Tag Archives: ukraine

ASSURANCES have been given on the arrangements for school transport for Ukrainian pupils who have recently arrived in North Clare. Among them are 26 children who have been welcomed into St Augustine’s National School in Kilshanny. They are part of a group of around 500 people to take up residence in Lisdoonvarna in recent weeks. More than 100 children are being provided with educational facilities, based on availability in neighbouring schools. While the new arrivals were provided with private bus transport for a number of days, the Department of Education has not made any formal provision yet and the children have no other way to get to the school, which is around seven kilometres away. Councillor Joe Garrihy said Lisdoonvarna Fáilte are prepared to do all in their power to welcome new arrivals and ease their access to local services. “We have been searching behind every hedge for bus transport and everyone has been really cooperative, however we did have …

MORE than €2,000 was collected in just one day at an Ennis secondary school as part of their ongoing efforts to raise funds in support of people in Ukraine. A number of teachers and students have organised a committee to discuss a number of fundraising initiatives to help with the Ukrainian Humanitarian Appeal, including a non-uniform day which was held last Wednesday. The students showed their support for the Ukrainian people by wearing blue and yellow and contributing generously to the appeal. A video was shown to all classes in the school to create awareness of the humanitarian crisis and to remind the school community to help those who need it most with over €2,000 collected. The money will be donated to a sponsored local lorry fill organised by Eoin Gavin Transport Ukraine Appeal (Bunratty). The money will purchase essential food items from BWG Value Centre (formerly Mangans) and the lorry can be tracked on its journey across Europe. James …

OVER 150 Ukrainian refugees had arrived at Shannon by last Monday, having had to flee their homes and leave their old lives behind. Aiden Lonergan is National Director of Community Support for the Irish Red Cross, and is also a Garda Sergeant, based in Ennis. Speaking about the work of the Red Cross with the refugees here he said, “Our response in Clare is primarily focused around Shannon Airport. People are arriving in there and as they arrive Red Cross members are providing them with basic support. “They land in Shannon, there are three to five Red Cross members there for when the flights arrive and we try to give them basic supports in terms of tea, coffee, fruit, basic food items, personal hygiene items, children can get bubbles, colouring pencils, cuddly toys, that kind of thing.” How are the people when they arrive here? “I suppose like many people after a very long and difficult journey, some of them …

HUNDREDS of people fleeing war-ravaged Ukraine have received a cead míle fáilte in North Clare as community groups, organisations and local representatives have come together to ensure a co-ordinated welcome for the new arrivals. More than 500 Ukrainians have arrived in Lisdoonvarna with a further 100 staying in Ballyvaughan in local hotels. This isn’t the first time that Lisdoonvarna has played host to the people of Ukraine as the town has fond memories of welcoming the Ukrainian Special Olympics delegation in 2003. More than 200 Ukrainian refugees who are now staying in the Hydro Hotel in Lisdoonvarna this week called for world leaders to stop the war. The refugees who arrived at the hotel last week have called for peace saying, “All Ukrainians and all people of the world, one peace now. Please stop this senseless war. World leaders help us to stop this war. Kindness and compassion to all humanity.” Hotel owner Marcus White told The Clare Champion that …

UKRAINE will be to the forefront of a musical fundraiser in Tulla on Saturday (March 26), when a wealth of East Clare talent with gather in solidarity.  Moved by the plight of those who have been forced to flee their homes, a group of local musicians and singers will perform in the the square in Tulla, throughout the day, to raise funds for the refugees from the Ukraine.  Among those performing will be Aisling and Leah Hunt, Andrew Mac Namara and Michael Landers, John Canny and Mark Donnellan, Mary Mac Namara and Risteard Crimmins, Cushla,  Àine and Cara Murphy. They will be joined by a group of local singers under the baton of Joan Culloo Mac Namara. The fundraiser will run from 10am to 5 pm. All money raised will be sent to the Irish Red Cross Ukraine Crisis Appeal.

AN appeal launched locally to support a former Ennis resident helping Ukrainian people fleeing their country has raised more than €3,000 in less than a week. The Ennis-based Ireland Poland Ukraine Refugee Relief (IPURR) was recently set up to help Ukrainians driven from their country by the war and has been collecting donations to support their Polish friends Marcin Piotrowski and Marina Sestasvili-Piotrowska. (See Champion story here) The family lived and worked in Ennis for over a decade before returning to Poland in 2017, and since the Russian invasion they have been providing important help close to the Ukrainian – Polish border. Pat Rutherford of the IPURR committee told us that there has been a “steady stream” of support for the gofundme page  https://gofund.me/d11b390e that has been set up to collect donations. He expressed appreciation for the generous contributions that have been made so far while urging people to give if they can to the worthy cause. Donations made will …

INFLATION was a reality before the invasion of Ukraine, but the war is going to exacerbate it significantly, says Tommy Corbett of Ennis based Carey Corbett Financial Solutions. “We’ve had inflation for the last 12 months, mainly driven by supply chain side and the disruption of supply chains on goods coming from afar. There was also pent up demand. “People hadn’t spent money during Covid, and when it was finished they had a lot more money in their pockets and tended to spend a bit more. But from now on what’s happening in Ukraine is going to drive it even further. Things like wheat will come into play and the supply of gas and oil is going to dry up and that’ll drive things even further.” The rise in petrol and diesel prices is one of the starkest reminders, he feels. “It’s hitting home when you got to the pumps and see it’s €2 or even €2.14 or €2.15 a …

Ukrainian teenager pleads with her mother prior to fleeing bloody conflict A Ukrainian refugee, who is now living in Ennis, has revealed her eldest daughter asked to be killed because she didn’t want to die during the bloody war. Maryna Biriukova-Stefaniuk is one of five Ukrainian adults and five children who are now residing with her friend Mariya Nikishanova in Park Avenue, Ennis. The 35 year-old mother was forced to flee Kyiv with her two daughters, Anna-Mariya (9) and Solomiia (13) due to safety concerns. In a heart-wrenching interview with The Clare Champion, Maryna said she wanted to stay close to her husband but her eldest daughter, Solomiia started crying and pleaded with her “please kill me because I don’t want to die”. “She was hysterical, she couldn’t stop crying and was hiding under a coat. It was very very scary. There were lots of tears. We decided we would leave. We had 30 minutes to pack all of our …