Ian Malone facts for kids

Ian Malone was a soldier from Dublin, Ireland. He was born on December 8, 1974, and sadly passed away on April 6, 2003. Ian was a member of the British Army's Irish Guards. He was the first person from Ireland to be killed during the Iraq War. His funeral in Dublin was a very important event because it was the first time since 1922 that uniformed British soldiers were seen at a funeral in the Republic of Ireland.

Growing Up in Dublin

Ian Malone was 28 years old. He grew up in Ballyfermot, a part of Dublin. His family was from a working class background, meaning they worked hard for their living. Ian was the oldest of five children. He went to a Catholic school run by the De La Salle Christian Brothers.

Before joining the British Army, Ian served in the FCA. This was Ireland's reserve defence force. It is said that he tried to join the Irish Army but was too old. At that time, you usually had to be under 21 to join the Irish Army. Ian joined the Irish Guards in 1997 when he was 23. The Irish Guards is a special part of the British Army. It was created in 1900 by Queen Victoria.

Serving in the Army

Life as a Soldier

In October 2000, Ian Malone was promoted to lance corporal. This is a rank in the army. He served in Operation Agricola in Kosovo. This was a military operation. Ian also completed a course to become a piper in April 1999. He was a member of the army's pipe band. He traveled and served with his army group in many places. These included Poland, Canada, Oman, and Germany.

His Words and Final Mission

In November 2002, Lance Corporal Malone was part of a TV show. It was a documentary series called True Lives on Radio Telefís Éireann. He was one of several British soldiers interviewed. When asked about being an Irishman in the British Army, he said:

At the end of the day I am just abroad doing a job. People go on about Irishmen dying for freedom and all that. That's a fair one. They did. But they died to give men like me the freedom to choose what to do.

Lance Corporal Malone was sent to Iraq for Operation Telic. He was part of the Irish Guards. On April 6, 2003, he was shot in the head by a sniper. This happened in Iraq during the Irish Guards' advance. They were moving towards Basra, which is Iraq's second-largest city.

A Special Funeral

Hundreds of people came to pay their respects to Lance Corporal Malone. His body was brought to Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic church in Ballyfermot. Among those who attended was Charlie O'Connor, a local politician known as a TD. His own father had also served in the Irish Guards.

Ian's funeral was held on April 24, 2003. Many people attended, including important politicians like Gay Mitchell, TD. An honor guard from the Irish Guards was present. They wore their full dress uniforms. However, the coffin was not covered with the Union flag. One piper from the Irish Guard and one from the Irish Defence Forces played music. They played a tune called "Oft in the stilly night" during the Mass. This funeral was very important. It was the first time since 1922 that uniformed British Army soldiers had been seen in Dublin.