TRIBUTES have been paid following the death of an Irish army sergeant while in service.
Óglaigh na hÉireann, the Irish Defence Forces, confirmed the death of Sergeant Robert ‘Bobby’ Rooney with “great sadness” this week.
The father-of-one, who had spent 19 years with Ireland’s defence forces, died “suddenly” on April 26.
The Wicklow native, who was living in Hacketstown in Co. Carlow, enlisted with the forces in 2007 and spent most of his career in the Defence Forces Training Centre.
He served in the Air Defence Regiment, the Military College, 1 Mechanised Infantry Company and the Training Installation Staff Coolmoney, as well as in the Glen of Imaal, in Co. Wicklow.
He also previously served as a peacekeeper with UNIFIL in southern Lebanon and with the European Union’s EUFOR in Chad.
Sergeant Robert ‘Bobby’ Rooney died ‘suddenly’ this week“Sgt Bobby Rooney’s tragic death will be felt by the entire Defence Forces family,” Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces, Lieutenant General Rossa Mulcahy, said today.
“I wish to extend my condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Sgt Rooney,” he added.
In a statement Sgt Rooney’s family said he would be “sadly missed by his fiancée Sarah, son Billy, parents Robert and Patricia, brother Willie, grandmother Mary, the Rooney, Lawlor and Byrne families, uncles, aunts, nephew Alfie, extended family, relatives, many friends and colleagues in The Irish Defence Forces.”
Sgt Rooney’s funeral Mass will take place at St. Brigid’s Church in Hacketstown on Thursday, April 30 at 11am.