Damian Meehan, an Irish American who was killed in the 9/11 attacks, has been honored with a new exhibit that was unveiled at the GAA Museum on Thursday, July 23.
Meehan, the son of immigrants from Co Donegal, was raised in the Inwood section of Manhattan. He grew up playing Gaelic football, first for Good Shepherd and later for New York GAA's Donegal club.
A trader at Carr Futures, Meehan was on the 92nd floor of World Trade Center's Tower One when it was struck on September 11, 2001. The 33-year-old was survived by his wife, fellow Irish American Joanne, their young son, and a daughter who was born after his tragic death. The family was living in Glen Rock, New Jersey, at the time.
Damian's brother Mike told the Irish Examiner in 2002 that Damian's body was found intact less than a month after the attacks in a stairwell with dozens of firemen.
"He was on his way down," Mike said at the time, "he was found with his good friend Denis McHugh."
His funeral at Good Shepherd drew thousands.
Meehan's family later donated one of Damian's GAA medals commemorating the All-Star team he played on in 1997 to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum in NYC.
The GAA said the exhibition unveiled this week includes Meehan’s New York senior football team jersey from the 2000 season, his New York U21 football championship medal, his 9/11 missing poster, and a 9/11 memorial etching.
It also includes a framed memorial sculpture by the artist Nicola McClean, whose husband Paul McCormack, a former NYPD Inspector, is a good friend and former teammate of Meehan’s. McCormack is also the Executive Director of Ground Zero 360, which honours the sacrifice of the victims and their families of the 9/11 terror attacks.
Ground Zero 360 said McClean's American flag sculpture incorporates wood from Gaelic Park in New York, Croke Park in Dublin, and Sean MacCumhaill Park in Donegal. Its star is crafted from steel recovered from the World Trade Center and holds Damian’s Under-21 Championship medal, "symbolising the enduring bond between Ireland, New York, and the spirit of remembrance."
Nicola McLean's memorial sculpture featured in Damian Meehan's exhibit at the GAA Museum. (Ground Zero 360)
McCormack said on Thursday: “Damian was one of the nicest gentlemen you could ever meet in your life.
“He always had a big smile on his face, he was a tremendous sportsman, a tremendous family man, a wonderful friend, just a tremendous human being.
“It means a lot to have Damian honoured on the 25th anniversary of 9/11 by having his items now on permanent display in Croke Park. There's just no better place for it.”
Speaking on behalf of the Meehan family at the unveiling, Damian's first cousin Seóg Campbell said: “It’s a privilege and a pleasure to be here on such an occasion, and we’d like to thank Paul [McCormack] and everybody else who helped pull this together.
“My Uncle Mike emigrated to New York in 1961 along with Auntie Peig to make a better life. They had 10 children, eight of them boys, and Mike's big focus was always GAA, and he was heavily involved in New York GAA.
“Damian was such a lovely lad with a big smile and to do this for him and for us as a family is just tremendous. Uncle Mike in particular would be smiling from ear to ear. Auntie Peig is 93 now, and she's very grateful.
“We're all just so thankful that Damian is the person chosen to represent all the other Gaelic footballers and people with connections to this wonderful organisation who were lost on 9/11.”
July 23, 2026: The unveiling of the Damian Meehan exhibit at the GAA Museum. (GAA)
Jarlath Burns, President of the GAA, was also in attendance for the unveiling. He thanked the museum staff for the exhibition.
"We are commemorating one person out of over 3,000 who lost their lives in 9/11 and as long as we remember that one person we remember every person," Burns said.
"Damian loved the GAA and was somebody who wanted always to give back, and the GAA is the place where we all belong. It is about giving, it's not about taking. That's what's so special about the GAA and that was what was so special about Damian. He never wanted to be famous, he would never have wanted this, all he wanted was to play GAA, represent his county, and to work for his family."
July 23, 2026: The Damian Meehan exhibit at the GAA Museum. (GAA)
US Ambassador to Ireland Ed Walsh, Guest of Honour at the exhibition unveiling, commented: “Today we remember not just tragedy but also celebrate a remarkable life.
“Damian Meehan embodied the very best of both America and Ireland. He was a proud son of Ireland and gifted Gaelic footballer and a cherished member of New York's Irish community.
“Through the GAA, he carried with him the traditions, friendships, and values that connected him to home even while building a life across the Atlantic. There's something especially fitting about remembering him here at Croke Park. This is a place that celebrates community, identity, and belonging.
“For so many Irish immigrants, the GAA became a home away from home. It gave them friendship, purpose, and enduring connections with places and people they loved. Damian lived that story.
“His life reminds us that the bond between Ireland and the United States are not just measured only in diplomacy or trade, they are measured in people, families, and the shared traditions of communities that span the Atlantic.”
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