The French honour an Irish link

THE Communauté Artois-Lys (CAL) is a region in the north of France between Bethune and Saint-Omer with a population of 33,560. It groups a number of villages around the town of Lillers, which has a population of 10,000.

Lillers got its name from Lilia, an Irish woman whose brothers Lugle and Luglien were slain by bandits whilst on their way to Jerusalem on pilgrimage in 696.

They had crossed the Irish Sea, Wales, England and the English Channel when their group was attacked by brigands led by Bovon of Busnettes, Hesselin of Ferfay and Béranger of Pressy. Lugle and Luglien had been prominent at the time in Ireland.