Sarsfield Homecoming Project has been such a rewarding endeavour since I launched it back in 2020. Seeing young people like Alex not only develop an interest in the history of their country but also mobilise themselves and, beyond them, an entire community to help fund a project like ours is extremely touching. This is why the project has been dedicated to Alex’s memory”.
There is a possibility that the project’s team discovered the remains of Sarsfield during their last archaeological excavation campaign in Huy, Belgium in January. DNA results will soon tell whether that is the case. If not, the team is determined to continue searching the site identified by Dr Guyon as Sarsfield’s final resting place.
Commenting on the event, the Fitzgerald family said, “As a family we are grateful to everyone who supported the fundraiser and helped honour Alex’s memory in such a meaningful way. Her dedication to the Sarsfield Homecoming Project is something we are extremely proud of. We would like to mention a special thank you to Gerri, Vincent and Breda for all the tremendous work they put into organising the quiz.
“We are thrilled with Councillor Hartigan’s support of the project and express our heartfelt thanks to him. Lastly, we would like to thank all of our neighbours and friends for their everlasting support. It is evident that Alex held a special place in their hearts, just as she does in ours.”
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