Tag Archives: ukraine war

A SHANNON business is raffling an official Euro 2020 Match Ball, signed by Ronaldinho to raise funds for the Ennis GOAL Mile for Ukraine. Explaining how her company got the ball, Karen Finley of FHB Building Supplies said, “My son Peter has been living in Dubai for the last six years, he’s a social media influencer. “He’s sponsored by a lot of big names, Samsung, Adidas, all of them. He comes across some interesting people. “We had a jersey last year from Mo Salah, they’re the kind of people he crosses paths with. He interviewed Ronaldinho and during it he signed a ball for Peter.” The Special goal mile for the victims of the war in Ukraine will take place in the Fairgreen Ennis on March 27 between 11 and 1.

AT its monthly meeting, Clare County Council condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine, while it expressed its willingness to do what it can for the refugees now fleeing the country, writes Owen Ryan. Monday’s meeting saw a minute’s silence observed, while Cathaoirleach of the Council PJ Ryan said that Clare stands with Ukraine. “Clare County Council condemns Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which is in gross violation of international law and human rights. “This Council stands in full solidarity with the people of Ukraine. The thoughts of the elected members and staff of Clare County Council are with the people of Ukraine and with the Ukrainian community in Clare and Ireland. “As a demonstration of solidarity Áras Contae an Chláir is lit up nightly in the Ukrainian colours and the Ukrainian and Clare flags are being flown outside the building.” Councillor Ryan added, “Clare County Council supports Ireland’s efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to the people of Ukraine in their time …

ACCOMMODATING Ukrainian refugees who are fleeing their war-torn country will be “challenging” for the country, An Taoiseach Micheál Martin has admitted. Speaking outside Analog Devices Limerick at a jobs announcement, Deputy Martin acknowledged it wouldn’t be easy to source accommodation for Ukrainian refugees in view of the huge mass movement of Ukrainians from their own country. “There are no easy solutions. We have to reach out and do everything we can to ease the pressure on the citizens of Ukraine. “All of us are very touched by the stress and trauma that is being revisited on families and children arising from this conflict, having to leave their homes in very stressful circumstances. “The mass movement of people from Ukraine is heart-rending. We don’t have ready-made solutions for the scale of the numbers who are going to arrive. But we will do the best we can to step up to the plate.” Asked if he envisaged European countries could put pressure …

Clare Senator Timmy Dooley was in Ukraine last weekend, where he saw the conditions that the Russian invasion has forced upon the public there. Here he recounts the experience for the Clare Champion LAST weekend as Co-President of the ALDE party in Europe, I travelled to the Ukraine city of Lviv alongside my MEP colleague Billy Kelleher to meet the city’s Mayor and also the Governor of the Region who renewed their appeal for Europe to implement a no-fly zone, and to provide them with more humanitarian assistance and equipment. Mayor of Lviv Andriy Sadovyi and the governor of the region, Maxym Kozytsky gave us a very sobering assessment of the situation their people are facing. They are very thankful for the support they have received from the EU so far but they do need further help. I believe Ireland can do more to help in terms of non-lethal military equipment like helmets and bulletproof jackets, while also giving money …

A UKRAINIAN woman has expressed her relief after family members managed to escape their home city of Irpin, which is besieged by Russian forces, as the war on Ukraine intensifies. Mariya Nikishanova, who lives in Ennis, has been trying to help her mother, Nataliia (70), sister, Olanna and niece get to safety from their home in Irpin. Barring an unexpected setback, they are due to fly from Warsaw to Shannon this Thursday before they will be transported to Mariya’s home in Ennis. In an interview with the Clare Champion, she said her family had to flee Irpin because it is no longer safe to stay here following the arrival of Russian tanks on the streets of her city. For Russian forces, the city on the North West edge of Kyiv is seen as vital to capture for a possible push deeper into the capital city in their bid to capture the seat of the Ukrainian government. In an attempt to …

A concert to raise funds for the people of Ukraine will be held in Shannon on Wednesday night (March 9), writes Owen Ryan. Cuppa Tea TV (which is run by Damian O’Rourke), the Love Shannon Community Council and Shannon Leisure Centre all came together to organise the event. “We have Luka Bloom, David Hope, the Shannon Gospel Choir. There’ll be a good few from Youth in Music singing at it, and a lot of other locals, there’ll probably be 15 or 16 playing on the night,” said Damian. The proceeds are all for the Irish Red Cross and explaining how it would work, Damian said, “It’s donations on the door, anyone can come along and throw in whatever they want into the bucket. We’re working on a GoFundMe link, so anyone who can’t make it on the night can make donations through that.” Karl Fogarty, manager of Shannon Leisure Centre, was the person who got the ball rolling on the …

A Ukrainian woman has claimed Ryanair increased the price of a flight for refugees fleeing from her war-torn country by almost 200 Polish zloty while she was trying to complete a booking for one adult and two children on Sunday. Mariya Nikishanova was attempting to purchase plane tickets from her Ennis home for a friend, Maryna and her two children who are crossing the Polish border to help them fly from Poland to Warsaw and then onto Dublin on March 3. In an interview with the Clare Champion, she recalled she was buying the tickets for Ryanair from the Polish town. “The price was 543 zloty, she gave me the names and I put the correct spellings in, I started to buy and when I pressed pay on the Ryanair site it said to go back, I went back and the price was 715 zloty.” “In a few minutes because there is a demand they raised the price by 200, …

AS international attention focuses on the crisis in Ukraine, one Clare woman has a powerful but unenviable insight into the political crisis. Lena Madden was born and reared in Ukraine but has lived in Ireland for the past 12 years. She is an Irish citizen but both her parents still live in Ukraine. Divorced and in different cities, they are on opposing sides of the political and ideological divide. “One of them is based in a Russian-speaking region and the other one is based in a Ukrainian-speaking region, so I have two stories and they are totally different. Things have polarised in both areas,” Lena told The Clare Champion. “My biggest fear is that war will break out,” she said. In late November, protestors took to the streets of Kiev after the Government decided not to sign an agreement fostering greater integration with the European Union. Instead, it announced it would begin looking to improve co-operation with Russia. On February …