Since Ireland became a member of the UN on 14th December 1955, not a single day has passed without the presence of the Irish Defence Forces personnel, deployed somewhere around the world in the service of peace. It’s a record of which we are very proud.
It is said that Peacekeeping is not a soldier’s job, but that only soldiers can do it... and soldiering for peace has many hazards, some fatal.
Below are the names, ranks and dates on which Irish personnel have died overseas.
Please remember their families in your thoughts and prayers.
CongoCoy Sgt Felix Grant (BSD) 03 Oct 1960
Col Justin McCarthy (BSD) 27 Oct 1960
Lt Kevin Gleeson 08 Nov 1960
Sgt Hugh Gaynor 08 Nov 1960
Cpl Liam Dougan 08 Nov 1960
Cpl Peter Kelly 08 Nov 1960
Pte Matthew Farrell 08 Nov 1960
Tpr Thomas Fennell 08 Nov 1960
Tpr Anthony Browne (BMC) 08 Nov 1960
Pte Michael McGuinn 08 Nov 1960
Pte Gerard Killeen 08 Nov 1960
Pte Patrick Davis 08 Nov 1960
Cpl Liam Kelly 24 Dec 1960
Cpl Luke Kelly 30 Aug 1961
Tpr Edward Gaffney 13 Sep 1961
Tpr Patrick Mullins 15 Sep 1961
Cpl Michael Nolan 15 Sep 1961
Cpl Michael Fallon 08 Dec 1961
Sgt Patrick Mulcahy (BSD) 16 Dec 1961
Lt Patrick Riordan (BSD) 16 Dec 1961
Pte Andrew Wickham 16 Dec 1961
Cpl John Geoghegan 28 Dec 1961
Cpl John Power 03 Mar 1962
Capt Ronald McCann 09 May 1962
Cpl John McGrath 21 Mar 1963
Comdt Thomas McMahon 28 Sept 1963
CyprusCoy Sgt Wallace McCauley 22 Feb 1965
Sgt John Hamill 07 Apr 1965
Cpl William Heatherington 19 July 1965
Coy Sgt James Ryan 04 Oct 1966
Capt Christopher McNamara 16 Jan 1968
Cpl James fagan 10 June 1968
Lt Ronald Byrne 28 Oct 1968
Tpr Michael Kennedy 01 July 1969
Pte Brendan Cummins 11 June 1971
UNTSOComdt Thomas Wickham 07 June 1967
Comdt Michael Nestor 25 Sept 1982
LebanonPte Gerard Moon 25 Aug 1978
Cpl Thomas Reynolds 24 Dec 1978
Pte Philip Grogan 10 July 1979
Pte Stephen Griffin 14 Apr 1980
Pte Derek Smallhorn 18 Apr 1980
Pte Thomas Barrett 18 Apr 1980
Sgt Edward Yeates 31 May 1980
Cpl Vincent Duffy 18 Oct 1980
Pte John Marshall 17 Dec 1980
Coy Sgt James Martin 10 Feb 1981
Pte Hugh Doherty 27 Apr 1981
SS Caomhán Seoighe 27 Apr 1981
Pte Niall Byrne 23 June 1981
Pte Gerard Hodges 20 Mar 1982
Pte Peter Burke 27 Oct 1982
Cpl Gregory Morrow 27 Oct 1982
Pte Thomas Murphy 27 Oct 1982
Cpl George Murray 09 Oct 1984
Tpr Paul Fogarty 20 July 1986
Lt Aonghus Murphy 21 Aug 1986
Pte William O’Brien 06 Dec 1986
Cpl Dermot McLoughlin 10 Jan 1987
RSM John Fitzgerald 24 Feb 1987
Cpl George Butler 29 Aug 1987
Gnr Paul Cullen 17 Mar 1988
Pte Patrick Wright 21 Aug 1988
Pte Michael McNeela 24 Feb 1989
Cpl Fintan Heneghan 21 Mar 1989
Pte Thomas Walsh 21 Mar 1989
Pte Mannix Armstrong 21 Mar 1989
Sgt Charles Forrester 21 May 1989
Comdt Michael O’Hanlon 21 Nov 1989
Cpl Michael McCarthy 15 Nov 1991
Cpl Peter Ward 29 Sep 1992
Cpl Martin Tynan 13 Dec 1992
CQMS Kieran Stokes 14 June 1993
Airman Stephen O’Connor 03 Oct 1993
Sgt John Lynch 06 Aug 1997
Cpl Michael Dowling 16 Sept 1998
Pte Kevin Barrett 18 Feb 1999
Pte William Kedian 31 May 1999
Tpr Jonathan Campbell 05 Sept 1999
Pte Declan Deere 14 Feb 2000
Pte John Murphy 14 Feb 2000
Pte Matthew Lawlor 14 Feb 2000
Pte Brendan Fitzpatrick 14 Feb 2000
East TimorSS Peadar Ó Flathartha 15 Apr 2002
LiberiaSgt Derec Mooney 27 Nov 2003
Your names are etched into the pages of our history,
and more importantly, into our hearts.
We salute you – today and always.