THE remains of Private Seán Rooney will be brought home today by the Irish Air Corps CASA aircraft.
There will be a solemn UN ceremony held to honour Pte Rooney in Beirut Airport prior to his departure, following which he will be brought to Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel.
His remains will be reunited with his family on Monday morning, December 19.
Private Seán Rooney (23) from Newtowncunningham died while carrying out UN peacekeeping duties in al-Aqbieh in southern Lebanon.
The Defence Forces said Private Rooney was killed on active service in a “serious incident” at approximately 9.15pm Irish time, when a two-vehicle convoy carrying members of the 121st Infantry Battalion came under “small arms fire” from a “hostile mob”.
A spokesperson said Private Rooney joined the Defence Forces in March 2019 and his home unit was the 27 Infantry Battalion in Dundalk.
He previously served overseas with the 119 Infantry Battalion UNIFIL.
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