I was at my desk on 79th floor of tower 2 at 8.45 when the first plane hit tower 1. We were told over intercom that all was OK. By time I got to the 45th floor the place suffered a thud. Smoke arose immediately. It was mayhem all the way downstairs to ground floor; every man for himself.
I ran out onto street to see debris and a pool of blood. I bumped into someone from work out on street. We walked back to my apartment (I live 3 minutes walk away) and by the time we got there, tower 2 collapsed. We couldn't see outside the window, everything was white. Then it was more of the same. Running down stairs. Never ran so fast in my life ('cos after 2 planes crash into your workplace, nothing would surprise you).No one died for a lack of firemen or cops. I couldn't get through to my family til about 7 p.m. (Irish time) due to phone lines being jammed. I'd left my wallet in WTC; no contact numbers, no bank cards, just 5 bucks. Walked for 3/4 hours to Central Park to stay with friends.
Brendan Heneghan
michael.c.pettit@accenture.com
I am from Cork city, living in Manhattan's Greenwich Village. I was on 5th Avenue and 11th Street when the first of the planes that crashed into the World Trade Centre flew right over the building that I live in.
There is a very eerie feeling on the streets of lower Manhattan. Only emergency vehicles are permitted on the streets south of 14th Street. This afternoon, the wind changed direction and the smoke began to blow uptown. People on 6th Avenue were given masks to filter smoke and dust that's in the air. I think that it's a matter of time before practically everyone in NY and beyond will be one or two degrees of separation from the victims. Thanks to all of my friends who have called and e-mailed me to see if I am well.
God bless everyone affected by this attack.
Niall Cremin
cremin@dellepro.com
I am a Dublin girl residing in Albany, upstate New York. We were evacuated from our offices yesterday morning (as were all federal buildings). Sheer terror and disbelief were etched on the faces of everyone in Albany, despite nationality. I would like to tell concerned friends & family in Ireland that we are okay. We watch today, helpless to do anything, except donate our blood. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families today.
Lisa Handley
handley@mltw.com
A half hour after the collapse of the towers, walking through the streets of the Astoria area of Queens, people gathered in groups, discussing the events and rumors. There was no panic, or at this time, recriminations, just a sharing of information and horror. One young black woman, walking with a couple of white construction guys, was laughingly expressing an attitude, which though superficially frivolous, is very typical of the resilience of New Yorkers. Her main peeve was that she hadn't been able to get her hair done - if she died, she said, she wanted people to say that there lay a beautiful woman. And she was absolutely right - life will go on here, people will get their hair styled again, normal life will go on in defiance of the terrorists who want to remove everything that is joyful and happy and normal about this country. Make no mistake - this city is shocked and grieving but is very far from beaten. Americans have great faith in the institutions and philosophies that they have created here - freedom, democracy, tolerance, justice. In this country of immigrants, these things define American culture, in ways that language and ethnicity cannot.
Many firefighters and police in this city are Irish-American, and no doubt, there will be some Irish connections among the almost 300 emergency response personnel that are still missing in the rubble.
Ellen Sexton
esexton@jjay.cuny.edu
I saw people jumping from about 3 quarters of the way up the tower, a sight I will never forget. I heard a plane and turned to see it plough into the second tower & debris started falling towards us. Everyone hit the deck but when I realised the size of the stuff landing all around us I got up grabbed my colleague & starting sprinting, There was a girl lying in the street with what was obviously a broken leg, but I didn't have the wits or guts to stop & try & carry her. It took us til 11 to make it to our offices and to get the word out to colleagues that we were ok. Mor-bu∅ochas to all the fire & police officers & ambulance guys and hello to everyone at home. And Mam I really am ok!
Kerrill O'Mahony
kerrill@hotmail.com