Following the extensive television coverage of 9/11, in particular the memorial and the many documentaries across our channels, the Irish love for the big apple on a personal level is stronger than ever.
Sunday on the now most famous day of the year, was spent with my family in our living room in Ireland watching all things 9/11. The rebuilding of Ground Zero, the recent George W Bush interview, the heartfelt memorial at Ground Zero, and of course the heroic and devastating stories of those who died and were affected by the terrible attacks.
For am I just like hundreds of people affected by the attacks on the Twin Towers; an Irish citizen leaving his home country in search of work and a new life in New York. Just like so many of the fire fighters in New York who responded to the attacks and their family members who’s loved one never came home, the impact of 9/11 is still felt in every household up and down the country of Ireland.
It’s a relationship that stretches back decades to when the Irish were not welcome in London during the troubles times, it was New York who opened out her arms and welcomed us into the greatest city in the world. The impact that was felt by so many Irish and Irish American families on that dreadful morning ten years ago; shows a connection that is as strong as ever.
My little brother and sister could not understand how the men building the new Twin Towers sounded and looked so Irish. The day the world stood still Ireland shut down, for the country to which we owe so much to and helped to build was hurting and hurting bad. The 3,000 miles between the Statue of Liberty and the green grass of Ireland, is a cord that links both of these countries together, and an unfortunate tragedy like this has shown that the distance is not that far at all.
Just 30 minutes up the road from my home, a Cork man by the name of Mark Clifford lost his sister and her daughter in the attacks. Yesterday Mr Clifford will have remembered his loved ones at a private ceremony in Cork, over 3,000 miles from Ground Zero.
I refer to a quote from the www.irishtribute.com website; a site created to remember and honour all those of Irish descent who were affected by the attacks.
“September 11, 2001 may well go down as the bloodiest day in the history of the Irish people. An estimated 1000 people who were of Irish descent or of Irish birth were lost in the violent events on that day,” the website claims.
The same site has a list of every name of those with Irish descent who were killed as well as stories of those who lost their lives on that awful day. Only recently Ireland welcomed Barack Obama with open to our shores, and that very man spoke about his pride of his Irish ancestry.
During his visit Mr Obama gave a heartfelt speech to a loving audience in the capital Dublin. The US President, whose long lost cousin welcomed him to the small Irish village of Moneygall, finished his speech with three famous Irish words; ‘Is Feidir Linn’.
These are the words that translate to ‘Yes We Can’, and for a nation deep in economic difficulty Ireland embraced them with open arms. It’s clearly evident since 9/11, that every American in particular those affected by the attacks have taken those three words on board.
The 1200 people who continue to work around the clock at Ground Zero are evident of this. The fire fighters who went back to work without their colleagues are evident of this. The American troops who have been deployed to the Middle East are evident of this. The soldiers who captured Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Laden are evident of this. The list is endless. Obama’s message was simple; just as America are continuing a rebuilding process, Ireland can and will do the same.
The path might not always be clear and yes there is a lot of work to do to rebuild both economies, in particular the biggest economy in the world. However, Just as American’s visit Ireland in search of their ancestors every year, the men and women of the little green Island will continue to pack up their belongings and head for America with those three words etched in their memories; ‘Is Feider Linn’.
R.I.P to all those who lost their lives at 9/11 and god bless all those whose loved ones never came home. Gone but never forgotten.
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