A 48-year-old Irish man has been shot dead in California.

The man, believed to be from County Kerry, was shot dead in Fiddletown in Amador County, around 45 miles from Sacramento, the state capital.

Police say the man, who had been living in the U.S. since the 1980s, was shot during a disturbance at a neighbor's house.

They say he may have come across intruders when he was killed.

The consulate in San Francisco say they know of the incident and have contacted the man's family.