'Annoyance and anger' at slow justice in killing of Sean Rooney, Taoiseach tells Lebanese counterpart

Undated handout file photo issued by Defence Forces of Private Sean Rooney of Newtowncunningham in Co Donegal, the Irish peacekeeping soldier killed in Lebanon in 2022. The 23-year-old, who was serving with a UN peacekeeping mission, died when his convoy came under attack.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has told Lebanese Prime Minister Mawaf Salam of the Irish Government’s “annoyance and anger” at Lebanon’s handling of the case of Private Seán Rooney, who was killed three years ago this month.

Mr Martin met with Mr Salam on Saturday morning, ahead of the Taoiseach’s visit to Irish peacekeeping troops at Camp Shamrock in South Lebanon.

Pte Rooney, a 24-year-old Dundalk native who had been living in Co Donegal, was shot dead on December 14, 2002, when the UN convoy he was travelling with came under fire in South Lebanon.

Pte Shane Kearney, a native of Killeagh in Co Cork who was then 22, was severely injured in the incident and had to be medically evacuated to Ireland. 

A number of other soldiers were also wounded in the incident.

In July of this year, a Lebanese military tribunal found six people guilty of the killing of Pte Rooney, and Mohammad Ayyad, identified as the main suspect, was sentenced to death in absentia, and fined approximately US $1,200.

Mr Rooney’s mother, Natasha Rooney, sharply criticised the verdict and the response from the Irish Government, describing the tribunal as “a sham”.

Speaking to reporters at Camp Shamrock on Saturday, Mr Martin said he had raised the matter with Mr Salam.

“I spoke to hm about our very significant concerns, and indeed annoyance and anger at the very slow pace of the criminal justice system, from the time of Seán Rooney’s death to the court decisions, and reaffirmed the value of the peacekeepers, the most noble role any individual can play, and that the necessity for accountability and responsibility has to be centre stage,” Mr Martin said.

He said such accountability would mean that the people responsible for the killing of Pte Rooney would be brought to “proper justice", adding that the sentences imposed had been extremely lenient, and those convicted remained at large.

“It’s deeply, deeply unacceptable and unsatisfactory,” the Taoiseach added.

“To be fair, this new government [in Lebanon] has appealed the decision in the court, and [Mr Salam] took on board what I said and is particularly focused on it, but also on the need for disarmament in the region and the decommissioning of weapons.” 

The two leaders also discussed the attack on December 4 against Irish peacekeepers, when troops came under fire from local militia members.

Mr Martin later laid a wreath in Peacekeepers’ Square in Camp Shamrock, in memory of the 48 Irish soldiers to die on peacekeeping missions in Lebanon since 1978.

Tens of thousands of members of the Irish Defence Forces have served with Unifil (United Nations Interim Forces In Lebanon) since 1978, with around 366 troops currently serving in Camp Shamrock.

The UN Security Council mandate for Unifil is due to expire by the end of 2026, with Irish troops currently expected to withdraw from Lebanon by 2027.

Mr Martin told soldiers he is “immensely proud of the long tradition of Irish peacekeeping”.

“Those involved in ongoing efforts for peace are doing critically important work. It is work that we in Ireland and people all over the world hope and pray is successful,” he said.

“The tradition of UN peacekeeping, in which we have participated for just short of 70 years, is about saving lives and ensuring others can enjoy the gift of peace."