Martin Coughlan was raised in Cappawhite, a small
village in County Tipperary, Ireland, but his family said he had no trouble fitting
into life in the big city. He moved here in 1987 with his wife, Catherine, and
their four daughters, Orla, Ailish, Sinead and Denise. A carpenter in Ireland,
he immediately set about finding work in the trade.
Mrs. Coughlan said the family left because there
were better job opportunities here than in Ireland. But Mr. Coughlan also had a
love for Elvis Presley, Graceland and western movies, which may have been a
small part of the inspiration to immigrate.
Shortly after they came to New York, Mrs.
Coughlan told her husband that she did not want the family to live in an
apartment. Mr. Coughlan zealously pursued jobs, often working seven days a
week, and the family moved to a house in Bayside, Queens.
"He just wanted a comfortable home and a car
that worked and to see that we were educated," said his eldest daughter,
Orla Bowie.
His job with the Sweeney and Heekin Carpentry and
Dry Wall Corporation of Long Island City took him to buildings all around
Manhattan, and on Sept. 10 and 11, Mr. Coughlan, 53, was working on the 92nd
floor of 2 World Trade Center.
The Coughlans' daughters now range in age from 40
to 32. Two have completed college. "I was finally getting him to relax on
Sundays," Mrs. Coughlan said. "We were just getting our life
back."
Profile published in THE NEW YORK TIMES
PN: A great friend and brother -in-law who never got to see the 12th of September 2001. Barry
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