A friend of Sean Rooney made an emotional vigil to the private’s army barracks yesterday to pay tribute to him.
Aaron Fry laid a wreath for Private Rooney outside Aiken Barracks in Dundalk, Co Louth, where the hero served as a specialist driver. He told The Mirror: “I have known him since I was about 13, he was a good friend.”
Mr Fry, who laid the wreaths with his mother Trisha and her husband Terry Hamilton, said he wanted to pay tribute to his friend. He was one of a number of people who arrived at the barracks throughout yesterday to leave floral tributes for the murdered soldier, who was well-known in the town.
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And Mr Fry, 28, told us he heard about the incident early yesterday – and immediately feared for his friend. He said: “I read about it on Facebook. It came up about a young Irish soldier being shot. I knew Sean was out in Lebanon and I wondered straight away if it was him. Then we got the confirmation. It was terrible.”
Mr Fry told The Mirror that Private Rooney’s life’s ambition was to join the Defence Forces – following the family tradition.
His late father Cormac also served as a soldier in Dundalk. Two of Private Rooney’s uncles and a great-uncle currently serve in the barracks and were among the first to be told of his killing yesterday.
Mr Fry told us: “I’ve known him about 16 years. He always wanted to go into the Defence Forces – it was a family thing. He was kind, caring, down to earth – and was a good laugh. He was very outgoing.”
Meanwhile, Private Rooney’s commanding officer also paid tribute to him last night. Lieutenant-Colonel Frank Colclough said: “He was a model soldier.”
The officer, who is head of the 27th Infantry Battalion based at Aiken Barracks, said the fallen soldier’s colleagues were heartbroken by his death.
He said: “They’re devastated. It’s a tragic moment.”
Lt-Col Colclough said Private Rooney joined the 27th battalion three years ago and after passing out served in a cavalry unit at Cathal Brugha Barracks in south Dublin.
He then went to southern Lebanon with another Irish battalion in November last year – where he spent six months on a peacekeeping mission.
Once that mission ended, he came back to Ireland and rejoined the 27th Battalion as a specialist driver – and applied for his second trip to Lebanon. He had only gone back a few weeks before Wednesday night’s tragedy happened.
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Lt-Col Colclough said: “He went out to serve the country again. He was a diligent young private soldier…he was a model soldier.”
He added: “Sean was on his second trip overseas. He really espoused the values of the model soldiers that we want in here – loyal, enthusiastic.
“He was a fantastic character and the type of model soldier you’d like to see every day here, coming to work every day with a smile on his face.”
Local community leaders also paid tribute to the young soldier.
Louth Fine Gael TD Fergus O’Dowd said: “This brave soldier made the ultimate sacrifice for our country and he will be remembered as a hero.
“Our thoughts are also with the other soldiers who were seriously injured in the incident last night, the entire country is thinking of you.”
And Dundalk Sinn Fein TD Ruairi O Murchu said: “My thoughts are with his family, friends, members of the Defence Forces, particularly those based at Aiken barracks.”
Private Rooney grew up in the Muirhevnamor area of Dundalk and attended St Mary’s College in the town,
His mother Natasha was being comforted by family and friends last night.
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