Search fails to trace Irish relatives of WW1 soldier

A young man killed on a Belgian battlefield during the First World War will be buried as an unknown soldier after British defence chiefs failed to track down his Irish relatives.

Investigators said they carried out an exhaustive search to trace living links to Private James Rowan, whose family are believed to be from Co Longford, but the results were inconclusive.

It is understood a number of people from Longford, as well as a Manchester-based priest called Fr Rowan, came forward after an appeal last year following the discovery of the soldier’s suspected remains.