THE plot of land known for a decade as “Ground Zero” has opened to the public for the first time since September 11, 2001, transformed into a memorial consisting of two serene reflecting pools ringed by the chiseled-in-bronze names of the nearly 3,000 souls lost.

The head of the foundation building the September 11 memorial in New York told supporters it is “essential” to open the memorial by the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks, disputing a report that the project could not be finished on time.

A staircase at the World Trade Centre that proved a lifeline for countless September 11 escapers and survived the devastation will be moved from the site his weekend.

The last column of the World Trade Centre left standing after the September 11 attacks will be the first piece of the Twin Towers to return to Ground Zero, memorial officials said today.

TAXI leaders have warned they will stage further public protests if Transport Minister Seamus Brennan fails to address issues of concern they raised with him during talks yesterday.