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06 Sept 2025
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06 Sept 2025
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Private Rooney, 23, was killed on active service when his convoy came under attack in Lebanon
The body of Irish UN peacekeeping soldier Sean Rooney will be repatriated to Ireland later on Sunday.
A member of the Irish Defence Forces, Private Rooney, 23, from Newtowncunningham, Co Donegal, was killed on active service when his convoy came under attack in Lebanon this week.
The Defence Forces said Mr Rooney’s remains will leave Beirut on an Air Corps plane at 4pm Beirut time.
A UN ceremony will be held to honour the soldier at Beirut Airport before the departure.
A delegation of Lebanese Members of Parliament visited UNIFIL today to express their condolences for the loss of Irish peacekeeper Private Sean Rooney and the injuries to his colleagues on Wednesday night. @aroldo_lazaro's statement below: pic.twitter.com/0Ou92VsbTA
— UNIFIL (@UNIFIL_) December 16, 2022
Private Rooney’s body will be taken to Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel, before being reunited with his family on Monday.
His colleague, Private Shane Kearney, from Killeagh, Co Cork, was seriously injured in the incident. He remains in a serious condition in hospital.
Two other peacekeepers were treated for minor injuries.
The soldiers were part of 121st Infantry Battalion, comprising 333 Irish troops, which was deployed in November to south Lebanon as part of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil).
Private Rooney is a native of Dundalk and was stationed in Aiken Barricks. Most of his early life was spent in Dundalk, but he later moved to Newtowncunningham and attended St Eunan's College in Letterkenny.
His mother, Natasha, still lives in Newtown and Private Rooney was engaged to be married to Derry woman Holly McConnalogue next August.
The incident occurred at around 9.15pm Irish time on Wednesday. At 4am on Thursday, two soldiers from the 28th Infantry Battalion and a priest visited Natasha's home in Newtowncunningham to relay the news.
Private Rooney and Trooper Kearney were serving with the 121st Infantry Battalion on a UN peacekeeping mission.
The area of attack is controlled by the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah. The group's leadership has denied involvement in the killing.
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