Irish survivor of 1993 WTC bombing tragically killed in 9/11 despite almost calling in sick

A woman from Co Galway, who survived the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Centre in New York City , nearly escaped her tragic fate on 9/11.

Anne Marie McHugh was only 35 when she lost her life during the September 11 attacks on the Twin Towers , but she almost didn't go to work that day.

Born and raised in Tuam, Anne Marie maintained a strong connection with her community even after moving to New York at the age of 18.

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She would frequently travel back home to visit her parents , Padraig and Margaret, who were well-known proprietors of the Town Hall Tavern for many years, as she carved out a career as a stockbroker.

Anne Marie met her future fiance, Patrick Day, and they quickly fell in love. After a whirlwind romance, they got engaged and were in the midst of planning their wedding when Anne Marie was tragically killed on 9/11.

The couple had spent a typical weekend together before the attacks - watching TV and relaxing at their home . On Monday night, Anne Marie mentioned feeling slightly unwell as they went to bed together for the last time.

The following morning, Patrick recalls that the alarm clock didn't ring. He took this as a sign that Anne Marie was going to take the day off , and they would tackle the myriad tasks related to arranging their impending wedding.

However, Anne Marie would instead leave for her office where she, along with 3,000 others, would tragically lose their lives when planes struck each tower , leaving thousands stranded before the towers collapsed.

In 2002, Patrick Day recounted to the Irish Times how he roamed the streets of New York near the towers for days , desperately searching for any sign of his beloved.

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Anne Marie had been at the World Trade Centre in 1993 when a van filled with explosives was detonated in a car park beneath one of the buildings .

In the aftermath of the explosion that claimed six lives, including a pregnant woman , Anne Marie managed to descend 107 flights of stairs to safety.

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Anne-Marie's father, Padraic, passed away in July 2022. Tuam honors Anne Marie's memory with a commemorative garden, its centrepiece being a pair of stone pillars symbolizing the Twin Towers .

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