Firemen give wreath in support of US colleagues

The National Fire Brigade this afternoon presented the US Ambassador to Ireland with a wreath as a measure of their support for their colleagues in New York.

Deputy Fire Chief Mr Hugh O’Neill marched through a guard of honour to present the wreath to Ambassador Mr Richard Egan on the steps of the embassy.

Earlier, a procession of firemen from all over the country paraded in front of the embassy led by the 30-member Dublin Fire Service Pipe Band.

Watched by a crowd of several thousand, the firemen observed three minutes' silence just after 2.30 p.m.

A spokesperson for the Fire Service said the ceremony was out of respect and sympathy for the estimated 350 New York firemen who are feared to have died when the twin Towers of the World Trade Center collapsed.