Mayo fire unit honours 9/11 firefighters on 25th anniversary

ON the 25th anniversary of 9/11, a Mayo fire unit has honoured the memory of the New York City firefighters who died as a result of the attack on the World Trade Centre.

Kiltimagh Fire Brigade commemorated the anniversary at this year's Saint Patrick's Day parade in the town.

Almost 3,000 people were killed during the September 11 attacks in 2001, with 343 firefighters among them. A further 220 firefighters have since died from illnesses related to the event.

The memory of those who died was honoured during the parade, when members of Kiltimagh Fire Brigade carried a photo of their lost colleagues.

A shard of glass from the Twin Towers, given to the fire brigade during a visit to the New York City Fire Department, was also carried through the town, along with a US flag.

Kiltimagh Fire Brigade received €600 in prize money from Kiltimagh Tourism Association after being awarded second in the parade.

The unit has announced it will be donating the prize money to Mayo Roscommon Hospice in the memory of all those who died, but especially remembering Eddie McDonagh, a firefighter with Kiltimagh roots on Engine 324 at 9/11, who passed away in November 2017 of a related illness, aged 49.

Watch full St. Patrick's Day tribute here: