Column: Irish honor 9/11 victims; ‘They were our people, too’, tell me about this news in (https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/09/09/charles-selle-column-ireland-9-11/)
09-09-2026
Charles Selle’s column in the Chicago Tribune, titled “Irish honor 9/11 victims; ‘They were our people, too,’” reflects on Ireland’s enduring emotional connection and tributes to the victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks, published around the 25th anniversary of 9/11.Key themes and details highlighted in the column include:
- The Deep Transatlantic Bond: The core message, captured in the quote “They were our people, too,” underscores the deep historical, familial, and cultural ties between Ireland and the United States, particularly New York City. The loss of lives was felt as a domestic grief across Ireland, not just a distant foreign catastrophe.
- Irish and Irish-American Victims: A significant proportion of the first respondersespecially members of the FDNY and NYPDalong with many corporate workers in the Twin Towers, were either Irish citizens or Irish Americans. At least eighteen Irish citizens perished, alongside hundreds of responders with direct Irish heritage.
- Living Memorials Across Ireland: The piece highlights prominent tributes established in Ireland:
- The Kinsale Garden of Remembrance (Ringfinnan, Co. Cork): Created by Kathleen Cait Murphy, an Irish nurse who spent decades working in New York. She planted 343 trees on her family landone for each fallen FDNY firefighteralong with a special tribute to FDNY chaplain Father Mychal Judge.
- Donadea Forest Park Memorial (Co. Kildare): A scaled replica of the Twin Towers crafted from Irish limestone, honoring probationary firefighter Sean Patrick Tallon (whose family roots tied back to Donadea) and all public safety officers lost that day.
- A Quarter-Century of Remembrance: Written on the eve of the 25th anniversary, the column examines how communities across Ireland continue to hold memorial services, welcome visiting Irish-American families and retired firefighters, and maintain these spaces to ensure the sacrifice and unity of that day are never forgotten.