9/11 Anniversary: Fr Mychal Judge to Be Remembered in Father's Home Village of Kiltimagh, County Mayo
A memorial service is being held in Kiltimagh, County Mayo, to honour Fr Mychal Judge, the New York Fire Department chaplain who became the first certified victim of the September 11, 2001 attacks, as the Irish-American community marks the anniversary of the tragedy that claimed the lives of hundreds of Irish-Americans and left an indelible mark on the relationship between Ireland and the United States.
Background
Fr Mychal Judge was born Robert Emmett Judge in Brooklyn, New York, in 1933, the son of Irish immigrants from County Leitrim. He joined the Franciscan order and was ordained a priest in 1961, going on to serve in a number of parishes before becoming chaplain to the New York Fire Department — a role that brought him into close contact with the firefighters who would become the heroes and victims of September 11.
On the morning of September 11, 2001, Fr Judge rushed to the World Trade Centre after the first plane struck the North Tower. He was administering last rites to a fallen firefighter in the lobby of the North Tower when he was struck by debris from the collapsing South Tower and killed. His body was carried from the building by firefighters and photographed in an image that became one of the most iconic of the entire tragedy. He was designated Victim 0001 — the first certified victim of the attacks.
Fr Judge's father, Michael Judge, was from Kiltimagh, a small town in County Mayo, and the connection between the priest and his father's home county has been a source of pride and grief for the Mayo community since his death. A memorial garden in his honour was established in Kiltimagh, and the town has maintained a close relationship with the New York Fire Department and the Irish-American community in the years since.
Key Developments
The memorial service in Kiltimagh is being attended by representatives of the New York Fire Department, the Irish-American community, and local and national political figures. The service includes a Mass, a wreath-laying ceremony at the memorial garden, and a reception at which survivors and family members of those who died on September 11 will share their memories.
The Irish Times reported on Friday that the anniversary is being marked across Ireland, with particular attention to the Irish-American dimension of the tragedy. Hundreds of Irish-Americans died in the attacks, and the Irish government has consistently emphasised the depth of the connection between Ireland and the United States in the context of September 11.
Why It Matters
Fr Mychal Judge's story is one of the most powerful in the entire September 11 narrative, and its Irish dimension gives it a particular resonance in Ireland. He embodied the best of the Irish-American tradition — the faith, the service, the commitment to community — and his death in the act of ministering to others has made him a figure of enduring significance not just for Catholics but for people of all faiths and none. The memorial service in Kiltimagh is a reminder that the September 11 attacks were not simply an American tragedy but a global one, with victims and connections that extended to every corner of the world, including the small towns of rural Ireland from which so many of the victims' families had come.
Local Impact
In Kiltimagh, the annual memorial service has become an important part of the town's identity and its relationship with the Irish-American community. The New York Fire Department has maintained close ties with the town, and firefighters from New York have attended the service on multiple occasions. The memorial garden, which includes a piece of steel from the World Trade Centre, is a place of pilgrimage for Irish-Americans visiting Mayo and for local people who wish to pay their respects.
What's Next
The memorial service in Kiltimagh will conclude with a reception at which the New York Fire Department representatives will meet with local community members. The Irish government has indicated it will continue to support the annual memorial and the broader relationship between Ireland and the Irish-American community that it represents. A documentary about Fr Judge's life and his Irish connections is in development and is expected to be broadcast on RTÉ in 2027.
