An Aran Islands man may have been simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Police in Boston have mounted a murder hunt after Ciaran O Conghaile, from Mor village on Inis Meain, was shot in the Dorchester neighborhood early Sunday morning.
According to reports, O Conghaile, 36, had almost reached his home on Nahant Avenue when he was shot during what may have been a botched robbery.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
O Conghaile, who was reportedly undocumented but who had nevertheless worked in construction in the U.S. for about 12 years, was returning home after attending the weekend's Irish Heritage Festival.
As a result of his status, he had been unable to return home in recent years to see his family. Now he will be making a final journey home under the worst possible circumstances.
This was the second time that tragedy has struck the O Conghaile family.
According to an Irish Independent report Tuesday, the dead man's older brother, Michael Dara O Conghaile, was swept into the sea by a freak wave as he stood chatting to his sister on the island pier in 2000.
Islanders spent a year-and-a-half searching for his remains, which were eventually identified by DNA testing.
"The last time Mr. O Conghaile returned to his native Inis Meain was for his brother's funeral," the report stated.
The Irish Consulate in Boston was providing assistance to the family as the murder investigation continued.
