The Department of Foreign Affairs has agreed to make formal inquiries about the circumstances surrounding the death of a young Connemara woman who was serving with the US military in Afghanistan.
The 30-year-old woman, Ciara Durkin, was shot in the head within an American army compound on Friday.
Arrangements were being made yesterday to send an official to Washington to talk with the US Army authorities who will be carrying out their own investigation into the death of Ms Durkin.
It is understood that Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Minister Éamon Ó Cuív was contacted on behalf of members of the Durkin family with a request to try and involve the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Family members in Connemara received the news of Ciara's death on Saturday, but they had no further details about the incident late yesterday. Her body has now been brought back to a military base in Delaware . The US Army investigation could take up to eight weeks.
Ciara Durkin first left her native Anach Mheáin near Lettermore in Connemara when she was nine along with her parents and seven-year-old brother Pearse. Ciara's father, Tommy, was a primary school teacher and local businessman.
Mr Durkin retired early from teaching and he and his wife Angela decided to go to America. Mr Durkin died two months after arriving in Boston. Ciara came back and went to school in Connemara for four years before she returned to Boston. She joined the National Guard in Massachusetts in 2005. One year ago she was given a choice of a year's tour of duty in either Iraq or Afghanistan. She decided to go to Afghanistan.
Ciara'sfamily is split between the US and Ireland. Ciara was back for two weeks' leave in Boston last month and she telephoned her sister, Aingeal uí Chonghaile in Connemara, from Shannon Airport on her way back to Afghanistan. Her sisters Aine and Aingeal are leaving for Boston tomorrow.
A funeral will be held in Boston in the coming days followed by a cremation. Ciara Durkin's ashes will then be brought back for burial in the cemetery in Anach Mheáin in Connemara.