By Dionne Meehan
Two years on from the murder of Private Seán Rooney in Lebanon, his family are still being kept in the dark about the events surrounding his death.
The 24-year-old, pictured below, from Newtowncunningham was killed when a convoy of Irish troops serving with a UN peacekeeping mission was ambushed and fired upon on December 14, 2022.
The shooting happened near the town of Al-Aqbiya in the south of Lebanon, a stronghold of Hezbollah.
His family have been seeking justice, but delays in the justice system in Lebanon, as well as apprehending some of the assailants in the case have caused great frustration.
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Last week saw the latest development in the case as the United Nations confirmed they will make important documents about the incident, which led to Private Rooney’s death, available to his family.
Two UN reports have since been completed into the attack.
However, his family have only been shown a redacted copy of one of the reports. They have yet to be shown the other.
On Private Rooney’s second anniversary on Saturday, solicitor Darragh Mackin of Phoenix Law, who is acting on behalf of the family, including Seán’s mother Natasha McCloskey, said his client’s grief is as immeasurable today as it was this day in 2022.
“This grief has in many ways been compounded by the disrespect and discourtesy demonstrated by those within the UN, who to date, have not provided our client with the necessary information to allow the inquest to proceed, so the truth can be established,” Mr Mackin said.
“Our client’s grief is only outweighed by her pride in her late son who paid the ultimate price, to save others.
“He will forever be remembered for his bravery and courage.”
Meanwhile, during a weekend trip to Lebanon, An Tánaiste Micheál Martin pressed the Lebanese government during talks in Beirut to make progress on bringing to justice the killers of Private Rooney.
“No words can ease the pain of losing a loved one, particularly under such shocking and unacceptable circumstances, but I and the country stand united with Seán’s family in their grief,” the Tánaiste said.
“I know that the uncertainty surrounding the progress of the various investigations into the incident is very difficult and compounds the grief of Seán’s family.”
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