October 16 was declared Ronan Tynan Day in New York City, and the Irish tenor was presented with a mayoral proclamation by Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta, pictured right. The ceremony, which took place at the FDNY headquarters, followed Tynan's moving performance at the 89th FDNY Memorial Day Service that honored the memory of 352 members of the Department killed in the … [Read more...] about FDNY Honor Irish Tenor
FDNY
September 11: A Year in Pictures
Photographer Peter Foley spent many months documenting the aftermath of September 11. His images, though unobtrusive, capture the emotion of the tragedy and offer a glimpse into the lives of those left behind. View Peter Foley's photographs of Ground Zero. … [Read more...] about September 11: A Year in Pictures
The First Word: What Falls Away
"One hundred and fifty years after the Famine, the spirit of the Irish people was the backbone which America relied upon during the worst attack in our nation's history." – Rudy Giuliani at the Irish Famine memorial dedication in New York. It's hard to believe it's only a year. So much has changed, it seems as if it should have taken several lifetimes. The oddest thing is … [Read more...] about The First Word: What Falls Away
Why the Towers Fell
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