11/09/2026
25 years on — remembering 9/11
Everyone remembers where they were on days like these.
Days when the very fabric of our being is shaken to the core, and life is forever divided into before and after
I’m no different.25 years ago, I was General Manager of United Airlines’ European Sales & Service Centre in Dublin, responsible for more than 300 people.
That morning, my dad, who had early-onset dementia, had suffered a serious setback. I was with my family when a friend called:
"I think you need to switch on the TV.”
I did — just as the United aircraft hit the tower.
For a few seconds, I couldn't process what I was seeing.
Then I took a breath and realised my team needed me.
I drove back to Dublin.
We had plans. We had practised drills.
But nothing had prepared us for this.
When I walked through the door, I remember the relief on people's faces.
My first words were:
“We will get through this. But there is no manual for this.”
That day changed my understanding of leadership forever.
💕I learned that leadership is ultimately about who you are
💕It is about courage, compassion, trust and clarity.
💕It is about being human — knowing you won't always have the answers, being vulnerable, and being there for others.
Most of all, it is about helping people find the courage within themselves.
I saw extraordinary courage that day.
Today, 25 years on, my thoughts are with all those who lost their lives, and with the families, friends and colleagues who have carried their absence ever since.💔
And I remember Eilis Finnegan, one of my young team members who stepped forward that day, early in her career, and showed such courage.
Eilis later lost her life in the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004.
I often wonder about the life she might have lived and all she might have achieved.
Eilis, you are still remembered.Still thought of.
And, I hope, still shining somewhere. 🕊️
25years on, some memories never fade.
Today is simply about remembering.
May we never forget. 🤍
