On Wednesday, Boston’s Irish Consul General Michael Lonergan spoke with IrishCentral about the tragic Boston Marathon attacks amid conflicting reports that a suspect had been either identified and or arrested.
The Irish Consulate in Boston is located on Boylston Street, the same street where the attacks on Monday took place.
Lonergan was in between watching the marathon - a holiday in Boston - and tending to work when the first bomb went off on Monday at 2:50pm. Lonergan was in his office and felt his desk and building shake when the first bomb exploded.
The Consulate, as well as other offices in the immediate area, were evacuated within 40 minutes of the explosions and remain closed off today as investigations are continuing. Lonergan said that he nor his staff have been able to get into the offices since, and “are hoping to get in by Friday, but may have to wait until Monday.”
When asked if the scene was chaotic in the aftermath of the explosions, Lonergan was quick to praise the Boston emergency response services.
”Inevitably there was a sense of fear around Boylston Street, but the manner in which the responding emergency services conducted themselves both was quick and efficient,” said Lonergan.
Echoing many others, he said that Monday’s bombing was such a “random” attack, and that the community in Boston is feeling both shock and outrage.
Irish roots run deep in Boston, and Lonergan was happy to report that no Irish citizens were harmed in the attack. He was, of course, sad to hear of the Irish connections amongst not only those injured, but those who died.
Lonergan added that on Wednesday morning, Taoiseach Enda Kenny called Massachusetts’ Governor Deval Patrick to extend his sympathies to Boston on behalf of Ireland. Kenny noted the strong connections between Ireland and Boston and said he is looking forward to his visit to the city next month.
New footage of Boston marathon explosion:
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