Ruth McCourt died with her four-year-old daughter Juliana, when United Airlines Flight 175 crashed into the South Tower. In the cruellest of twists, Ruth's best friend and Juliana's godmother, Paige, had decided to go with them but ended up on a different flight. She was on American Airlines flight 11, which hit the North Tower.

 

Since early 2001, Ruth had told several people that she thought something catastrophic was going to happen. One day she turned to David, her husband of seven years and said: 'If anything happens to me, put my ashes in Ireland.'

 

On the night before their flight, with Ruth and Juliana staying with her godmother Paige to be nearer to the airport, David spoke to his wife on the telephone for the last time.

 

We said goodbye and I started to put the phone down. Then I saw an explosion, like a big light going off in my head. It was so monumental I had to sit down. I was stunned and silent and frozen for about 30 seconds.

 

I remember thinking to myself: "My God, what was that?" I was debating whether to call Ruth back, and I was experiencing a feeling of total composure, a feeling of comfort. So I just went on with what I was doing. The rest is history.'