The number of Irish killed in the terror attacks on America may not be as high as first feared, Ireland’s ambassador to the US said today.
As the State prepares to shut down for a national day of mourning, Mr Sean Ó hUiginn allayed fears of large numbers of Irish among the death toll following the strikes on New York and Washington.
He said: "In terms of Irish victims whose whereabouts are a cause of concern for us, the number is not hugely high, but with the caveat we really don't have the full picture".
So far, a Cork woman, Ruth McCourt, and her four-year-old daughter Juliana, who were aboard one of the planes that slammed into the World Trade Center towers, are the only confirmed Irish fatalities.
Although Mr Ó hUiginn said his office has taken some 3,000 calls from anxious relatives and friends, he was "reasonably confident" no more Irish people were on any of the four flights involved in the catastrophe.
The family of a 35-year-old Co Sligo man, who was in one of the Trade Center towers at the time of the attack, have confirmed he is missing.
Mr Kieran Gorman, from Carrowcurragh, Lavagh, was among a group of labourers feared to have died when a plane crashed into the building where they had been working on the 97th floor.
There are also unconfirmed reports a priest killed at the World Trade Center may be Irish. Fr Michael Judge died during the rescue operation, but it has not been established whether he was born in Ireland or has relatives here.
In a bid to establish the number of Irish killed in the attacks, the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin has urged all families who phoned to check on missing relatives that have since made contact to call back and tell officials those people are now safe.
Emergency numbers for Irish citizens:
Ireland: 1800-715165/1800-715159/1800-401800/1800-385858
US: 001-202-6462500
Irish embassy in Washington: 001-202-4623939
Irish consulate in New York: 001-212-3192555
e-mail helpline: embirlus@aol.com
Tanaiste Ms Harney has urged all businesses to close down tomorrow in a show of solidarity with grief-stricken Americans.
Some small retailers have expressed concerns they could suffer huge losses and criticised the lack of warning for the public holiday.
But the Tánaiste said the 24-hour closure of shops, schools and all Government departments, apart from the emergency services, was a small price to pay.
She said: "We recognise it's going to cause significant problems for employers, especially given the short notice, and we didn't lightly come to this decision.
"But we felt it was important to have a clear response and appropriate response given the special relationship, and we are asking for community solidarity, for the community to share in the loss that occurred all over the United States".
PA