Orphans present wreath in honour of Seán Rooney at Camp Shamrock
Girls from a Lebanese orphanage supported by the Defence Forces with a wreath in honour of Pte Seán Rooney. Picture: Ali Saad/Tibnine Orphanage
Girls from a Lebanese orphanage supported by the Defence Forces have presented Private Seán Rooney’s colleagues with their condolences over his death.
The wreath they presented was laid on a special plaque in a garden near the church in of the camp at At-Tiri, southern Lebanon.
It lists the names of the 87 members of the Defence Forces who died “in the service of peace” up until December 14, when Private Rooney was killed.
Members of his 121st Infantry Platoon had only attended the rededication of the Peacekeeper’s Square at Camp Shamrock, also known as UNP 2-45, last month, on November 19.
They had, at the time, just arrived in Lebanon for their six-month tour of duty.
After the wreath — which was made up of orange and white roses against a background of green — was presented to Private Rooney’s battalion commander, members of the Defence Forces threw a Christmas party for the orphans.
Orphanage manager Ali Saad said: “On behalf of the orphanage, we presented our condolences, to his colleagues, to the Defence Forces, Ireland, and especially to Private Rooney’s family and friends.
“Ireland has been very good to the orphans and the orphanage over the years, and we are all so very sad about what happened.
“After the presentation, the soldiers put on a wonderful Christmas party for the girls and put aside their own grief.”
The orphanage was built with the help and support of peacekeepers from the Netherlands in 1979, but Irish peacekeepers have been heavily involved with it ever since.
Funding for the orphanage, which houses 65 children, comes from sources including the Lebanese government, Irish Defence Forces personnel serving with the UN, and donations from UN veterans.
Funding usually comes via Irish Aid, Ireland’s development cooperation programme, and is for so-called 'micro projects'.
An example of one of these would be where the Defence Forces provided a replacement minibus for the orphanage, which was funded with $15,000 provided by Irish Aid in 2016.
Tánaiste Micheál Martin met children and staff from the orphanage when he visited Tibnine at the end of May to lay a wreath at a memorial for Irish soldiers who had died while on peacekeeping duties in Lebanon.
Mr Saad also pointed out that Irish peacekeepers helped protect the orphanage "in times of bombardments, conflicts or wars, day and night when needed".
During the 1980s, Irish soldiers supplied the orphanage with food and helped to equip and install bedrooms.
Irish medics serving with the UN also do health checks on the children and provide an element of care for them.
As well as providing fresh water, soldiers also teach English to the children.
Funds supplied by Irish Aid and Defences Forces personnel have also supplied buses over the years, as well as a kitchen and a playground.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
