List of Irish military casualties overseas

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A Ceremonial Guard at the site of the National Memorial to members of the Defence Forces who died in the Service of the State, Merrion Square, Dublin
Lebanon cedar planted in Newbridge, County Kildare, Ireland to commemorate Irish soldiers who died on UN service.

This is a list of Irish military personnel of the Defence Forces who have died while serving overseas.

Since the 1960s, 88 personnel (87 from the Irish Army and one from the Air Corps) have died in overseas deployments.[1][2][3]

Fatalities have primarily occurred as part of United Nations peacekeeping missions, with 26 lives lost in the Congo under ONUC; 9 in Cyprus under UNFICYP; two in the Middle East under UNTSO; 47 in Lebanon under UNIFIL; one in East Timor under UNTAET; one in Liberia under UNMIL and two in Europe under the EU Nordic Battlegroup and EUMS.

Irish Defence Forces Roll of Honour[edit]

Surname First Name Service Number Rank Mission Overseas Unit Date of Death Home Unit Age
Grant Felix 80322 Coy Sgt (DSM) ONUC 33 Inf 3 October 1960 12 Inf Bn
McCarthy Justin O.4350 Col (DSM) ONUC HQ ONUC 27 October 1960 HQ 4 BDE
Gleeson Kevin O.7500 Lt ONUC 33 Inf Bn 8 November 1960 2 FD COE
Gaynor Hugh 804359 Sgt ONUC 33 Inf Bn 8 November 1960 2 Mot Sqn
Kelly Peter 809839 Cpl ONUC 33 Inf Bn 8 November 1960 5 Inf Bn
Dougan Liam 808234 Cpl ONUC 33 Inf Bn 8 November 1960 5 Inf Bn
Farrell Matthew 804536 Pte ONUC 33 Inf Bn 8 November 1960 2 Hosp Coy
Fennell Thomas 804548 Tpr ONUC 33 Inf Bn 8 November 1960 2 Mot Sqn
Browne Anthony 806115 Tpr (MMG) ONUC 33 Inf Bn 8 November 1960 2 Mot Sqn
McGuinn Michael 802900 Pte ONUC 33 Inf Bn 8 November 1960 2 FD COE
Killeen Gerard 810242 Pte ONUC 33 Inf Bn 8 November 1960 CTD (E)
Davis Patrick 806785 Pte ONUC 33 Inf Bn 10 November 1960 2 FD COE
Kelly Liam 806855 Cpl ONUC 33 Inf Bn 24 December 1960 3 Inf Bn
Kelly Luke 422602 Cpl ONUC HQ ONUC 30 August 1961 DEP MPC
Gaffney Edward 808594 Tpr ONUC 35 Inf Bn 13 September 1961 1 ACS
Mullins Patrick 810552 Tpr ONUC 35 Inf Bn 15 September 1961 1 Mot Sqn
Nolan Michael 806566 Cpl ONUC 35 Inf Bn 15 September 1961 1 Tnk Sqn
Fallon Michael 810568 Cpl ONUC 36 Inf Bn 8 December 1961 5 Inf Bn
Mulcahy Patrick 87410 Sgt (DSM) ONUC 36 Inf Bn 16 December 1961 6 Fd Arty Regt
Wickham Andrew 812054 Pte (DSM) ONUC 36 Inf Bn 16 December 1961 2 Inf Bn
Riordan Patrick O.7776 Lt ONUC 36 Inf Bn 16 December 1961 5 Inf Bn
Geoghegan John 87602 Cpl ONUC 36 Inf Bn 28 December 1961 15 Inf Bn
Power John 811849 Cpl ONUC 36 Inf Bn 7 March 1962 CTD (E)
McCann Ronald O.6769 Capt ONUC HQ ONUC 9 May 1962 CTD (W)
McGrath John 80453 Cpl ONUC 38 Inf Bn 21 March 1963 4 Hosp Coy
McMahon Thomas O.6536 Comdt ONUC HQ ONUC 28 September 1963 HQ W
MacAuley Wallace 87770 Coy Sgt UNFICYP 41 Inf Bn 22 February 1965 DEP MPC
Hamill John 99093 Sgt UNFICYP 4 Inf Gp 7 April 1965 Dep Cav
Hetherington Willam 815345 Cpl UNFICYP 4 Inf Gp 19 July 1965 CTD (E)
Ryan James 405923 Coy Sgt UNFICYP 6 Inf Gp 4 October 1966 5 Inf Bn
McNamara Christoper O.7778 Capt UNFICYP 9 Inf Gp 16 January 1968 2 Grn S&T Coy
Fagan James 808052 Cpl UNFICYP 10 Inf Gp 10 June 1968 2 Mot Sqn
Byrne Ronald O.8006 Lt UNFICYP 11 Inf Gp 28 October 1968 4 Inf Bn
Kennedy Michael 817553 Tpr UNFICYP 12 Inf Gp 1 July 1969 1 ACS
Cummins Brendan 818694 Pte UNFICYP 20 Inf Gp 11 June 1971 2 Inf Bn
Wickham Thomas O.6374 Comdt UNTSO 7 June 1967 HQ C Comd
Nestor Michael O.8181 Comdt UNTSO 25 September 1982 Mil Col 36
Moon Gerard 836707 Pte UNIFIL 43 Inf Bn 25 August 1978 4 Inf Bn 18
Reynolds Thomas 829745 Cpl UNIFIL 44 Inf Bn 24 December 1978 2 Grn S&T Coy 35
Grogan Philip 839148 Pte UNIFIL HQ UNIFIL 10 July 1979 28 Inf Bn 19
Griffin Stephen 830497 Pte UNIFIL 46 Inf Bn 16 April 1980 1 Fd Engr Coy 21
Barrett Thomas 830818 Pte UNIFIL 46 Inf Bn 18 April 1980 4 Inf Bn 30
Smallhorne Derek 828468 Pte UNIFIL 46 Inf Bn 18 April 1980 5 Inf Bn 31
Yeates Edward 813376 Sgt UNIFIL 47 Inf Bn 31 May 1980 2 Mot Sqn 43
Duffy Vincent 841137 Cpl UNIFIL 47 Inf Bn 18 October 1980 6 Fd Sig Coy 37
Marshall John 838549 Pte UNIFIL 48 Inf Bn 17 December 1980 6 Fd S&T Coy 20
Martin James 815518 Coy Sgt UNIFIL 3 Ir Comp 9 February 1981 4 Grn MP Coy 37
Seoighe Caoimhín 841579 Pte UNIFIL 48 Inf Bn 27 April 1981 1 Cn Cois (1 Inf Bn) 20
Doherty Hugh 840638 Pte UNIFIL 49 Inf BN 27 April 1981 28 Inf Bn 20
Byrne Niall 837731 Pte UNIFIL 49 Inf Bn 22 June 1981 6 Inf Bn 21
Hodges Gerard 826828 Pte UNIFIL 50 Inf Bn 20 March 1982 CTD (S) 33
Burke Peter 843152 Pte UNIFIL 51 Inf Bn 27 October 1982 5 Inf Bn 20
Morrow Geregory 841689 Cpl UNIFIL 52 Inf Bn 27 October 1982 2 Inf Bn 20
Murphy Thomas 843886 Pte UNIFIL 52 Inf Bn 27 October 1982 2 Inf Bn 19
Murray George 843587 Cpl UNIFIL 55 Inf Bn 9 October 1984 2 Grn MP Coy 21
Fogarty Paul 844963 Tpr UNIFIL 59 Inf Bn 20 July 1986 1 Tnk Sqn 23
Murphy Aonghus O.9222 Lt UNIFIL 59 Inf Bn 21 August 1986 12 Inf Bn 25
O'Brien William 850413 Pte UNIFIL 60 Inf Bn 6 December 1986 6 Inf Bn 25
McLoughlin Dermot 848100 Cpl UNIFIL 60 Inf Bn 10 January 1987 28 Inf Bn 33
Fitzgerald John 830670 RSM UNIFIL 15 Ir Comp 24 February 1987 1 Fd Arty Regt 47
Bolger George 828854 Cpl UNIFIL 61 Inf Bn 29 August 1987 12 Inf Bn 34
Cullen Paul 851307 Gnr UNIFIL 62 Inf Bn 17 March 1988 2 Fd Arty Regt 20
Wright Patrick 848545 Pte UNIFIL 63 Inf Bn 21 August 1988 27 Inf Bn 47
McNeela Michael 851275 Pte UNIFIL 64 Inf Bn 24 February 1989 27 Inf Bn 21
Heneghan Fintan 844701 Cpl UNIFIL 64 Inf Bn 21 March 1989 1 Cn Cois (1 Inf Bn) 29
Walsh Thomas 844789 Pte UNIFIL 64 Inf Bn 21 March 1989 28 Inf Bn 29
Armstrong Mannix 843237 Pte UNIFIL 64 Inf Bn 21 March 1989 28 Inf Bn 26
Forrester Charles 837612 Sgt UNIFIL 65 Inf Bn 21 May 1989 2 Fd Arty Regt 37
O'Hanlon Michael O.8527 Comdt UNIFIL 66 Inf Bn 21 November 1989 HQ C Comd 39
McCarthy Michael 848020 Cpl UNIFIL 70 Inf Bn 15 November 1991 4 Inf Bn 33
Ward Peter 843715 Cpl UNIFIL 71 Inf Bn 29 September 1992 6 Inf Bn 29
Tynan Martin 842626 Cpl UNIFIL 72 Inf Bn 13 December 1992 DEP MPC 30
Stokes Kieran 830851 CQMS UNIFIL 28 Ir Comp 14 June 1993 Mil Col 39
O'Connor Stephen 848554 Armn UNIFIL 73 Inf Bn 3 October 1993 Admin Wing AC 32
Lynch John 846385 Sgt UNIFIL 36 Ir Comp 6 August 1997 HQ C Comd 34
Dowling Michael 851719 Cpl UNIFIL 83 Inf Bn 16 September 1998 30 Inf Bn 31
Barrett Kevin 856952 Pte UNIFIL 84 Inf Bn 18 February 1999 28 Inf Bn 20
Kedian Billy 856310 Pte UNIFIL 85 Inf Bn 31 May 1999 1 Cn Cois (1 Inf Bn) 21
Campbell Jonathan 854526 Tpr UNIFIL 85 Inf Bn 5 September 1999 4 Cav Sqn 28
Deere Declan 857259 Pte UNIFIL 86 Inf Bn 14 February 2000 3 Inf Bn 21
Fitzpatrick Brendan 857331 Pte UNIFIL 86 Inf Bn 14 February 2000 3 Inf Bn 19
Lawlor Matthew 857266 Pte UNIFIL 86 Inf Bn 14 February 2000 3 Inf Bn 23
Murphy Jonathan 857271 Pte UNIFIL 86 Inf Bn 14 February 2000 3 Inf Bn 21
Ó Flaithearta Peadar 858175 Pte UNTAET 8 Ircon 15 April 2002 1 Cn Cois (1 Inf Bn) 21
Mooney Derek Sgt UNMIL 90 Inf Bn 27 November 2003 ARW 33
Delaney Paul O.8862 Lt Col EU/NBG J5 Branch 23 July 2007 4 W Bde
Griffin John ‘Jack’ O.9611 Lt Col EUMS[a] 31 October 2015 J2 Branch 47
Rooney Seán 869674 Pte UNIFIL 121 Inf Bn 14 December 2022[5] 27 Inf Bn 24[6]

Fatalities by mission[edit]

An MP stands on duty below the national flag at the National Memorial
Mission Date of Deaths No. of Deaths
ONUC (mission ended) 1960–1963 26
UNFICYP (involvement ended) 1965–1971 9
UNTSO (ongoing) 1967–1982 2
UNIFIL (ongoing) 1978–2022 47
UNTAET (mission ended) 2002 1
UNMIL (mission ended) 2003 2
EU Nordic Battlegroup (ongoing) 2007 1

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Died in Ireland while on leave from Brussels posting[4]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Overseas Deployments - Roll of Honour". military.ie. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
  2. ^ "Irish Defence Forces Roll of Honour". curragh.info. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
  3. ^ "Soldier killed in Lebanon named as Private Seán Rooney with one of those injured from Cork". irishexaminer.com. Irish Examiner. 15 December 2022. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
  4. ^ "Tributes to Army Officer Killed in Car Accident". thejournal.ie. 2 November 2015. Retrieved 8 August 2019. Lt Col Jack Griffin who was killed after being struck by a car [...] had been jogging on the Horse and Jockey road, just outside Thurles, in Tipperary [...] At the time of his death he was based in Brussels as part of the EU's military staff from which he had been at home on a few days leave
  5. ^ "Irish soldier killed on UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon". the Guardian. 15 December 2022.
  6. ^ "Remains of Pte Seán Rooney to be repatriated Sunday evening". The Irish Times. 18 December 2022. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
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