AN Irish-American who worked on rescue teams in the days after the 9/11 World Trade Centre atrocity in 2001 is donating commemorative jerseys to each of Ireland’s 32 county GAA teams to commemorate those killed.
Almost 3,000 people died when two aeroplanes were deliberately flown into the Twin Tower trade centre in New York in 2001. The attacks, by the Islamist Al-Qaeda was the worst terror attack in the history of the US.
Michael Burke, from the Bronx in New York but with strong Co Sligo connections, was called in as a rescue worker in the days immediately after the atrocity, joining the search for survivors and eventually working to clear the wreckage of the collapsed twin towers.
The US native has now teamed up with O’Neills Sportswear in Strabane to create special commemorative jerseys to mark the anniversary of the attack. This week he has been travelling around Ireland, delivering the jerseys to county teams to be signed and raffled in support of a local charity of each county’s choice.
Today the company will mark the anniversary by staging a 9/11 flag raising memorial at its Strabane headquarters.
O’Neills managing director, Kieran Kennedy said the attacks had a profound impact on everyone and on rescue teams in particular.
“The bond between the Irish and New York is deep, particularly through the GAA which Michael was so involved in there, so we thought it was fitting that an O’Neills jersey should commemorate the 19th anniversary this year,” Mr Kennedy said.
Each jersey features a silhouette of the World Trade Centre, the US flag and the logos of the New York and Port Authority police departments.
