Twenty-five years after the September 11th attacks, the Irish people who lost their lives and those affected by the tragedy are being remembered.
Almost 3,000 people died in the attacks in New York, Virginia and Pennsylvania on 11 September 2001.
Seven of the victims were born in Ireland, while at least 18 people with direct links to Ireland were among those killed.
Commemorative events are taking place across Ireland today to remember those with Irish connections and honour the many people who responded to the attacks.
For the McHugh family in Co Galway, the anniversary brings back painful memories of Anne-Marie McHugh, RTÉ reports.
Anne, who was born in America but raised in Tuam, was 35 years old when she died in the World Trade Centre.
She was working as a financial broker for Euro Brokers on the 84th floor of the South Tower.
Her sister Maura was living in Dublin when she first heard about the attacks.
She said her mother called her and told her to turn on the television.
"Everyone was like 'Go look at the television' and so you could see the tower with the smoke coming out of it."
Anne had emailed her sister that morning, but there was no way for the family to contact her after the attacks.
She had also survived the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Centre, when she was working in the North Tower.
Maura and her younger brother Brendan travelled to New York on the first Aer Lingus flight to land there after the attacks.
But the family faced days of uncertainty as they waited for news.
"It was just a slow loss of hope because there was no body. A couple of people saw her, but nobody actually knows what happened that day, other than she died."
Anne's remains were never recovered from Ground Zero.
She had been preparing to marry her fiancé Patrick Day in Italy in November 2001.
Her family spent time waiting for news at her New York apartment, surrounded by her belongings.
"We were just almost expecting her to burst in the door."
Anne's family later attended a memorial Mass for the Irish victims at Holy Trinity Church in Manhattan.
Maura says the support they received from people in both Ireland and New York has stayed with the family.
"The help, the love for my family, from the people of New York, from the people in Ireland, from the people in Tuam."
Another Irish connection to the attacks was firefighter Captain Michael Lyons from Swinford in Co Mayo.
Born in the US, Michael was raised near Swinford after his parents returned to Mayo in the 1970s.
He moved back to New York in 1998 to pursue his dream of becoming a firefighter.
On 11 September, he was among the first responders at the World Trade Centre.
His younger brother Martin eventually received a call from Michael on 12 September.
"I'll never forget just the relief. It was Mike's voice. He says, 'Martin, I'm okay.'"
Michael later became known for helping to rescue Pasquale Buzzelli, a Port Authority engineer who survived the collapse of the North Tower.
The rescue was described as miraculous and later featured in a Channel 4 documentary.
Michael died from lung cancer in 2022, aged 53.
His brother says Michael never regretted the decisions he made on 9/11.
"He said even in his last few weeks, 'Martin, I have no regrets.'"
In Tuam, a remembrance park was created for Anne McHugh in 2003.
A memorial service will take place there today at 2pm to mark the 25th anniversary of the attacks.
As the anniversary is marked, Maura says she remembers her sister for the person she was.
"She was a great friend, a good sister. She loved life. She lived life fully."
