An appeal has been made to the United Nations (UN) to co-operate in an inquest into the tragic death of Pte Seán Rooney. This came after a coroner assigned the UN as a relevant stakeholder in his case.
Pte Rooney, a 24-year-old from Dundalk, Co Louth, tragically lost his life during an assault on a convoy of Irish peacekeepers in the Lebanese town of Al-Aqbiya, in December 2022. This incident marked the first combat-related fatality involving a member of the Defence Forces in the last 23 years.
The UN’s involvement in comprehensive and momentous probes into the circumstances leading to Pte Rooney’s death was revealed at a session of the Dublin Coroner’s Court on Tuesday. UN officials, however, have deemed the findings from these investigations as classified.
Senior Coroner Dr Myra Cullinane expressed that the UN has placed certain limitations on the accessibility of these reports pertaining to Pte Rooney.
Solicitor Darragh Mackin, representing the grieving family of Rooney, highlighted the gravity of the UN’s investigations into Pte Rooney’s passing. He stressed that these findings hold great significance not only for the inquest but are also of immense relevance to the late soldier’s family.
Mackin emphasised the necessity for the UN to collaborate with the ongoing investigation, asserting its importance, not as an appeal, but as a right. He also reminded the UN of its foundational ethos of international co-operation, urging it to adhere to its own principles.
Considering Pte Rooney was operating on peacekeeping duties in a Unifil region of Lebanon when he was tragically killed, Dr Cullinane marked the UN as a relevant party in the case. As such, during an inquest, relevant parties can question witnesses and present representations.
The inquiry has been informed of two United Nations-led inquiries into the demise of Private Rooney, one of which was an on-site probe performed by Italian and Tanzanian officialdom, while the other was conducted by a UN inquiry panel in New York. Remy Farrell SC, representing the Department of Defence and Defence Forces, revealed that Private Rooney’s kin were shown a censored form of the initial report, but weren’t given the subsequent report. He made it clear that these limitations were set by the UN, not the Defence Minister.
It was revealed by Mr Farrell that in recent interaction, the UN has questioned the Defence Department on how public access to the reports concerning Private Rooney’s death could be limited, given the ‘confidential’ nature of the reports.
The clients of Mr Mackin expressed their desire to counteract the harmful narrative that Private Rooney took a wrong path whilst driving a UN vehicle just prior to 2022 assault, as he claims. He also acknowledged that previous objections were made about the type of UN vehicles Private Rooney was using at the time of the assault.
His clients sought to find out why a 24-year-old serviceman found himself 13-16km away from the UN convoy that he and his fellow servicemen were with when they were attacked, and why he did not possess a UN driving permit.
Mr Mackin portrayed Private Rooney as a valiant serviceman and a national hero, not just to his family and the soldiers he rescued during the December 2022 attack but to Ireland as a whole. He lauded him as a beloved son and a future husband. Private Rooney is owed a thorough investigation into the circumstances leading to his passing, according to Mr Mackin.
Dr Cullinane expressed her desire to emphasize Mr Mackin’s expressive remarks, noting that the core of the inquest was the tragic loss experienced by Private Rooney’s family.
Private Rooney’s mother, Natasha McCloskey, attended court that Tuesday. Both Mr Farrell, representing the Defence Forces and Defence Minister, and Dr Cullinane, extended their sympathies to her over the loss of her son.
Dr Cullinane sought Mr Farrell’s help in liaising with the United Nations to proceed with the inquiry, which has been postponed to September 20th.
Before his demise, Pte Rooney had given nearly four years of service in the military and was part of the 27th Infantry Battalion stationed in Dundalk.
Issues surrounding the prolonged prosecution of the primary suspect involved in Pte Rooney’s assassination in Lebanon was brought up by Taoiseach Simon Harris, during his discourse with Lebanese prime minister Najib Mikati in May of the previous year.
The main accused, Muhammad Ayyad, who is facing multiple charges linked to the assault that led to Pte Rooney’s death, did not show up at the military tribunal in Lebanon last December, claiming health reasons.
The local Irish police force, the Gardaí, brought their preliminary investigation pertaining to the death of Pte Rooney to a closure earlier this summer, thereby paving the way for the formal military death inquiry to begin.