A minutes silence has been held in the Dail this afternoon in memory of Private Seán Rooney, a native of Donegal who was killed in Lebanon.
The 23 year old from Newtowncunningham whose home unit was the 27 Infantry Battalion in Dundalk was travelling in an Armoured Utility Vehicle on the way to Beirut when it came under attack by a group, which has been described by the Head of the Irish Defence forces as ‘an aggressive mob’.
22 year old private Shane Kearney from Killeagh in County Cork with a home unit of 1 Cavalry Squadron in Collins Barracks Cork was seriously injured in the ambush also.
In tributes in the Dail led by the Leas-Cheann Comhairle, Tanaiste Leo Varadkar says the country is united in grief:
Donegal Deputy Thomas Pringle also expressed his sympathies on the tragic loss of Private Rooney:
