Moira Smith was the department's only female cop to die in the World Trade Center attacks on September 11.
The daughter of Irish American hero Moira Smith has spoken of her mother’s legacy after a portrait of the policewoman was dedicated to the 13th precinct.
Police commissioner Bill Bratton said the Manhattan station was the perfect place to house the painting by renowned Irish artist Jim Fitzpatrick.
Moira Smith, whose mother was from Dublin, was the department's only female cop to die in the World Trade Center attacks.
Her husband James had originally presented the portrait of the hero cop to Bill Bratton when they met at a 9/11 memorial in Israel.
Patricia Smith was just two-years-old when her mom died in the September 11 terror attacks.
She told the New York Daily News at the unveiling that everything she knows about her mom comes from what others have told her.
She said: “That’s probably the hardest part and that’s the part that makes me the most upset, is the fact that I can’t remember that much.
“Actually, I can’t really remember at all, no matter how much I try. But at least I know stories.
“At least I have so many people that will tell me incredible stories of bad moments and good moments.”
Dad James, a retired cop, says Patricia is very much like her mother with her Irish looks and the way she looks at him when she’s displeased.
He said: “She’s got the same sense of humor and she does the same silly things that Moira did. It’s heartwarming to me.”
Bratton told the paper that he has found the perfect place for the portrait.
He said: “I felt that it would be much more appropriate to have it here, in the 13th Precinct, her precinct, so that the memory of her, her dedication, her bravery, her contribution that day, would be a constant reminder to the men and women of this precinct the ultimate sacrifice she paid. It is an incredible piece of art.”
Smith was just 38 when she died. She features in an iconic photo helping Edward Nicholls, a bleeding broker, from the South Tower of the World Trade Center.
Nicholls was just one of dozens of people she rushed to safety before she returned to the building and was crushed when it collapsed.
One of 23 NYPD officers to die on 9/11, Smith was the department’s only female cop to lose her life in the attacks.
Pat Lynch, head of the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, told the paper that the portrait serves as a reminder of the dangers cops face every day.
He told Patricia: “You should be proud of your mother for what she did for this neighborhood, for this country on Sept. 11.
“The tap came on Moira’s shoulder that day and she willingly gave up her life.”
*Originally published in 2014.
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