By PRO IUNVA This article recalls the death on 13 Sep 1961 of Tpr Edward (Eddie) Gaffney (22), C Coy, 35 Inf Bn ONUC in Elisabethville, capital of the breakaway province of Katanga in the Republic of the Congo. This was the first day of a weeklong offensive operation in Katanga Province – Operation Morthor….

by PRO IUNVA On Sunday 5 Sep 1999 Tpr Jonathan Campbell (29), Battalion Mobile Reserve (BMR), 85 Inf Bn was killed in a motorcycle accident in Beirut while he was staying overnight before travelling on to Cyprus on leave on the following day. He was from Corneddan, Ballinalee, Co Longford, his parent unit was 4…

By PRO IUNVA On 2 Sep 2005, Comdt Michael Paul O’Donnell (Retd) (he was known as Paul) died from natural causes while serving in a civilian appointment with Mission de l’Organisation des Nations Unies en République démocratique du Congo (MONUC) [the United Nations Organisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo]. He had served in…

By PRO IUNVA This article recalls the death Cpl Luke Malachy Kelly (39) in a road traffic accident near Leopoldville, capital of the Congo, on 30 Aug 1961 while he was serving at the headquarters of the United Nations Operation in the Congo (Opération des Nations Unies au Congo) [ONUC]. Cpl Kelly along with Pte…

by PRO IUNVA In this article we remember Cpl George Bolger who died in a Haifa hospital on 29 Aug1987. On Saturday, 29 Aug 1987, Cpl George William (Billy) Bolger (34), B Coy, 61 Inf Bn UNIFIL, died at Ram Bam Hospital in Haifa, Israel around 0230 hours from a suspected heart attack. He had…

ByPRO IUNVA Pte Finbarr Gerard Moon (18) B Coy, 43 Inf Bn was killed in a road traffic accident on 25 Aug 1978 while he was serving with the first DF unit to serve with UNIFIL, 43 Inf Bn. He was Ireland’s first fatality in Lebanon. He was fatally injured close to the village of…

by PRO IUNVA In this article we remember the murder of Lt Aengus Murphy by armed elements in Aug 1986 in Lebanon.  He was the twentieth member of the DF to die while on service with UNIFIL and the 127th member of the force to die.  In 1986 Amal, (the Arabic acronym for Lebanese Resistance…

At 2020 hours on Sunday 21 Aug 1988 Pte Patrick Wright (26), A Coy 63 Inf Bn UNIFIL suffered a gunshot wound to the stomach when one round was accidently discharged from a FN 7.62 mm rifle at Haddatha village.   He was evacuated to the Regimental Aid Post at Tibnine but he was dead…

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…