Artifacts in Museum Collection Commemorate the Irish Heritage of 9/11 Victims
The 2,977 people killed in the 9/11 attacks came from a wide range of backgrounds. On this St. Patrick’s Day, even as we are temporarily closed, we remember several people who celebrated their Irish heritage in personal objects they owned or whose loved ones memorialized them with Irish-referencing tribute items.
A quilt created by Gail Pickett and Ed Ziegler pays tribute to Battalion Chief Brian C. Hickey, a 20-year FDNY veteran and commander of Rescue 4 in Woodside. The quilt includes a photo transfer of Hickey, FDNY patches, and shamrocks celebrating his Irish heritage. Hickey, 48, was injured in a Queens fire several months before 9/11. He was killed responding on September 11, 2001, his second day back on the job.
Kathleen Moran’s Irish Claddagh Brooch
A gold Irish Claddagh brooch with emerald stones that belonged to Kathleen Moran speaks to her Irish heritage. Moran came from a big Irish family from Bay Ridge, Brooklyn; Ireland was the home country of her parents. After 9/11, Moran’s family found the brooch in a jewelry box in her apartment. The box also included other small items precious to her, including Christmas ornaments, two golf balls, and a green velvet bag of tees. A property insurance underwriter for Zurich, Moran was at a meeting on the South Tower’s 105th floor on 9/11. She was 42 years old.
A patch created in memory of FDNY firefighter George C. Cain shows a firefighter in bunker gear skiing through snow. The green patch is adorned with several shamrocks. Before joining the FDNY in 1994, Cain spent five years working as a carpenter in Colorado, where he sought out some of the toughest ski runs to experience during the winter months. “He could ski like the wind,” his mother remembered. Cain was 35 when he was killed on 9/11.
Memorial Flag for Stephen G. Siller
A memorial flag honoring FDNY firefighter Stephen G. Siller is embroidered with a green shamrock and a Maltese cross. A card for Blessed William Joseph Chaminade is attached with a lapel pin. Siller, 34, is remembered and celebrated for carrying 60 pounds of gear through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel to reach the World Trade Center on 9/11—an act that inspired the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers 5K Run & Walk. The flag was preserved by Keith Piaseczny, the unofficial steward of the public viewing platform overlooking Ground Zero in the months after 9/11. Piaseczny curated numerous memorial items left by visitors, anticipating a permanent memorial or museum may someday be built to narrate the history of 9/11.
Memorial Bracelet for Keith G. Fairben
A bracelet remembering Keith G. Fairben features a green shamrock and a blue “Star of Life” paramedics symbol. Fairben was a New York Presbyterian Hospital paramedic who reached the World Trade Center minutes after the North Tower was struck. He was killed at the age of 24. This bracelet was acquired by Shelaine Petersen, who hand-wrote condolence letters to many family members who’d lost loved ones in the terrorist attacks. The families would send her thank you letters, prayer cards, and other items, like this bracelet, in return.
This mug that belonged to FDNY Lieutenant Joseph G. Leavey, who was assigned to Ladder 15 in lower Manhattan. It is adorned with green shamrocks and the word “himself” printed in green text. “Lt. Leavey” is handwritten at the top of the mug in green marker. A lover of skyscrapers, Leavey pursued a career in civil engineering before ultimately joining the FDNY in 1982. The Twin Towers were two of his favorite buildings on the New York skyline. Leavey was among the first firefighters to arrive at the towers on 9/11. He was 45.
Glass Shamrock in Tribute to Martin J. Egan Jr.
This glass shamrock in a custom gift box was created in memory of FDNY Captain Martin J. Egan Jr. The outside of the box has an Irish blessing printed in gold text on the lid, while the inside of the box includes a printed message that includes the words: “On His First St. Patrick's Day In Heaven - March 17, 2002.” Egan, who joined the FDNY in 1986, was a member of the department’s Emerald Society, a fraternal organization for members of Irish heritage. “He enjoyed going out, especially on St. Patrick's Day. He always went to both the Staten Island and city parades,” his sister remembered. He was 36.
The 9/11 Memorial & Museum will be temporarily closed starting March 13 as part of the New York City and New York State mandates to combat and contain the COVID-19 virus.
The 9/11 Memorial & Museum may be temporarily closed, but the Survivor Tree remains a symbol of growth and resilience.