Body of Private Seán Rooney leaves for Ireland after comrades pay respects

The body of Irish UN peacekeeper Seán Rooney has left in Lebanon on an Air Corps plane to be brought returned to Ireland.

Private Rooney, who lived in Newtowncunningham, was killed on Wednesday night when the convoy in which he was travelling was surrounded by a hostile mob.

Irish soldiers from the 121st  infantry battalion saluted their comrade and Ireland's Ambassador to Egypt Nuala O'Brien laid a wreath for Pte Rooney during a sombre UN ceremony at Beirut airport on Sunday afternoon.

Private Rooney’s remains are being flown to Casement Aerodrome in Baldonnel before being reunited with his family on Monday.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said Pte Rooney will be offered full military honours and extended condolences to his family and friends in the Defence Forces.

Fiancée of Donegal peacekeeper says he 'died doing what he loved'

Private Sean Rooney was due to be married next year

"Arrangements are being made for an appropriate service, I don't want to go into the details of that now," he said.

He said he was confident investigations would get to the bottom of what happened but said they may take some time.

"It is important we understand why an Irish soldier lost his life and another was severely injured," the Taoiseach said.

Another soldier, Cavalry Trooper Shane Kearney, was seriously injured in the attack and underwent life-saving surgery.

Private Rooney and Trooper Kearney were serving with the 121st Infantry Battalion on a UN peacekeeping mission.

Two other soldiers who were injured have been discharged from hospital.

A team of eight Defence Forces personnel, including members of the Critical Incident Response Team, have flown to Beirut to launch a probe into the incident.

Private Rooney is a native of Dundalk and was stationed in Aiken Barracks. Most of his early life was spent in Dundalk, but he later moved to Newtowncunningham and attended St Eunan's College in Letterkenny.

His mother, Natasha, still lives in Newtowncunningham and Pte Rooney was engaged to be married to Derry woman Holly McConnalogue next August.