THE LEADER OF the Lebanese community where a monument to Irish troops killed in the country is sited has spoken of the sadness in the area at the loss Private Seán Rooney.
The memorial at Tibnine is near At Tiri where Camp Shamrock, the main Irish military peacekeeping base, is located.
Private Rooney was killed in an attack in the village of Al-Aqbiya on Wednesday night. Another Irish soldier – Trooper Shane Kearney – was critically injured in the incident while two other soldiers who received minor injuries have been discharged from hospital today.
Tibnine is the location where Irish troops are honoured for their sacrifice in the hills of South Lebanon. It’s the site then-Taoiseach Micheál Martin visited in May of this year to pay tribute to the 47 Irish soldiers who had died on the Lebanon mission at that point.
Private Rooney is the 48th Irish soldier to die.
In a statement to The Journal, Mukhtar Abdo Haddad paid a warm tribute to the Irish troops and said there was shock in the area at what had happened.
“As for our parish of Tibnine Saint George’s Church, we always hoped that there is not any memorial for irish soldiers in our town, because we imagined that these 47 heroes are alive, with us and with their families, but unfortunately we were shocked that we are going to add another name for another hero.
“We, Saint Georges’ parish of Tibnine and father Marioss Khairalla and Mokhtar Abdo Haddad, are deeply saddened by the loss of Private Sean Rooney.
“Our deepest condolences to the Irish battalion, his family and friends. What a huge loss. May he rest in peace,” he said.
The Mukhtar ended with a quote from the bible: “Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called the sons of God.”
The church and community centre in Tibnine were constructed with Irish military donations.
On a visit to the area last May to accompany the Taoiseach’s visit The Journal saw first-hand the relationship between the local community and the Irish troops.
The political situation in South Lebanon is different from the capital of the troubled country – it is the heartland for Hezbollah.
The Irish area of operations begins just south of the Litani River and continues south to the Israeli border. A short distance to the east is the Syrian border and a few tens of kilometres further is the city of Damascus.
The area has been the scene to the worst of the fighting between Israel and the local insurgents.
It is approximately 40 minutes drive from the location where Pvt Rooney was killed.
The monument to the 47 Irish troops killed is located next to the Tibnine cultural community centre and church. The area’s population is mostly Shiite Muslim and Greek Catholics.
Every month Irish troops gather there to honour their fallen comrades. The monument will soon see the addition of the name of Private Rooney.
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