Minute of silence for the late Pte. Seán Rooney observed at Carrick-on-Suir Municipal District meeting

A vote of sympathy was passed at Carrick-on-Suir Municipal District's December meeting to the family of Defence Forces Pte. Seán Rooney from Dundalk who was killed in an attack in the Lebanon last Wednesday.

Carrick-on-Suir MD's councillors and officials also observed a minute of silence at their monthly meeting in Carrick Town Hall last Thursday as a mark of respect to the late Pte Rooney, whose body was flown back to Ireland this morning (Monday, December 19). 

The 24-year-old UN peacekeeper's remains were flown from Beirut in an Air Corps CASA plane to Casement Aerodrome in Baldonnel early this morning. He was shot and killed when the armoured vehicle he was travelling in was attacked in a coastal village in southern Lebanon.

Carrick Municipal District Cathaoirleach Cllr David Dunne proposed the minute of silence and vote of sympathy at the meeting.

“Our sympathies go out to his family and comrades in the Defence Forces at this very sad time,” he said.

He noted it was the first time in over 20 years that an Irish soldier died while on UN peacekeeping duty.

Cllr Dunne said it was very hard to lose a loved one at any time of the year but particularly so around Christmas time. He paid tribute to the Defence Forces for the great work they have done on UN peacekeeping missions overseas for many years.