To the uninitiated, it may seem like it’s just a 156lb lump of steel – but to those who survived 9/11 or who lost friends in the World Trade Center, it symbolises the darkest day…and the emergence back into the light.

Last week, this steel cut from the supports of one of the ill-fated towers stopped off in Ballinasloe – in the company of a retired New York City Fire Firefighter – as it made its way further south to a unique memorial garden with direct links to that awful September 11 atrocity.

Kathleen Murphy, a native of Ringfinnan outside Kinsale in Cork, was a senior nurse on duty at the Lenox Hill Hospital – the closest hospital to the World Trade Centre – on the day that two planes exploded into the towers.

Her best friend Fr. Michael Judge – Chaplain to the New York City Fire Department – was administering the last rights to the fallen firefighters when he himself was tragically killed.

About four years later, Kathleen retired and returned to Ringfinnan – and she began planting straight lines of trees in a garden she was creating on her land beside her home.

She dedicated a tree to each fallen 9/11 firefighter – including Fr. Judge – making 343 trees in total.

At the base of each tree, she put a name plate showing the firefighter’s name, ladder number rank and an American flag. She further created a memorial area with seating and a monument to the 343 which overlooks the River Bandon.

The garden will now also provide a permanent home to this 156lbs of precious 9/11 steel from the 9/11 Museum, having originally come from the World Trade Centre itself; the first steel from the museum to be placed outside the US.

But first the steel and the retired firefighters wanted to embrace a small tour of Ireland – with an overnight stop-off in Ballinasloe.

The connection was local man and retired Garda Joe Hanney, who had previously accompanied one of the firefighters, Gerard Amitrano, on a trip to see the 9/11Ringfinnan Garden of Remembrance outside Kinsale.

Joe and Gerard first stopped off at Galway Garda Station with the steel at 9am where Superintendent Damien Flanagan had arranged a great welcome.

The group also dropped into Galway Fire Station where they were joined by their local colleagues and a number of neighbours who dropped in to welcome them.

“The Fire station officers of Galway could not have done any more for us in making the visit special – lots of photographs taken with crew, visitors, fire brigades and 9/11 steel to mark the special meeting,” said Joe.

That evening Gerard, Joe and the group visited An Tain pub in Ballinasloe for a get-together for local community, as well as serving and retired members of the Fire Brigade and Gardaí.

“We’d a fantastic traditional trad session with ten local musicians and singers, organised by Johnny Johnston, and added to by the great Kevin Cunniffe who travelled specially from Dublin to part take in the special evening at very short notice,” said Joe.

“Hundreds of people visited that Wednesday night for photographs, videos, traditional music, song and stories as the 9/11 steel held an elevated position for all to see and touch,” he added.

The next morning, they visited Ballinasloe Fire Station and crew where Gerry Amitrano revealed those behind-the-scenes stories of 9/11.

“You would hear a pin drop in that fire station room as the true-life stories unfolded,” said Joe.

Again that was followed by a visit to Ballinasloe Garda Station where Joe introduced Gerard to some of his retired and serving colleagues – including Supt Johnny Burke, D/Sgt Joe Gaffney, Margaret Butler and Sgt Brian Dolan among others.

Gerard even had time for lunch with Joe’s 96-year-old mother Lilly in Duffy’s Bar and Restaurant in Killimor.

The 9/11 steel then headed from Ballinasloe en route to the 9/11 Memorial Garden in Kinsale, before Gerry Amitrano was joined at Belgooley – on the road to Kinsale – by Retired FDNY Captain Jimmy Walsh and retired fire officer William Ownes on their ceremonial uniforms, as Gardaí provided an escort to Kinsale Fire Station.

They were received by the Murphy family, accepting the 9/11 steel on behalf of Kathleen,where dignitaries included local TDs, the Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Dan Boyle, and the Minister for Finance Jack Chamber, who said a few words of gratitude – as did John Murphy, Kathleen’s nephew, who maintains the garden.

The official unveiling of the 9/11 steel monument will take place next March – around St Patrick’s Day.

Pictured: Gerard Amitrano with the piece of 9/11 Steel in Ballinasloe Fire Station with (back – from left) Mikie Lyons, Martin Keane, David Dillon, Noel Clinton, Kevin Dolan, Anne Coughlan, and (front) Toji Kunjumon, Douglas Rafter, Patrick Clarke, Jamie Ward.