Local man’s close shave with Boston bomber

Today’s Irish Daily Mirror

Dundalk’s Martin Killedy had an “eerie and creepy” brush with Boston Marathon bomb suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev at the finishing line of last week’s race.

A picture has emerged of Martin about to cross the finish line with Tsarnaev in the background. It was taken just minutes before the first of two blasts, which killed three and wounded dozens.

Martin – who is featured on the front page of today’s Irish Daily Mirror – told the newspaper: “I kept thinking I must have passed the bombers. And then this photo comes out. It’s eerie and creepy.”

Source: Moments From Death: Irishman runs past Boston bomber… minutes before blasts (The Irish Daily Mirror)

Local couple avoid Boston bomb

Rose-Anna and David Hoey

A Dundalk couple had a lucky escape last night when they narrowly avoided being caught up in the bombs that rocked the finish of the Boston Marathon.

David and Rose-Anna Hoey, who currently reside in Bermuda, travelled to Massachusetts for the event with Rose-Anna – a former member of North East Runners – taking part in the event.

Fortunately for her, she had finished the race by the time the explosions happened in a finishing time under three hours, with the couple leaving together before the explosions happened just after the four hour mark.

They were staying 100 metres away though in the Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel and according to David they could feel the blast in their room.

Rose-Anna had been celebrating meeting her goal when the explosions happened but was quick to take to Facebook to assure her friends and family that she was okay.

She said: “Thank you to everyone for all of your love, support and concern on this sad, sad day. Please think of those who innocently went out today to watch/cheer/support normal people run ‘the race of their lives’, and who never made it home tonight. So devastating…. It really puts the important things in life into perspective…”

UPDATE: Dundalk woman’s account of the Boston Marathon bombing (The Dundalk Democrat)