Irish soldiers in Syria are about to step up to an extreme running challenge in memory of their fallen comrade, Private Seán Rooney.
Pte Rooney, from Dundalk/Newtowncunningham, was killed whilst on active service in Lebanon in December 2022.
The 66 Infantry Group of UNDOF Syrian Arab Republic wanted to pay tribute to Pte Rooney by fundraising for a charity close to his heart.
During his short life Seán was a devoted fundraiser for the Mater Foundation, a charity that provided care and support to his grandmother Rachel.
The group will also be running for Adam Dowd, a close friend of Seán’s, and member of the 66th Infantry Group, currently receiving the cancer care and support of the Mater Hospital.
Starting on the 3rd March, they will take on a challenge (The David Goggin’s Challenge) in aid of the Mater Foundation, which requires members to run 4 miles every 4 hours for 48 hours. They will complete this challenge at 980m above sea level on the Golan plateau, Syrian Arab Republic.
Members of the 66th Infantry Group of the Óglaigh na hÉireann / Irish Defence Forces
The fundraiser, organised by Jonathan Deegan, has raised over €4,000 so far. You can find out more about the challenge and support Jonathan and the 66th Infantry Group via their Just Giving page here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/jonathan-deegan
