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The Journal
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Journal
Man sentenced to death by Lebanon court over killing of Irish soldier Private Seán Rooney
A NUMBER OF people have been convicted for the murder of Irish Defence Forces Private Seán Rooney in Lebanon, Tánaiste Simon Harris has said. Private Rooney, 24, from Newtowncunningham, Co Donegal, was killed while serving in Lebanon when his UN peacekeeping convoy was attacked on 14 December 2022. The shooting, near the town of Al-Aqbiya in the south of Lebanon, a stronghold of militant group Hezbollah, resulted in the death of Private Rooney while Trooper Shane Kearney, 22, was badly wounded. A Military Tribunal in Beirut today convicted one main defendant, Mohammad Ayyad, for the murder of Private Rooney and has sentenced him to death, The Journal understands. It is further understood that Ayyad, a member of Hezbollah, was absent from today's proceedings. The militant group has rejected responsibility. A number of other defendants were also convicted today for the murder of Private Rooney. In a statement, Tánaiste Simon Harris expressed disappointment over the sentences imposed on the other defendants. He said he was informed that a hearing was held today by a military court in Beirut, which was originally set to take place in September. While welcoming the convictions and noting the sentence handed down to Ayyad, Harris said he was 'disappointed and share the disappointment of Private Rooney's family at the lighter sentences imposed on a number of those convicted today'. Advertisement The Tánaiste, who is also the defence minister, did not immediately detail the sentences handed down to Ayyad and the others who were convicted today. 'Seán Rooney made the ultimate sacrifice in the noble pursuit of peace,' Harris said. 'This is a difficult time for his family and his colleagues, especially those who were injured that night. All our thoughts are with them at this time.' The Irish Government previously criticised the delays in the Lebanese case against the people suspected of involvement in the murder of Private Rooney. Israeli attacks on south Lebanon caused disruption to the communication networks and impeded the delivery of legal documents. Harris visited Beirut in March and met with the Lebanese foreign and defence ministers, where he voiced his frustration and criticism over the handling of the case and the slow pace of proceedings. He today acknowledged the decision to bring forward proceedings. He said the Irish government were determined to bring those responsible for Private Rooney's murder to justice. Department of Foreign Affairs officials, members of the Defence Forces, the Irish Ambassador and Honorary Consul to Lebanon and the department's Lebanese lawyer attended today's hearing along with a member of Seán's family. 'Finally, I appreciate that this is an incredibly difficult day for the family of Private Rooney,' Harris said. 'None of us can fathom their unimaginable pain and grief and all my thoughts remain with them at this time.' With reporting by Niall O'Connor Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal


Irish Examiner
2 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Main defendant charged with murder of private Seán Rooney sentenced to death
The main defendant at the military tribunal in Beirut indicted for the murder of Irish Defence Forces private Seán Rooney has been sentenced to death, it is understood. In a statement, Tánaiste and defence minister Simon Harris said that he noted the sentence handed down, along with those handed to a number of the other defendants who had previously not been in court. 'I am disappointed and share the disappointment of Pte Rooney's family at the lighter sentences imposed on a number of those convicted today,' he said. 'Seán Rooney made the ultimate sacrifice in the noble pursuit of peace. This is a difficult time for his family and his colleagues, especially those who were injured that night. All our thoughts are with them at this time.' Pte Rooney, who was 24 and from Newtowncunningham, Co Donegal, was killed while on UN duty when the armoured vehicle he was driving from south Lebanon to Beirut came under fire in December 2022. Several others were injured in the attack. Previously, the Irish Government expressed its concerns about the lack of progress in the case against those charged with his killing. Mr Harris said that raising these issues was a 'central focus' of his visit to Beirut last March. 'I appreciate, therefore, the efforts of the court to bring forward the hearing date forward from September to today,' he said. During my visit to Beirut, I left the Lebanese ministers in no doubt as to the absolute determination of the Irish Government to ensure that those responsible for Pte Rooney's death are brought to justice. 'I want to express my appreciation to my officials, members of the Defence Forces, Ireland's Ambassador to Lebanon, members of the Defence Forces, Ireland's Honorary Consul to Lebanon, and the Department's Lebanese lawyer, all of whom attended today's hearing along with a member of Seán's family. 'Finally, I appreciate that this is an incredibly difficult day for the family of Pte Rooney. None of us can fathom their unimaginable pain and grief and all my thoughts remain with them at this time.' While capital punishment is a legal sanction in Lebanon, reports suggest there has been a moratorium on executions since 2004. Read More Mother of slain Irish soldier Sean Rooney permitted to sue United Nations


Extra.ie
2 days ago
- General
- Extra.ie
Fundraiser launched for bust of first Irish soldier to receive Military Medal for Gallantry
A fundraiser has been launched with the hopes of having a bust erected of the first Irish soldier to receive the Military Medal for Gallantry in the history of the state. The fundraiser has been created by the Irish United Nations Veterans Association with the aim of commemorating the brave actions of Anthony Browne, as well as other members of the ill-fated Congo Niemba Ambush patrol. The event saw nine Irish soldiers lose their lives, with Trooper Browne helping many of his squad escape before being killed himself, earning him the honour of the Military Medal for Gallantry (MMG) which is the equivalent of the British Victoria Cross — the first soldier of the Irish Defence Forces to receive such an honour. Anthony Browne. Pic: Supplied In 1960, Dubliner Browne was deployed to the Belgium Congo as a UN Peacekeeper aged just 19, and his heroic actions have led the UN vets to try and create a bust of Anthony in Dublin, using it as a place to visit, and talk about the brave Irish soldiers that have represented the country. Michael Buggy, who created the page, shared more of the Rialto native's story: 'On November 8, 1960 he was a member of an 11 strong reconnaissance patrol commanded by Lt Kevin Gleeson a Carlow man. During this patrol they were ambushed by Baluba Tribesmen over 100 strong. The 1962 funeral in Dublin of trooper Anthony Browne, one of the victims of the Niemba ambush. Pic: Supplied 'Nine members of the patrol lost their lives in the ambush, two members miraculously survived, eight bodies were recovered from the ambush scene and the two survivors were removed for medical care. 'Trooper Browne's body was not recovered until two years later from an unmarked grave in the bush, on information received from locals. The scene at the bridge shortly before the first bodies were recovered after the Battle of Niemba in The Congo in November 1960. Pic: Supplied 'One of the survivors in his subsequent report attributed his survival to the action taken by Anthony Browne, [and hence he] was awarded posthumously, the Military Medal of Honour (With, Distinction) in recognition of his exceptional bravery during the Niemba Ambush. All nine were also awarded the Military Star posthumously.' The group has set a target of €20,000, with Buggy adding: 'Your donation will help us fund a bust, not only to his memory, but also to all the other members of that ill-fated Congo Niemba Ambush patrol in 1960 which is still etched on the memory of all Military Personnel and the Thousands of mourners that lined O'Connell St, Dublin, on the return home of their bodies for Internment.'


BreakingNews.ie
5 days ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Former member of defence forces jailed for 10 years for sexual abuse
A judge has said a former member of the Irish Defence Forces is 'extremely fortunate' that his guilty pleas to sexual assault were accepted by the Director of Public Prosecutions as the offences could have been charged as rape. The 63-year-old pleaded guilty to five counts of sexual assault on dates between September 2007 and June 2010 at an address in Cavan. He was jailed for 10 years on Friday. Advertisement The Dublin man cannot be named to protect the anonymity of the victim, who was aged between 11 and 14 at the time. The Central Criminal Court heard that the pleas were accepted by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on a full facts basis. The man has 17 previous convictions including for criminal damage, possession of knives and the sexual assault of two minors, which occurred before this offending. Imposing sentence on Friday, Mr Justice David Keane said the disparity in ages and the impact on the victim were among the aggravating factors. Advertisement The judge said the man was 'extremely fortunate' that the DPP accepted his guilty pleas to sexual assault on a full facts basis as 'the acts could have been charged as offences of anal or oral rape' which have a maximum sentence of life in prison. Sexual assault of a child under 17 has a maximum penalty of 14 years imprisonment. Evidence was heard that the man was friendly with the boy's older brother, who was experiencing mental health difficulties at the time. The boy's brother moved to a house in Cavan owned by the man. The defendant would take the boy to visit his brother and during these journeys, the man introduced the topic of sexual activity between men into conversation. The court heard evidence of the abuse, including an incident during which the boy vomited as the man sexually assaulted him. The man made him clean it up afterwards. Advertisement In a later incident, the man held the boy's neck, told him he was going to introduce him to rough sex, then sexually assaulted him. The judge noted the contents of the injured party's 'simple but powerful' victim impact statement. He noted the complainant wrongly blamed himself for years and had misplaced feelings of shame. The abuse also affected the complainant's relationship with his brother, who he did not want to visit often. The boy was told his failure to visit his brother was affecting his brother's mental health. Referring to the victim impact statement, the judge said the boy was robbed of his relationship with his brother who has since died and felt he could not visit his grave as it would bring back memories of the abuse. Advertisement Mr Justice Keane noted that the injured party is now able to honour his brother's life by sharing memories of him. The judge noted a defence submission that the offending could be considered opportunistic and intermittent over the period in question. Brother's house He said while the abuse was limited to occasions when the boy visited his brother's house, 'significant planning and cunning' was involved to isolate the child. Mr Justice Keane noted the contents of the probation report and that the man told a probation officer that he was not guilty of this category of offending, denied contact or described it as minimal and said he believed the boy was an adult. Advertisement The judge said the report states the man engaged in victim blaming and displayed no empathy. He noted that the man told the probation officer that he does not wish to interact with Probation Services and did not give consent for them to speak to his family, who are unaware of the nature of his offending. Mr Justice Keane referred to an undated letter from the man addressed to the victim and 'their family', in which the man took responsibility and outlined his shame and guilt. But, the judge noted this letter referred to a singular sexual assault. He also referred to a letter written by the man in 2014 to the victim while he was in the Midlands Prison, in which he said he was taking courses in anger management and preventing sexual offending. The judge noted there is no independent confirmation that the man undertook or completed these courses. Two unsigned letters from the man's brother and father were also provided to the court, which said the man has mental health and other health issues. The judge said these letters were not on affidavit as required by law and the court could not take them into consideration. Mr Justice Keane said there was 'no independent medical evidence' or details of the man's service in the Irish Defence Forces before the court. Having imposed the 10 year global sentence for the man's offending, Mr Justice Keane said there was no basis on which to suspend any part of the sentence and he imposed a two-year post release supervision order. The court heard that in the first incident, the boy had fallen asleep in a bedroom at his brother's house and woke to the man touching him. The man told the boy he loved him and was 'going to give him a good time'. He then performed oral sex on the boy, who called out for his brother. The defendant told him his brother was asleep and continued to abuse the boy, while he called for his brother for around 20 minutes. The man stopped, telling the boy he was 'too young to come', then left the room. In a later incident, the man asked the boy to come to the attic to hang up sports equipment after his brother had fallen asleep in the sitting room. The boy refused and the man took him by the arm into another room, where he inserted his penis into the boy's anus. The boy found this very sore and vomited onto the wall and floor. The man gave out to him for getting sick, and threatened to tell his parents he'd been drinking alcohol. He also made the boy clean up the vomit. The boy went to bed, but did not sleep as he was crying and in pain. The man came into the room about an hour later, and appeared nice, offering the boy water. He then grabbed the boy's hair and put his penis in the boy's mouth. Afterwards, he left the room. Around Easter 2008, the man took the boy to visit his brother. He told the boy he had got a van so they could have sex in it. That night, the boy woke up and realised the man had moved him while he was in bed. The man told him he'd missed him and was going to get on top of him. The defendant then inserted his penis into the boy's anus, telling him it was not going to be sore as he'd done it before. Afterwards, the man wiped his penis, then told the boy to suck it before inserting his penis into the boy's anus later again that night. On another occasion, the boy was in bed when the man came into the room and held him by his throat while removing his clothes. He told the boy, who was afraid and in pain, that he was going to introduce him to rough sex. The man then bit and sucked on the boy's penis, before inserting his penis to the boy's anus. The boy told him no, and to stop, but the man refused, telling him he was enjoying it. In late 2009 or early 2010, the boy's brother moved to another house in Cavan. The man arrived at this house while the boy was visiting. He went to the boy's room, put his elbow on the boy's chest, then sexually assaulted him. After this final incident, the boy made an unsuccessful suicide attempt, which included drinking bleach. Ireland Enoch Burke wins appeal over composition of discip... Read More The court heard that the boy was afraid of his father, who passed away in the mid 2010s. The boy's brother died in 2011. He told his mother in 2016 and his partner in 2018, making a formal complaint in 2021. When interviewed, the man made no admissions, denied that he knew the boy and said everyone's time was being wasted. The judge backdated the sentence to last October, when the man went into custody. If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at or visit Rape Crisis Help .


Irish Post
6 days ago
- Business
- Irish Post
Irish EEZ passed through hundreds of times by Russian shadow fleet
450 transits by suspected Russian 'shadow fleet' vessels have been recorded in Irish waters in the first seven months of this year. According to satellite data from maritime intelligence firm Windward, nearly 250 ships believed to be part of the covert fleet passed through Ireland's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) between January and July. The vessels are linked to efforts by Russia to sidestep EU and US sanctions imposed in response to its invasion of Ukraine. These sanctions target the export of Russian oil, which continues to fund the country's war effort. Many of the tankers are described by Windward analysts as ageing, under-maintained, and lacking proper insurance. They often operate under 'flags of convenience' from countries like Liberia, Panama, Malta, and the Marshall Islands, jurisdictions known for minimal oversight. Windward's analysis found that more than 70 of the ships that transited through Irish waters were directly listed in EU and US sanctions databases. During the first five months of the year alone, 40 vessels had clear Russian ties, including several flying the Russian flag and others owned by Russian companies. Their passage through Irish waters, often without docking, has raised the alarm among maritime experts and political observers. Ireland's EEZ, which stretches around 370 km off the west coast, is a critical maritime zone with several major international shipping lanes and undersea cables. Experts warn that the continued movement of these ships through Irish waters undermines international efforts to isolate Russia economically. 'These ships are like vehicles on Irish roads without an NCT or insurance,' said Tony Cudmore, a retired brigadier general with the Irish Defence Forces, to RTE. 'They're poorly maintained, possibly crewed by underqualified personnel, and pose a real danger—not just to the environment, but to Irish sovereignty.' Some shadow fleet vessels have been linked to damage to subsea infrastructure, particularly in the Baltic Sea. Recent examples include Sweden seizing a ship suspected of damaging a cable linking the country with Latvia, at the beginning of the year. Furthermore NATO launched its new 'Baltic Sea Mission' this year, after numerous cables were damaged in 2024. Another example is an open investigation by Finland, into suspected Russian sabotage into cables damaged between their country and Estonia. There are worries that similar incidents could happen off the Irish coast, where undersea cables are vital to global communications and trade. Several of the ships tracked this year have engaged in suspicious or high-risk behaviour, including turning off their location transponders or conducting ship-to-ship oil transfers. One such vessel, the Valentin Pikul, passed through Irish waters in March and was later involved in oil transfers near Murmansk. Others, including the Russian-flagged Bratsk, Belgorod, and Primorye, were recorded going 'dark' for periods while navigating near Donegal, Clare, and off the western seaboard according to Windward. The Irish Defence Forces said they monitor maritime activity continuously and share intelligence with national and international partners. The Irish Coast Guard, through its search and rescue and pollution response roles, also tracks ship movements and has detected multiple sanctioned Russian vessels in Irish waters since the start of the year, according to RTE A recent EU directive requires all vessels transiting through EU EEZs, including Ireland's, to provide valid proof of insurance, even if they don't dock. However, enforcement of such rules remains challenging. Earlier this year, German authorities seized a Panama-flagged tanker off the Baltic coast carrying 100,000 tonnes of Russian oil. The incident has been cited as an example of the type of enforcement Ireland could pursue. Despite sanctions from the EU, Britain and the US, including bans on over 400 Russian-linked tankers, Russia's oil export levels have remained relatively stable. The International Energy Agency reported an average of 7.5 million barrels per day exported in 2024, only slightly down from pre-war figures. Professor John O'Brennan of Maynooth University said the persistence of shadow fleet operations highlights a gap in enforcement across EU member states. 'Russia has successfully exploited inconsistent national responses,' he said. 'If countries like Ireland don't step up their enforcement efforts, these vessels will continue to slip through the cracks.'