Stephen Termini, 57 was allegedly attacked by a group of teens during his trip to Ireland (Image: FAMILY HANDOUT)
A dad's dream trip to Ireland has turned into a nightmare after he was beaten up in Dublin.
Stephen Termini, 57, of Buffalo, New York, has been left seriously injured after he was allegedly kicked and beaten by a group of youths on the capital's Store Street last week.
He had just left his accommodation nearby when the youths were said to have targeted him.
Mr Termini may “lose one of his eyes and suffer lifelong disability” as a result, his family said.
The tourist's son, Mike Rizzuto, has been left devastated, adding that Mr Termini could barely contain his excitement in the lead up to his trip to Ireland.
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Attacked: He had just left his accommodation nearby when the youths attacked him (Image: FAMILY HANDOUT)
“Last time I spoke to him he was saving up every penny, doing odd jobs to get over to Ireland,” Rizzuto told RTE.
“He was talking about playing music in Ireland. That’s where he wanted to be so it really sucks what happened to him.”
Mr Termini, an artist and musician, is a proud Irish-American who saw the holiday as a chance to honour his heritage, his son revealed.
He added that the group of teens could not have attacked a kinder and more compassionate person.
Dream shattered: The dad had 'saved every penny' to visit country of his heritage (Image: FAMILY HANDOUT)
He "would give you the shirt off his back", Mr Rizzuto said.
Mr Termini’s sister, Michelle, echoed the significance of the trip to her brother as it comes after he lost his wife to an illness last year.
“He had always dreamed of visiting Ireland. He was trying to trace our family that emigrated to the US from Dublin,” she wrote on the family’s GoFundMe.
A teenage boy was charged in connection with the assault on Sunday and appeared before a special sitting of the Children's Court.
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He was remanded on bail to appear before the Children's Court on Thursday.
They did not release information about the minor or provide further comments about the other alleged suspects.
Mr Termini remains in intensive care at Dublin’s Beaumont Hospital as his family tries to fundraise for a trip to visit him.
Minister for Justice Helen McEntee condemned the attack and has called on more police presence at the Store Street station following local business owner’s criticisms that the assault against Mr Termini was not out of the ordinary.
“There is no excuse for violence on our streets and those responsible will be brought to justice,” McEntee tweeted.
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