A Deadly Scuffle Ended 20-Year-Old Séan Goggin's Life. There Are People That Still Want The Assailants Brought To Justice.

🍀Séan Goggin🍀

Pictured is Dongal holding photos of himself in an army uniform on the left and Séan on the right.

Séan was born on July 13th, 1930, in Youghal, Co Cork, Irerland to John, who worked in the local hospital, and Madge Goggin, owner of a local guesthouse. He was the second-youngest of five boys. He had a fine singing voice and was a popular figure within the Irish community. "The Hills of Donegal" was his favorite song.

In early 1949, Séan was 19 years old when he set sail for Canada and spent almost two years working in Toronto. He worked there as a pattern maker and lived in a rooming house.

Sean decided to venture south in late February 1951 to live with a school friend named Donal and his uncle, Cornelius Herlihy, at 191 Fairhaven Road. 

It was 10:30 p.m. on Sunday night, March 11th, 1951, and the apprentice tailor was due to start a new job the following morning in the city of Worcester, Massachusetts. Everyone in the Herlihy home was ready for bed. Séan and Dongal were staying in twin beds in the same room. Cornelius received a bizarre telephone call. The male caller said his name was "Mr Anderson" and he offered to pay money owed. Cornelius presumed a wrong number had been dialed and dismissed it. 

Fifteen minutes later, a knock came to the back door.  Cornelius  wife, Nellie, went to see who was there and could make out two shadows in the darkness. The men claimed to have a telegram from Western Union so she sent them around to the front door.

Western Union telegrams always brought bad news to the Irish, because people in Ireland didn’t have telephones so they’d send a telegram.

Cornelius alerted Séan and Donal who accompanied him to the front door. When they opened the door, two armed men, one masked, stood waiting. One reportedly said: "This is a hold-up."

Cornelius grabbed one of the guns and pointed it toward the ceiling as he struggled to get it away from the assailant. As he did so a shot went from that gun.

The second gunman then fired two shots from his .32 caliber weapon, one fatally wounding Séan, who slumped to the floor and died instantly.

The two men ran off. Those left alive turned off the lights, fearful the men would return. Then the doorbell rang. Donal peered out, it was a neighbor who had heard the shots.

Only a hat was left behind by the suspects.

A number of people were reportedly taken in for questioning but released without charge. Detectives tried to locate a black sedan car seen in the vicinity on the evening of the attack with no luck.

Just over a week after his murder, Séan's body was flown into Shannon airport in a lead coffin. The Irish community in Worcester had arranged a benefit dance to help fund the transportation costs.

Attached to his suit was a bunch of shamrock his mother had sent over from Youghal.

It's been over 60 years, and much of Séan's family has passed away. However, there are people out there that still care and want to find out who cut a promising life so short.