Family of Irish solider killed in Lebanon seeking independent experts as witnesses for inquest

Seán McCárthaigh

Lawyers for the family of an Irish soldier killed in Lebanon almost four years ago are seeking to have an independent pathologist and ballistic experts called as witnesses at a forthcoming inquest into his death.

A preliminary hearing into the death of Private Seán Rooney at Dublin District Coroner’s Court on Wednesday, July 29th, heard legal representatives of his mother, Natasha McCloskey, are asking for a number of expert witnesses to be added to a list of individuals due to be called to give evidence.

It also emerged that they had recently written to the Dublin city chief coroner, Myra Cullinane, seeking to question witnesses involved in the conduct of military and Garda investigations into the fatal incident.

Rooney (24) from Newtowncunningham, Co Donegal, was killed while driving an armoured jeep on Unifil peacekeeping duties in Lebanon on December 14th, 2022.

The deceased, who was attached to the 27th Infantry Battalion at Aiken Barracks in Dundalk, Co Louth, suffered fatal gunshot wounds after his UN convoy was attacked by armed militia linked to Hezbollah.

A large part of the preliminary hearing was conducted with representatives of the media excluded as the coroner heard submissions about issues which the Defence Forces have claimed are “extremely sensitive” security matters.

In the section heard in public, counsel for the Defence Forces, Frank Kennedy, said his clients would have no issue with the calling of any “relevant witnesses.”

Dr Cullinane observed that she could see the logic of three witnesses identified by the legal team representing Rooney’s family.

The coroner said she was satisfied they would have relevant evidence to give.

The full inquest into Rooney’s death before a jury is scheduled to begin on November 17 and is expected to last around three weeks.

Dr Cullinane also revealed that she had recently issued a determination on the scope of the inquest, although details of her ruling were not outlined in court.

Lawyers for the deceased’s family had previously called for the inquest to address the “noxious narrative” that Rooney took a wrong turn before the fatal incident.

The family has also questioned how a 24-year-old with no UN driving licence had been allowed to be 13-16km from his convoy on a route not taken before.

Rooney and several colleagues were just a short distance from the main highway into Beirut when their armoured vehicle was fired on near the southern Lebanese village of Al-Aqbiya.

Another soldier, Trooper Shane Kearney from Killeagh, Co Cork, sustained a serious head injury in the attack when the vehicle in which he was travelling crashed.

Several court hearings have already been held in relation to the prosecution of several Lebanese nationals who have been charged in connection with the fatal shooting of Rooney.

One suspect, Mohammad Ayyad, who was detained for a year before being freed by a Lebanese military court on medical grounds, failed to show up at subsequent court hearings.

In July 2025, Ayyad, a member of Hezbollah, was convicted of the murder of Rooney by a military tribunal in Beirut and sentenced to death in his absence.

One other male was sentenced to three months in prison, four others were ordered to pay fines, and a seventh suspect was acquitted for lack of evidence.

Dr Cullinane adjourned the inquest for further mention to September 9 to finalise procedural issues, which are expected to include a list of witnesses.