Special thanks to Angela O'donnell and the entire town of Letterkenny Ireland.
LETTERKENNY, IRELAND, PAYS TRIBUTE TO BRONX FIREFIGHTERS
VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE AT LEHMAN
Technology brought sympathy and support across an ocean this Thanksgiving, as the firefighters and townspeople of Letterkenny in County Donegal, Ireland, communicated their condolences - and a check for $9100 - directly to the members of New York Fire Department Squad 41.
An hour-long videoconference November 21 at the Bronx Information Network, based in Lehman's Information Technology Center, made it possible for the town's representatives - who had gathered at a teleconferencing facility at a local hospital - to speak directly with the squad's captain and six of its firefighters.
Angela O'Donnell, visiting New York for a niece's wedding, was selected to present the check. Mrs. O'Donnell lost four of her seven children in a house fire in 1986 and helped to organize the auction and dance in Letterkenny that raised the funds. Local firefighters solicited gifts from area merchants for the auction.
Squad 41 was chosen as the recipient through a combination of television news footage and a search on the internet. "We preferred to give to a specific group," Mrs. O'Donnell explained, "rather than contribute to a general fund." In searching for such a group, Mel Healy in Letterkenny succeeded in making contact through email with Ed Walsh at the Bronx squad and then with Jerry Barnard at Lehman.
"We have six families to take care of," Walsh said, noting that the widow of one of the men lost in the World Trade Center attack had recently given birth to a new baby and that brought to 11 the number of children who will be assisted by the funds.
Captain Russell Vomero, who accepted the check on behalf of the squad, held up photos of each of the men who had perished: Lieut. Mike Healy and Firefighters Bobby Hamilton, Bruce VanHine, Tommy Cullen, Mike Lyons and Greg Sikorsky. "It makes you feel good that people around the world are supporting us," he said.
"We're glad we could be a part of it, small or large," responded Michael Malloy, the fire station chief of Letterkenny, who sat along with a dozen other firefighters and townspeople behind a table decorated with the flags of both countries.
Part of the videoconference featured music appropriate to the moment. Local musician Hugh McLean sang a song he had composed about sons returning to Letterkenny after a long time away, and newspaper editor Martin McGinley joined with McLean - and some of the folks in the Bronx - for "Donegal Shores," whose lyrics speak of "days that are gone and will return no more."
The link that established between the town and the Bronx squad promises to continue, with invitations to visit extended from both sides, including one to a Letterkenny runner who hopes to join in the New York City marathon next year.