Irish American priest Fr Mychal Judge was killed at the World Trade Center by a piece of falling masonry as he gave the last rites to a fallen firefighter. Below is a tribute written in an Irish paper.

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Irish Sunday People, September 16, 2001 Irish Priest is Buried by Firefighter Colleagues. Only the anguished sobs of firefighters could be heard as they carried the coffin of Irish hero priest Mychal Judge to his final resting place in New York last night. Hundreds of parishioners who loved the man they are already calling a saint lined the streets outside St Francis of Assisi in the terror-ravaged city. Many more packed inside the church alongside well-known faces as a city said farewell to a clergyman who gave his life in Tuesday's disaster so that one of his beloved firefighters could receive the Last Rites. A measure of the man was that his funeral should be led by another hero of the city, the Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. Former President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary - who have done so much for Americans in recent days - also attended the service "The best way to describe him was your ultimate Irishman from Brooklyn. He had a warm, loving personality and at the wake service last night everyone who met him said they felt like his best friend." said Fr Brian Jordan. "His duties really began after the tragedies, after the fires had been put out." "The firemen who found him laid him on a body board and took him to St Peter's Church, laid him in front of the altar, laid a sheet over him and put his badge on top of the sheet. Some of the firemen were already coming in to pay their respects to him. They were Mychal's family. His body was actually brought back to the firehouse and they guys received him with great reverence." said the priest. In a moving tribute, New York Senator Hillary told mourners that she and her husband had invited Fr Judge to their house for a celebration. She recalled that he had "lit up the room" "Fr Judge was a lot of fun," she said, describing him as "brilliant" and "full of life". She told mourners: "We have to give thanks to Fr Judge who gave us so man gifts - gifts of love and laughter. Although you have gone you will never be forgotten." She added: "As we continue the work, the rescue, the recovery, rebuilding and reconstruction, we have to remember the spirit, the life and love that Fr Mychal left us." And her husband, former president Bill Clinton, paid his own tribute to the brave priest. "Fr Judge's entire life was a rebuke to the act of violence we all witnessed at the World Trade Center." he said County Leitrim [in Ireland] last night paid its last respects to one of the brave heroes of the atrocity. In the villages of Drumkeering and Keshcarrigan, from where Fr Judge's parents Michael and Mary emigrated, locals shed a tear for their adopted son. Fr Judge, whose dad Michael died when he was just six years old, helped his mother make ends meet by shining shoes. He was extremely proud of his true Irish roots and returned to Ireland regularly. Last night Fianna Fail TD for Leitrim, Deputy John Ellis, said "Fr Judge's tragic story was typical of the bravery and courage shown by people during this terrible time." He said the people of Leitrim were in shock and very saddened at the news of the priest's death. "This terrible atrocity has hit us all in one way or another. But when it strikes at the very place where you come from and you hear of somebody being killed in such tragic circumstances, it is even more poignant." he said. Deputy Ellis said he knew Fr Judge's extended family and, along with the people of Leitrim, paid tribute to his bravery in putting others before him. "Fr Judge died doing the Lord's work. Giving your life so that other can receive the Last Rites is the ultimate act of bravery. You couldn't call it anything less than a saintly act. Fr Judge is in our prayers tonight. What he did for the people of New York will not be forgotten." he said. The parish priest of Drumkerring, Fr Eamonn Bredin said he had been shocked by the news of Fr Judge's death. Out thoughts are with his sisters at this time and our deepest sympathies go out to him. What Fr Judge did was the ultimate act of humankind - giving his life so that other could meet their maker in peace. May Lord have mercy on his soul," he said Local shopkeeper Sean Smith said he had seen pictures of Fr Judge being pulled from the rubble, but never thought he has such close Leitrim connection. "The memory of Fr Judge being carried through the rubble will live with me until I die. It was heart wrenching. But a couple of days later when he was identified and we found out who he was, the entire village was in shock. We are heartbroken. But we are also so proud that he gave his life in the line of duty. Nobody can tell me that man is not a saint." he said. A spokesman for the Franciscan Order in Dublin said Fr Judge had given 40 years of his life serving God and other people. Among those also to send their sympathies to Fr Judge's family were Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams, who knew the popular priest through friends in the New York police force. By Dave Brown, Stephen Maguire and Lindsay Fergus