COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF LUCAN / PALMERSTOWN / NORTH CLONDALKIN AREA COMMITTEE

Wednesday, October 29, 2025

MOTION NO.1

MOTION: Councillor H. Farrell

That this Council writes to the Department of Foreign Affairs seeking an update on the excavation efforts in Huy, Belgium, and the process for repatriation of the remains of Patrick Sarsfield, 1st Earl of Lucan, should they be located and identified. In doing so, SDCC reaffirms its commitment to advocating for the medieval church in Lucan Demesne as the appropriate reinterment site alongside Sarsfield's ancestors and supports future appropriate heritage and community engagement initiatives related to the Sarsfield legacy."

REPORT:

Updates in relation to the ongoing excavation works are publicly available, with the ‘Embassy of Ireland – Belgium’ publishing as recently as October 2025 that the excavation work to date in the Belgian city of Huy has proved unsuccessful in identifying the remains of Patrick Sarsfield.

It is premature for the Council to make contact with the Department of Justice to seek the repatriation of the remains of Patrick Sarsfield to Lucan, when no remains have been identified to date and there is no basis to advocate for repatriation. Should the remains of Patrick Sarsfield be identified, the Council will then be able to review its position and respond accordingly.