On Friday September 14, a National Day of Mourning was held in Ireland, in memory of the victims of the bombings in New York and Washington on that new day of infamy, Tuesday, September 11, 2001.

From Cork to Donegal its observance was marked by an eerie stillness as normal commerce came to a day-long stop. Indoor and outdoor church services were held throughout the land, led by clergy of all denominations.

Churches in the main cities were the venues chosen by many to attend and say their prayers for those killed, for those left to mourn, and for America, the chosen land of so many Irish emigrants who made it their home and helped build that great nation which is now the United States of America.

While no single gathering equalled in number the 100,000 people who assembled in front of the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa, in bright Canadian sunshine on that same day, to pay their respects to their grieving neighbours in the United States, all shared the same depth of emotion, of sadness, grief, and sympathy, and offered prayers for peace and understanding.

The picture below, of an outdoor crowd in the little town of Ramelton, in Donegal, umbrellas raised on that rainy Irish Friday, is but one example of people gathered to express their feelings.

Their President, Mary McAleese, articulated the Irish people’s feelings in the following statement:

On this National Day of Mourning we take time to reflect on the horrendous events of the past few days in the United States. These horrible scenes represent an attack on the very foundations of our human dignity.

We are sad, shocked, sickened, grieving, disbelieving, outraged, frightened all at once. We are only beginning to hear the human stories, the unbearable reports of final phone calls of love, of the heroism of so many, the loss of so many. These stories will continue to unfold for many days and weeks to come, bringing with them a growing realization of the full extent of the pain and sorrow that is the gruesome legacy of these awful acts of hatred.

The people of the United States hold a special place in the hearts of all of us here in Ireland. The roots go down through the centuries and are as strong today as they ever were. Our first thoughts therefore are with the American people as they try to cope with the magnitude of what has happened in their great country. To the bereaved, the injured and to those awaiting news of their loved ones, we send our prayers, our deepest sympathy and our support.

And we in Ireland face our own share of this tragedy. We only have to look at the photograph of the beautiful face of Ruth Clifford McCourt and her gorgeous little girl Juliana to see with our own eyes the loss which Ireland, too, has experienced.

There are deep worries about other loved ones missing, still unaccounted for, and we pray for the Irish families who wait to hear some word and who hope for any possible consolation.

We have watched in admiration as the rescue services work ceaselessly to locate the victims of these attacks and, sadly, we now know that many of the emergency personnel have themselves perished in the course of their duties. Their heroic, loving care for the stranger stands in sharp contrast to the evil of those who perpetrated these horrors.

Our Embassy and Consulates in the United States and Government Departments at home are deeply involved in providing caring assistance to our Irish family here and in the United States, and we thank them for the kindness and sensitivity with which they go about this difficult work.

This National Day of Mourning is a very special opportunity for all of us to show solidarity with our brothers and sisters in the United States of America. It sends a message across the Atlantic and indeed around the globe that Ireland too is broken-hearted and grieving at the unconscionable waste of life we have witnessed this week.

God bless those in the United States, those in Ireland and all those men, women and little children throughout the world who have been personally, profoundly affected by this tragedy.

May God guide us safely through these troubled days.

Mr. Ambassador, you have assembled before you, here on Parliament Hill and right across Canada, a people united in outrage, in grief, in compassion, and in resolve. A people of every faith and nationality to be found on earth.

A people who, as a result of the atrocity committed against the United States on September 11, 2001, feel not only like neighbours, but like family.

At a time like this, words fail us. We reel before the blunt and terrible reality of the evil we have just witnessed. We cannot stop the tears of grief. We cannot bring back lost lives and husbands, sons and daughters. American citizens, Canadian citizens, citizens from all over the world. We cannot restore futures that have been cut terribly short.

At a time like this, the only saving grace is our common humanity and decency. At a time like this, it is our feelings, our prayers and our actions that count.

By their outpouring of concern, sympathy and help, the feelings and actions of Canadians have been clear. And, even as we grieve our own losses, the message they send to the American people is clear.

Do not despair. You are not alone. We are with you. The whole world is with you.

The great Martin Luther King, in describing times of trial and tribulation, once said that: “In the end, it is not the words of your enemies that you remember, it is the silence of your friends.”

Mr. Ambassador, as your fellow Americans grieve and rebuild, there will be no silence from Canada.

Our friendship has no limit.

Generation after generation, we have travelled many difficult miles together. Side by side, we have lived through many dark times, always firm in our shared resolve to vanquish any threat to freedom and justice.

And together, with our allies, we will defy and defeat the threat that terrorism poses to all nations.

Mr. Ambassador, we will be with the United States every step of the way. As friends. As neighbours. As family.

The caption reads: National Day of Mourning. Ireland came to a standstill on last Friday as tens of thousands joined the National Day of Mourning in sympathy with all those who lost their lives in the attacks on America. Pictured is the scene at Gamble's Square, Ramelton where over six hundred people attended the open air service of prayer and reflection conducted by Canon Brian Smeaton and Rev.Charles Clements.

(Picture courtesy of the Tirconaill Tribune)