Shoppers pause to remember victims

There was a muted reaction to the first anniversary of the September 11th attacks in the St Stephen's Green and Grafton Street area of Dublin yesterday.

Shoppers and strollers enjoying the autumn sunshine seemed more intent on socialising than pausing for reflection as the seconds ticked towards 1.46 p.m.

A few minutes before the anniversary of the plane hitting the first tower in the World Trade Centre, this reporter saw one woman look at her watch before commenting to friends "it is not until 1.46".

The neon sign "American Restuarant" inside the door of TGI Friday near the St Stephen's Green Centre was switched on and people wandered in and out, apparently as normal. A spokesman said staff had observed a minute's silence at a staff meeting earlier in the morning.

Inside the St Stephen's Green Centre a relatively small black pyramid stood on the bridge close to the 98FM glass studio. It carried a plaque explaining it was a memorial to those who died in the attacks on New York.

At 1.46 p.m., Hughes and Hughes bookstore made an announcement to customers that it was exactly one year since the first plane struck, and invited them to maintain a minute's silence.

About half the customers put their hands behind their back and looked solemn as the 98FM studio, which had been playing Love Changes Everything, announced it would "pause to remember" the victims of 9/11.

Slowly the noise in the shopping centre dulled and a number of people stood still. Others merely slowed but as the minute progressed, staff appeared at the doors of shops and a small crowd gathered on balconies facing the radio studio.

Outside most people kept walking, just a few were conspicuous by their stillness.

At the Guinness Brewery at St James's Gate, an e-mail was sent to about 2,500 staff inviting them to observe a minute's silence. According to company spokeswoman Ms Jean Doyle, about 1,000 workers were in St James's Gate at the time and the moment was well observed.

Mr Bill Ryan, spokesman for Intel in Co Kildare, reported that a special company video had been made detailing the experiences of Intel staff who had volunteered to support the emergency services in New York in the aftermath of the attacks.

The video was played for staff in the Leixlip auditorium almost continuously from about 1.00 p.m. yesterday to allow shift workers chose their time to see it. After each screening, one minute's silence was observed.

"Intel is a US-based company although we have staff just about everywhere now," said Mr Ryan. Staff who had taken part in the post 9/11 clean-up had not been involved in clearing the debris, he explained, but had provided technical support with items such as communications systems.

While nobody from Ireland had been involved in the support operation, yesterday's commemoration had "given everyone the chance to remember the events in their own personal way," he said.