Over 70 retired and current members of the New York Fire Department's Emerald Society Pipes and Drums band have visited the September 11th memorial garden at Kinsale, Co Cork.
The Garden of Remembrance is dedicated to the 343 firefighters who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks.
Local woman Kathleen Murphy worked as a nurse in New York for over 40 years and was on duty that day.
She wanted to pay tribute to all of the firefighters who died and in a field near her home at Ringfinnan, on a hill outside Kinsale, she planted 343 trees, one for every firefighter, and for their chaplain Fr Mykael Judge who was the first casualty.
John Murphy, Kathleen's nephew, said his aunt was a generous person who wanted to give something back so she donated the land and planted the trees.
Each tree has a tag with the firefighter's name on it.
New York City Fire Department (FDNY) Captain Tom Cunneen, of the Emerald Society Pipes and Drums, said they have a saying in the FDNY 'Never Forget' and they were very moved that "here in Ringfinnan people have not forgotten".
He spent time at the pine tree belonging to his friend Captain Tim Stackpoole remarking "Like Timmy, nice and strong".
The band lost two people that day. Drummer Durrell V Pearsall and chaplain Fr Mykael Judge.
"It changed the lives for many of us. We were either working that day or recalled into work, others would spend the next nine months in the rescue and recovery".
At an emotional memorial service, attended by retired Irish Defence Force personnel, as well as members of the emergency services including the Cork County Fire Service and the RNLI, a wreath was laid at the 343 monument on the site, as well as a FDNY fireman's hat.
Former pipe major and retired fireman Tom McEnroe Junior told how they made sure that they played at each and every funeral and memorial.
He said: "You know, we all went down the day of the collapses and attacks. We all worked for about a week or so, and then after that, the funerals started. The first funeral was Mykael Judge, he was the pastor for the band.
"Right after that we had a meeting and as a group we decided that we were going to make sure every funeral was going to be covered no matter when it was.
"We decided, one guy at every funeral so there were days we were playing a guy in, running to another funeral down the road, playing him in, running back, playing a guy out and then running to another funeral playing a guy out.
"We made sure every funeral was covered and every memorial service."
The band presented a cheque for €5,000 towards the upkeep of the memorial garden.
For Paul Quirke and his wife Debbie, today was also very emotional.
They stood for sometime at the tree belonging to his best friend Peter Vega.
Mr Quirke said his mother told him he and Peter were like peas in a pod.
He said: "Peter grew up on 17th Street in Brooklyn. We were neighbours, we were best friends. We went into the service at the same time, then we both became Ironworkers in Manhattan, and then joined the fire service.
"If you remember that famous photograph of them going over the Brooklyn Bridge, Pete was the guy driving the back of the fire truck .... we spent our lives together.
"My best friend, he sighed as he placed a small coin near his name, what they do here is really beautiful."
