A little-known fact that gets lost in the statistics is that around 200 Claddagh Rings were recovered around Ground Zero. Some estimate that of the almost three thousand fatalities from the Towers, perhaps a thousand or more had close Irish connections, writes Declan Hughes

 

There is a small patch of land on Ireland’s south coast that holds in the memory a huge part of the USA, and in particular, the deepest remembrances of the Family that is the Fire Department of New York.
The multiple atrocities that made up the events of 11 September, 2001, are also held close within the Kinsale community.

The FDNY’s losses on that day totalled 343 firefighters, along with their beloved Chaplain, Father Mychal Judge.

Fr. Mychal is reputed to have been the first known and identified casualty. He was thought to have been struck by falling masonry as he administered Last Rites to an injured firefighter. Mychal was born on April 11th, 1933, in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Irish immigrants, and in line with many of his flock, he held his Irish DNA close.
A Roman Catholic priest and Franciscan Friar who, in 1992, became New York City’s Fire Department Chaplain, and who, in common with all his comrades, ran to the sound of the chaos. Not one of them stood by on the sidelines.

Some 2,977 innocents had their lives taken in the Twin Towers alone – 1,700 in the North Tower, and around a thousand in the South.
Some eighteen of the dead were confirmed as Irish-born, while scores of Irish-Americans perished.

A little-known fact that gets lost in the statistics is that around 200 Claddagh Rings were recovered around Ground Zero. Some estimate that of the almost three thousand fatalities from the Towers, perhaps a thousand or more had close Irish connections.

It should be remembered when focusing rightly on those whose lives were lost, that some seventeen thousand managed to escape before the fatal collapse of the Towers.
Instrumental – indeed single handedly responsible – for saving the lives of those for whom he had a duty of care, was a man who identified life long as ‘Celtic’.

Cyril (Rick) Rescorla was hewn from the ancient Celtic territory of Cornwall, and like his close Irish friend, John Driver, from Ringsend in Dublin, Rick had served in three armies, and both had served with distinction in Vietnam.

Retiring as a U.S. Army Colonel, Rick then went on to work as Head of Security for Morgan Stanley in the World Trade Center.
When doing research in 1998 into the Irish who lost their lives in the Vietnam War, I tracked down and talked with Rick. He spoke to me from his office, high up in the south tower of the World Trade Center.

As mentioned, Rick had been very close friends with John Driver, the individual recognised at that time by the U.S. Department of Defense as being the sole Irish-born killed in action in the Vietnam War. (As an historical footnote: to date, and following much research, that figure of one solitary Irish casualty now stands at 32, including 2nd Lt Pamela Donovan (US Army Nurse Corps), one of the eight women whose names are etched into The Vietnam Memorial.)

John Driver, from Dublin, Ireland and Rick Rescorla, from Hayle, in Cornwall, had mirror-careers.
Both had served in the British Army, both had served in Rhodesian Forces, both had eventually landed at Fort Dix, and the US Army’s 1st Cavalry Division, and both had served in Vietnam, where John had been killed.

Once John had died, the U.S. Department of Defense listed him as Irish-born. The reason why this was unusual was that on every piece of paper John ever filled out, in all three of his military careers, he insisted on putting down for Home of Record, DUBLIN, IRELAND.

All of the other Irish identified to date kept putting down wherever they were living in the U.S. when they enlisted or were drafted.

As a result, when sadly they lost their lives, they were classed as American citizens, and not Irish.
Rick was devastated when John was killed, as they had known each other for many years. The Celtic nation of Cornwall always loomed large in Rick’s DNA, resulting always in having a special place for all things Irish.

His bravery on so many battlefields was exemplified by the uncommon valour and selflessness he displayed on 9/11.

When the planes hit the towers, and the messages coming over the tannoy were telling people to remain in place, Rick ordered the evacuation of his staff. And in drills he had insisted they practise many times before, they headed down what remained of the last stairwell, two by two, and successfully escaped the catastrophe that was unfolding around them.
With all his people – upwards of three thousand Morgan Stanley employees – out and safe, Rick then took the decision to re-enter the tower to conduct a final sweep, to make absolutely sure no one was left behind. He was never seen again.

Continue reading in this week’s Ireland’s Own