Tag Archives: ukraine

CLARE Senator Timmy Dooley travelled to Kyiv earlier this week, where he met political leaders including Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna, while he was brought to the sites of the atrocities close to the city. “We travelled out to Irpin and Buca, to see at first hand what the occupiers did while they were there. There is utter devastation, homes completely demolished, attacks on civilians, you can see where people were shot in their cars as they tried to escape,” he said. Senator Dooley said there were appalling attacks on civilians and there are strong indications of war crimes. “We were taken to a churchyard where people had been buried temporarily by the priest and the local community, just necessary for a sanitary point of view. In some cases they were able to get body bags to bury them and in other cases they had to buried in mass graves without any body bag. Now that they have pushed the …

CLARE’S artistic community have shown their true colours of generosity by finding various ways to support the people of Ukraine. From selling artworks to raise funds for charities helping those affected by the war with Russia, to offering to give lessons to refugees who have found shelter in Clare, a number of local artists across the county have offered their support. Among those is Lahinch-based artist Michael Hanrahan who recently auctioned off one of his paintings with funds raised going to the Red Cross to help the people of Ukraine. He has also offered to provide water colour classes for Ukrainian refugees who have arrived in North Clare, believing the power of art may provide some kind of therapy for the new arrivals. Michael, who travels the world teaching watercolour painting on cruise liners, painted a view of the Algarve in Portugal while visiting the country earlier this year. He said that when news began to emerge of what was …

HOME for Natalia (25) and Pedro (28) is now at the Oakwood in Shannon, having left their native Lviv after Russia’s invasion. Also with them are Natalia’s 16-year-old brother and her six-year-old sister. At the moment her brother is still getting online education from Ukraine just as Irish children did during the various lockdowns, while her sister is one of 13 Ukrainian children at St Conaire’s. While both want to return to Ukraine as soon as will be possible, Natalia is delighted with the welcome they have received in Shannon. “It’s lovely here. We have a place to stay, food, schools, English classes, everything we need is here.” Her parents are still at home in Ukraine, and due to the nature of their jobs in a medical company there, they cannot leave. Pedro’s father is also still at home, but his mother and sister have left for Italy, where they have relatives. Pedro himself was already out of Ukraine by …

INCREASED supports including translators must be put in place for Clare’s Ukrainian school population “as a matter of priority”. That’s according to Fianna Fáil TD for Clare Cathal Crowe who outlines that hundreds of displaced Ukrainians have taken up residence in the county, with more expected. Voluntary groups and donations from members of the public have been hugely forthcoming, but more help is needed, he says. “Over the past fortnight, I have visited most of the accommodation centres that are being used to house Ukrainian refugees in the county,” said Deputy Crowe. “These people have come from very harrowing situations and are hugely appreciative of the warm welcome they’ve received from the people of Clare. “It’s incredible to think that, on Census night 2022, 1.5% of Clare’s population – ordinarily 118,000 – are now Ukrainian nationals. “In 100 years’ time, when people look back and study this period of our history, this will tell a lot about who we are …

AN Ennis man who was part of a convoy of Tesla drivers bringing Ukrainian refugees to Ireland has told how he still gets emotional thinking about the experience. John Casey, founder of the Tesla Owners Group in Ireland, also revealed the drivers are planning a return trip to help even more people to safety. John recently returned from Poznan in Poland where he was part of a humanitarian endeavour which saw more than 70 Ukrainians, including a three-month old baby, brought by car across Europe to Ireland. He explains that fellow Tesla driver and member of the group Tom McEnaney, founder of International Orphanage Development Programme Ltd, approached him last month with the idea of the club helping people in Ukraine. Having put the word out to the members on Thursday, March 24, a convoy of 15 cars and a van set out for Poznan. Fellow club member, and director at Unicef, Caroline Dowling flew out ahead of time to …

A NUMBER of Nigerian people who were living in Kyiv until a few weeks ago are now being accommodated in the West County Hotel. On Friday two of them, a 28-year-old female doctor and a male marine biologist of the same age said that they have had a fantastic welcome to the Banner. While neither wished to be named publicly, both said that the people of Clare have shown a lot of empathy, and done whatever they could to make them comfortable here.  Both originally went to Ukraine to study, and the woman said that it was possible to receive a very high standard of education there, at a reasonable cost. “Studying medicine in Ukraine is quite affordable compared to other European countries or in America, the tuition is much cheaper.” Her friend agreed, “Studying in Ukraine is quite affordable, and in the field of marine engineering they have some of the best universities, they have a very good reputation.” …

A Nigerian man who has recently arrived in Clare from Ukraine has highlighted the huge difficulties getting out of the country. “We had to walk three hours before we got to the border between Ukraine and Poland. There were a lot of people there, I don’t know, maybe 20,000. “The lines were so long and you had to keep on walking slowly for maybe 20 more hours, I was so tired I could sleep standing up,” he said this week. It was a long wait in freezing temperatures. “It was so cold that night. It was crazy, kids were crying, not because of the journey but because it was so cold. Guys were going to the forest to get sticks and try and burn them. It was around -4 degrees.” He says that he misses his old life hugely. “My life was good, very good, I have lost almost everything. I’d been living in Ukraine for about 17 years. I …

SCHOOL places for Ukrainian children fleeing the war will be allocated based on capacity and existing enrolment, the Education Minister has told a Clare TD. On foot of three Dáil questions from Deputy Cathal Crowe, Minister Norma Foley outlined a range of supports for children forced to flee Ukraine and come to Ireland. She said the Department of Education already has school capacity data based on annual enrolment returns. However, the location where families are living will also have a bearing, she confirmed, and coordination will take place with other Government departments. In the first instance, Deputy Crowe asked what steps that her Department of Education has taken to mark sure schools “are adequately equipped with teachers, accommodation, furniture, schoolbooks, special needs assistants and so on, to cater for the influx of Ukrainian children that will be entering their schools”. Deputy Crowe also asked that Departmental staff might be appointed as coordinators “to oversee the even distribution of Ukrainian children to …