By PRO IUNVA In this article we remember the death of Sgt John Lynch, 36 Ircomp UNIFIL HQ, who was killed when an Italair Agusta-Bell 205 helicopter (UN 281) crashed on the night of Wednesday 6 Aug 1997 in South Lebanon.  Four Italian personnel also perished in the crash.  Sgt Lynch was on his fourth…

by PRO IUNVA This article recalls the untimely death from natural causes of Lieut Col Paul R, Delaney who died in Jul 2007.  He was born into a family with a strong tradition of service in the DF.  His father was the late COS, Maj Gen Patrick Joseph Delaney; Gen Delaney commanded 38 Inf Bn…

by PRO IUNVA Comdt John Patrick (Shane) McMahon (Retd), was born in Dublin in Nov 1953. He joined the DF as a Cadet with 47 Cdt Class on 6 Apr 1972; he had been a student at UCD in first year arts when he was awarded a cadetship. On commissioning in Sep 1973, he was…

By PRO IUNVA This article is on the death in Jul 1965 of Cpl William Hetherington, HQ Coy, 4 Inf Bn UNFICYP following injuries suffered in a road traffic accident.William (Billy) Hetherington was born in Co Tipperary on 16 Jun 1937. Days after his 17th birthday, he enlisted in the army on 29 Jun 1954…

By Pro IUNVA On Sunday 8 Jul 1979, a small number of personnel from 2 HQ Coy UNIFIL HQ were sunbathing on rocks near Tara Camp at Naqoura when Pte Philip Grogan (19) and Pte Thomas McKinley (19) were washed off the rocks by a large wave. Irish and French personnel entered the water to…

By PRO IUNVA Tpr Michael Kennedy was born in Oct 1949 and he grew up in Gracefield, Portarlington on the Co. Offaly side of the town, he was the third youngest of six children. In Dec 1966 he joined the DF at the Curragh Training Camp. His father, Henry, had served in the Cavalry Corps…

By PRO IUNVA On 23 Jun 1981 Pte Niall Byrne (21), C Coy 49 Inf Bn was killed in a traffic accident when a Land Rover in which he was travelling in as front seat passenger overturned, the driver suffered non-life threatening injuries.  A DF statement said one of the vehicle’s wheels went off the…

From PRO IUNVAOn 14 Jun 1993 CQMS Declan Stokes (39), 28 IrComp (Irish Component, Camp Comd, UNIFIL HQ) collapsed while playing in an inter-unit football match at Haris in South Lebanon. He was evacuated by helicopter to the UNIFIL Hospital at Naqoura but he was declared dead at the hospital from a heart attack. His…