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 Military Guard Ceremony, Merrion Square 31 August (9634883631).jpg
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. Memorial in Newbridge.jpg
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.

Contents

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

SurnameFirst NameService NumberRankMissionOverseas UnitDate of DeathHome UnitAge
GrantFelix80322Coy Sgt (DSM)ONUC33 Inf3 October 196012 Inf Bn
McCarthyJustinO.4350Col (DSM)ONUCHQ ONUC27 October 1960HQ 4 BDE
Gleeson KevinO.7500LtONUC33 Inf Bn8 November 19602 FD COE
Gaynor Hugh804359SgtONUC33 Inf Bn8 November 19602 Mot Sqn
Kelly Peter809839CplONUC33 Inf Bn8 November 19605 Inf Bn
Dougan Liam808234CplONUC33 Inf Bn8 November 19605 Inf Bn
Farrell Matthew804536PteONUC33 Inf Bn8 November 19602 Hosp Coy
Fennell Thomas804548TprONUC33 Inf Bn8 November 19602 Mot Sqn
Browne Anthony806115Tpr (MMG)ONUC33 Inf Bn8 November 19602 Mot Sqn
McGuinn Michael802900PteONUC33 Inf Bn8 November 19602 FD COE
Killeen Gerard810242PteONUC33 Inf Bn8 November 1960CTD (E)
DavisPatrick806785PteONUC33 Inf Bn10 November 19602 FD COE
KellyLiam806855CplONUC33 Inf Bn24 December 1960 3 Inf Bn
KellyLuke422602CplONUCHQ ONUC30 August 1961DEP MPC
GaffneyEdward808594TprONUC35 Inf Bn13 September 1961 1 ACS
MullinsPatrick810552TprONUC35 Inf Bn15 September 19611 Mot Sqn
NolanMichael806566CplONUC35 Inf Bn15 September 19611 Tnk Sqn
FallonMichael810568CplONUC36 Inf Bn8 December 19615 Inf Bn
MulcahyPatrick87410Sgt (DSM)ONUC36 Inf Bn16 December 19616 Fd Arty Regt
WickhamAndrew812054Pte (DSM)ONUC36 Inf Bn16 December 19612 Inf Bn
RiordanPatrickO.7776LtONUC36 Inf Bn16 December 19615 Inf Bn
GeogheganJohn87602CplONUC36 Inf Bn28 December 196115 Inf Bn
PowerJohn811849CplONUC36 Inf Bn7 March 1962CTD (E)
McCannRonaldO.6769CaptONUCHQ ONUC9 May 1962CTD (W)
McGrathJohn80453CplONUC38 Inf Bn21 March 19634 Hosp Coy
McMahonThomasO.6536ComdtONUCHQ ONUC28 September 1963HQ W
MacAuleyWallace87770Coy SgtUNFICYP41 Inf Bn22 February 1965DEP MPC
HamillJohn99093SgtUNFICYP4 Inf Gp7 April 1965Dep Cav
HetheringtonWillam815345CplUNFICYP4 Inf Gp19 July 1965CTD (E)
RyanJames405923Coy SgtUNFICYP6 Inf Gp4 October 19665 Inf Bn
McNamaraChristoperO.7778CaptUNFICYP9 Inf Gp16 January 19682 Grn S&T Coy
FaganJames808052CplUNFICYP10 Inf Gp10 June 19682 Mot Sqn
ByrneRonaldO.8006LtUNFICYP11 Inf Gp28 October 19684 Inf Bn
KennedyMichael817553TprUNFICYP12 Inf Gp1 July 19691 ACS
CumminsBrendan818694PteUNFICYP20 Inf Gp11 June 19712 Inf Bn
WickhamThomasO.6374ComdtUNTSO7 June 1967HQ C Comd
NestorMichaelO.8181ComdtUNTSO25 September 1982 Mil Col 36
MoonGerard836707PteUNIFIL43 Inf Bn25 August 19784 Inf Bn18
ReynoldsThomas829745CplUNIFIL44 Inf Bn24 December 19782 Grn S&T Coy35
GroganPhilip839148PteUNIFILHQ UNIFIL10 July 197928 Inf Bn19
GriffinStephen830497PteUNIFIL46 Inf Bn16 April 19801 Fd Engr Coy21
Barrett Thomas830818PteUNIFIL46 Inf Bn18 April 19804 Inf Bn30
Smallhorne Derek828468PteUNIFIL46 Inf Bn18 April 19805 Inf Bn31
YeatesEdward813376SgtUNIFIL47 Inf Bn31 May 19802 Mot Sqn43
DuffyVincent841137CplUNIFIL47 Inf Bn18 October 19806 Fd Sig Coy37
MarshallJohn838549PteUNIFIL48 Inf Bn17 December 19806 Fd S&T Coy20
MartinJames815518Coy SgtUNIFIL3 Ir Comp9 February 19814 Grn MP Coy37
SeoigheCaoimhín841579PteUNIFIL48 Inf Bn27 April 1981 1 Cn Cois (1 Inf Bn)20
DohertyHugh840638PteUNIFIL49 Inf BN27 April 198128 Inf Bn20
ByrneNiall837731PteUNIFIL49 Inf Bn22 June 19816 Inf Bn21
HodgesGerard826828PteUNIFIL50 Inf Bn20 March 1982CTD (S)33
BurkePeter843152PteUNIFIL51 Inf Bn27 October 19825 Inf Bn20
MorrowGregory841689CplUNIFIL52 Inf Bn27 October 19822 Inf Bn20
MurphyThomas843886PteUNIFIL52 Inf Bn27 October 19822 Inf Bn19
MurrayGeorge843587CplUNIFIL55 Inf Bn9 October 19842 Grn MP Coy21
FogartyPaul844963TprUNIFIL59 Inf Bn20 July 19861 Tnk Sqn23
MurphyAonghusO.9222LtUNIFIL59 Inf Bn21 August 198612 Inf Bn25
O'BrienWilliam850413PteUNIFIL60 Inf Bn6 December 19866 Inf Bn25
McLoughlinDermot848100CplUNIFIL60 Inf Bn10 January 198728 Inf Bn33
FitzgeraldJohn830670RSMUNIFIL15 Ir Comp24 February 19871 Fd Arty Regt47
BolgerGeorge828854CplUNIFIL61 Inf Bn29 August 198712 Inf Bn34
CullenPaul851307GnrUNIFIL62 Inf Bn17 March 19882 Fd Arty Regt20
WrightPatrick848545PteUNIFIL63 Inf Bn21 August 1988 27 Inf Bn 47
McNeelaMichael851275PteUNIFIL64 Inf Bn24 February 198927 Inf Bn21
HeneghanFintan844701CplUNIFIL64 Inf Bn21 March 19891 Cn Cois (1 Inf Bn)29
WalshThomas844789PteUNIFIL64 Inf Bn21 March 198928 Inf Bn29
ArmstrongMannix843237PteUNIFIL64 Inf Bn21 March 198928 Inf Bn26
ForresterCharles837612SgtUNIFIL65 Inf Bn21 May 19892 Fd Arty Regt37
O'HanlonMichaelO.8527ComdtUNIFIL66 Inf Bn21 November 1989HQ C Comd39
McCarthyMichael848020CplUNIFIL70 Inf Bn15 November 19914 Inf Bn33
WardPeter843715CplUNIFIL71 Inf Bn29 September 19926 Inf Bn29
TynanMartin842626CplUNIFIL72 Inf Bn13 December 1992DEP MPC30
StokesKieran830851CQMSUNIFIL28 Ir Comp14 June 1993Mil Col39
O'ConnorStephen848554ArmnUNIFIL73 Inf Bn3 October 1993Admin Wing AC 32
LynchJohn846385SgtUNIFIL36 Ir Comp6 August 1997HQ C Comd34
DowlingMichael851719CplUNIFIL83 Inf Bn16 September 199830 Inf Bn31
BarrettKevin856952PteUNIFIL84 Inf Bn18 February 199928 Inf Bn20
KedianBilly856310PteUNIFIL85 Inf Bn31 May 19991 Cn Cois (1 Inf Bn)21
CampbellJonathan854526TprUNIFIL85 Inf Bn5 September 19994 Cav Sqn28
DeereDeclan857259PteUNIFIL86 Inf Bn14 February 20003 Inf Bn21
FitzpatrickBrendan857331PteUNIFIL86 Inf Bn14 February 20003 Inf Bn19
LawlorMatthew857266PteUNIFIL86 Inf Bn14 February 20003 Inf Bn23
MurphyJonathan857271PteUNIFIL86 Inf Bn14 February 20003 Inf Bn21
Ó FlaitheartaPeadar858175PteUNTAET8 Ircon15 April 20021 Cn Cois (1 Inf Bn)21
MooneyDerekSgtUNMIL90 Inf Bn27 November 2003 ARW 33
DelaneyPaulO.8862Lt ColEU/NBGJ5 Branch23 July 20074 W Bde
GriffinJohn ‘Jack’O.9611Lt ColEUMS [lower-alpha 1] 31 October 2015 J2 Branch 47
RooneySeán869674PteUNIFIL121 Inf Bn14 December 2022 [5] 27 Inf Bn24 [6]

Fatalities by mission

An MP stands on duty below the national flag at the National Memorial Military Guard Ceremony, Merrion Square 31 August (9634806505).jpg
An MP stands on duty below the national flag at the National Memorial
MissionDate of DeathsNo. of Deaths
ONUC (mission ended)1960–196326
UNFICYP (involvement ended)1965–19719
UNTSO (ongoing)1967–19822
UNIFIL (ongoing)1978–202247
UNTAET (mission ended)20021
UNMIL (mission ended)20032
EU Nordic Battlegroup (ongoing)20071

See also

Notes

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

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References

  1. "Overseas Deployments - Roll of Honour". military.ie. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  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.