First World War body likely to be Cork man, say Canadian authorities

The remains of a soldier who fought in the First World War, discovered by Canadian Defence Forces, are believed to be a Cork man, Patrick Buckley.

Private Buckley was among the 1,500 soldiers killed during an attempt to capture Hill 70, a strategic position on the northern approach to the coal-mining city of Lens, France, in August 1917.

According to data supplied to the Kinsale Cultural and Heritage Society (KCHS) by the Canadian Defence Forces, the Cork man may have emigrated to Canada in 1910. 

Records show that a Patrick J Buckley arrived in Canada on May 9, 1910 and he appears in the 1911 census as a lodger in Calgary, Alberta.

The KCHS, in collaboration with Canadian authorities, are now looking for a familial link to Pt Buckley to confirm his remains, because despite extensive work by Cork-based genealogist Carole O’Connor, no living relatives have been identified.

At the time of his joining the army, Pt Buckley had listed his mother, Mary Buckley, who was living at no 7 Long Quay in Kinsale, as his next of kin.

Mary Buckley later entered the care of the Little Sisters of the Poor in Cork in 1916 and died there in 1935.

A spokesperson for the Canadian Department of Defence said: “Given we have no samples of DNA on file from the First World War, we are looking for family members who meet specific criteria for comparison. In this instance, we have been able to extract both Y-STR and mtDNA from the remains.

“Y-STR is passed from fathers to sons, which means a paternal-line male relative can provide a point of comparison for a DNA sample taken from recovered remains. By contrast, mtDNA is passed from mothers to their children, but can only be passed on to subsequent generations by women, which means a maternal-line relative can also provide a point of comparison.

“As a result, tracing either side of Private Buckley’s family may help us find a useful DNA sample.”

Co-founder of the KCHS, JJ Hurley, said: “I became aware of Patrick Buckley’s story through the Canadian authorities reaching out to genealogists in Cork to try and trace the family. The only way to ensure a 100% match is through DNA; hence the hunt here. We need to see if anyone knows anything or is in the family lore.

“We have reached out on social media, but to no avail. If he is identified, he’ll be buried in France with his comrades.”

Anyone who may have information on the Buckley family line is asked to email jjhurley123@gmail.com.