A United Nations and Irish military inquiry has begun into yesterday's accident in Lebanon in which four Irish soldiers were killed and a fifth seriously injured when their vehicle overturned on the coastal highway outside Beirut.
The seriously injured soldier, Pte Edward O'Neill (21) from Kildare, underwent emergency surgery on a head injury in the Sacre Coeur Hospital in Beirut last night. His condition was given as stable but serious.
The incident involved the worst single loss of life suffered by the Defence Forces since it took up duty in Lebanon 42 years ago. The deaths bring to 44 the number of military personnel who have died on service in Lebanon. About half died as a result of hostile fire.
Arrangements were being made yesterday for the return of the bodies of the dead soldiers: Ptes Declan Deere (21) and John Murphy (21) from Athy; Matthew Lawlor, (23) from Nurney, Co Kildare; and Brendan Fitzpatrick (19) from Portlaoise.
The five soldiers were travelling on the back on a Nissan pickup truck when it spun out of control on the highway at Damur, about 12 km south of Lebanon. They were in a convoy of six vehicles carrying troops to Beirut Airport to begin leave after serving in the Irish battalion area in south Lebanon since last October.
The soldiers in the rear of the vehicle would have been sitting on benches and may not have been wearing safety harnesses. It is understood they were thrown from the vehicle as it overturned.
Four other soldiers, who were travelling in the cab of the pickup suffered slight injuries. Trooper John Keohane, who is single and from Dungarvan, Co Waterford, and Sgt Celsus Whyte, married with two sons, from Clonmel, were being treated in Hamoud Hospital in Sidon.
Cpl Andrew O'Connor, who is married and also from Clonmel, and Gunner Aidan Doyle, a single man from Finglas, Dublin, were discharged last night after receiving treatment for minor injuries.
The President, Mrs McAleese, asked the Chief of Staff, Lt Gen Dave Stapleton, to convey her condolences to the families of the dead soldiers. She said the circumstances of the deaths were all the more tragic "due to the fact that these soldiers were about to go on leave".
The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, said: "The untimely deaths are all the more poignant given that they were on their way home on leave to see their loved ones on St Valentine's Day."
The Labour leader, Mr Ruairi Quinn, said the military had "toiled ceaselessly to bring a degree of normality and stability" in Lebanon and he was deeply saddened by the deaths.
The Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Walton Empey, said he was "very distressed" to hear of the accident.
The Ulster Unionist leader, Mr David Trimble, expressed his sadness about the deaths in a letter to the Minister for Defence, Mr Smith.