Dennis Smith, former firefighter and author, talks to Tom Deignan. ℘℘℘ If retired firefighter and best-selling author Dennis Smith had his way, the Twin Towers that once dominated the New York City skyline would be built again. Not in downtown Manhattan, however. Smith believes the towers should have been rebuilt as part of the ongoing investigation into the tragic events of … [Read more...] about Why the Towers Fell
Fathers & Sons
Amidst the hundreds of rescue workers searching at Ground Zero in the months after the 9/11 attacks, many were fathers looking for their sons. Some were firefighters still on the job, some retired, and some never officially with the Department, but all joined in the search for their boys. This is a story about five of them. As you approach the church, you see the fire trucks … [Read more...] about Fathers & Sons
The Clunes’ American Adventure
An Irish American family go back to 1883 to discover what's most important in the present. What could be more parental than to wish to show your children how good they have it today? To take your family into the past and give them a taste of real life, when necessity stared you straight in the face and your mettle was tested by the sometimes–cruel vicissitudes of nature? For … [Read more...] about The Clunes’ American Adventure
Caught in the Crossfire
We're circling Abercorn Street in Derry and Richard Moore, my sunglassed passenger, is pointing out focal points of his native city. He acts as navigator, advising me to turn left at the shop, then right at the gap in the green railings to reach our destination. The remarkable thing is Richard is totally blind. Not that he was born this way. Ever since May 4, 1972 he has … [Read more...] about Caught in the Crossfire
Enrollment Down at Holy Cross
A catholic school whose pupils were forced to run a daily gauntlet of sectarian hatred last year is in danger of closing because of falling student numbers. Fr. Aidan Troy, chairman of the board of governors of Holy Cross Girls Primary School in north Belfast, warned that the intake for the new academic year had fallen by a third. Holy Cross was at the center of Loyalist … [Read more...] about Enrollment Down at Holy Cross