February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
Ireland will come to a virtual standstill at lunchtime today as a minute of silence was observed in memory of those who died.
The government said some may want to mark the moment the first plane hit the World Trade Center with a moment of silence, while others may feel a period of quiet prayer is more appropriate.
President McAleese expressed her admiration for the “courage, selflessness, resilience and fortitude” with which Americans responded to that “tidal wave of agony, which broke over them but did not break them.”
“At the root of those dreadful events in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania was mankind’s most potent weapon, hatred,” she said. “Its causes are complex, its effects catastrophic, as we in Ireland know only too well.
“Humankind owes it to those who died on September 11 and to all whose lives are blighted by hatred, to redouble our efforts to promote a global environment in which festering bitterness and distrust give way to love and respect for every human being.”
The president said that people’s lives have been overwhelmed by the awful shadow cast by the events.
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“The passage of time has not lessened in any way the enduring, shocking images of the cruel atrocities which were visited on the United States that day,” the president said, adding that the immediate thoughts of those watching the events unfold on TV were for the safety and well being of family and friends far away.
The president also said the memory of her visit to Ground Zero last March will remain with her forever.
“The photographs of loved ones, the heartrending prayers and messages of the bereaved told stories of homes dealing with an emptiness that is unimaginable,” she said.
“The tired, haunted faces of the site personnel and the police and fire officers bore witness to the indomitable spirit of heroism and decency which saw through the daunting task of recovering the remains of those who were lost, a task characterized by compassion and painstaking care.”
The Irish government said the anniversary was marked by a variety of religious and other ceremonies that reflected “the deeply felt horror of the Irish people at the human suffering on that day,” as well as the particular bonds of kinship and friendship that Ireland shares with the people of the U.S.
It said the anniversary was a day of particular sorrow and reflection for those who lost relatives, friends and colleagues.
Commemoration services began on Sunday when Dublin’s lord mayor, Dermot Lacey, gardai and firemen gathered at the Franciscan church on Merchant’s Quay for a memorial service.
Later in the day at St. Patrick Cathedral, Government Chief Whip Mary Hanafin attended a special service of thanksgiving for the emergency services in both Ireland and the U.S.
Representatives of the fire brigade, the coast guard, the lifeboat service, the Order of Malta, the gardai and the diplomatic corps were among those attending.
The president observed a minute’s silence when attending a Rotary Club lunch in Enniskillen.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern attended a commemorative Mass at the Pro-Cathedral and also went to a memorial service at the U.S. embassy. The president was represented by her aide de camp at both services.
The mayor of Limerick and the city council joined in an ecumenical service in the Augustinian Church.
Government departments observed a minutes silence at 1:46 p.m. and the period of remembrance was also widely marked in businesses, factories and offices.
The Irish Hotels Federation placed a card in all hotel and guesthouse bedrooms with the message that the silence was being observed in recognition of the many deep historical and human bonds that link the two countries.