Tributes are being paid to Private Seán Rooney who died a hero in Lebanon.
The 24-year-old Irish soldier was trying to steer himself and his colleagues away from an armed ambush when he was fatally wounded.
Private Rooney, from Newtowncunningham, was a specialist driver stationed in Dundalk. The Donegal soldier comes from a well-respected family with a long history of military service. His late father Cormac also served as a soldier in Dundalk and two of Private Rooney’s uncles and a great-uncle currently serve in Aiken Barracks.
Peacekeeper Rooney was driving a four-man crew in convoy to Beirut Airport on Wednesday night when their armoured car became separated and came under fire in the village of Al-Aqbiyah which is under the control of the militant group Hezbollah.
It’s reported that an armed mob surrounded the jeep and Private Rooney attempted to speed away. Their vehicle was hit by several bullets.
Cavalry Trooper Shane Kearney (22) from Co Cork, suffered skull injuries when the jeep overturned.
The other two soldiers are being treated for minor injuries, an army statement said.
The militant group Hezbollah told the Reuters news agency it was not involved and called it an “unintentional incident” between locals “and individuals from the Irish unit”.
The UN has launched an investigation with assistance from the Lebanese armed forces to uncover how the soldiers’ jeep became separated from the convoy.
The Irish army expressed its “deep regret” at Private Rooney’s death.
It said: “On 14 December 2022 at approximately 9.15pm (Irish time), a serious incident took place involving members of 121st Infantry Battalion, UNIFIL.
“A convoy of two Armoured Utility Vehicles (AUVs) carrying eight personnel travelling to Beirut came under small arms fire.”
Lieutenant General Seán Clancy Chief of Staff of the Irish Defence Forces said yesterday was a dark day for Oglaigh na hEireann.
He said: “It’s a dark day for Oglaigh Na hEireann when we have to mourn the loss of one of our colleagues and one of our friends.
“When somebody dies in service it is felt throughout the whole organisation and it deeply wounds the organisation.
“It’s too early to establish fully what has happened during this tragic incident but we will work hard and investigate and establish the facts as we know them because we owe this duty to our colleague and friend in particular Sean Rooney.”
St Eunan’s College yesterday paid a touching tribute to the late Private Sean Rooney.
Sean was a pupil at the Letterkenny secondary school from 2014 until 2017 and was remembered fondly by staff and pupils today.
Principal of St Eunans College, Mr Damien McCroary, paid tribute to the late soldier and said: “I heard the news originally when the statement from the Defence Forces came out and there are a few past pupils of ours out in Lebanon, so I was hoping and praying that it wouldn’t be one of ours, but unfortunately it came through later this morning that it was and we are just deeply saddened.”
“Sean was a pupil with us in St, Eunan’s College from September 2014 to June 2017. He moved up to Donegal from down South.”
“I taught him myself actually, I had him in my class during his period at the school because I was still teaching at that time and he was just a great student.”
“He had a fantastic personality, he was well known around the place for his good humour and he was well able to talk. He was extremely likeable throughout the school with his peers and the staff and we are just very saddened to hear this news this morning.”
“We extend our condolences to his family and friends at this very difficult time for them.”
