Tag Archives: ukraine

A LOCAL Ennis group has been set up to help Ukrainian refugees driven out of their country following the invasion by Russia. The group, Ireland Poland Ukraine Refugee Relief (IPURR) are fundraising to support their Polish friend Marcin Piotrowski, who lived in Ennis but now lives in Poland, 10km from the Ukraine border. Last week the Clare Champion detailed how Marcin and his wife Marina’s have been helping those fleeing Ukraine by providing vital supplies to those on the border as well as a place of refuge in their home. The members of the new group are Anna Labuda Scanlon, Mayor of Ennis Ann Norton, Kieran O’Loughlin, Frank Gormley, Ray Scanlon and Pat Rutherford Councillor Norton tells us, “Marcin has an excellent reputation in Ireland as a humanitarian. He has done trojan work in Ireland in helping to integrate his community into Irish society. “He started, amongst other things, the Polish Ireland Festival, which took place not only in Ennis …

LOCAL volunteers who have gathered donations to send to war ravaged Ukraine have been told by a Polish charity they have made the largest contribution of goods in Ireland. More than 50 pallets of donations including food, clothes and medical items are now making their way from Clare to Poland, where non-profit Polish charity WOSP will distribute them to Ukrainian people in need. The Ukrainian Relief Fund Committee have been co-ordinating the collection, sorting and packing of goods from individuals, groups, schools and businesses across the county in recent days from their base in the Tracklands Business Park in Ennis. On Wednesday the last of the donations were piled onto a truck and waved off by the volunteers. Julian Czucha, who along with his wife Paulina Podstawska is part of the committee, explains they had initially planned a small collection collaborating with volunteers in Ennis through the local Polish School (Polanka). However, the generosity of the people of Clare soon …

VLADA Gorbunova is a relieved woman at the moment, as her grandmother managed to leave her war-torn home in the east of Ukraine, traverse the country and finally cross the Polish border to safety, writes Owen Ryan. Vlada, who lives in Ennis and first came to Ireland in 1997, was in Krakow when she spoke to the Champion on Wednesday, and was looking forward to getting home. “We’re just trying to sit tight now until our flights on Friday evening.” Her grandmother is about to turn 75, and has been through a traumatic few weeks, as well as having to leave her home behind. It has been a huge ordeal, Vlada says. “She’s tired, anxious, the whole lot. She’s left her life behind so it’s not easy.” At the same time she was lucky to get away from a terrible situation that was still declining. “She’s relieved, things have got a lot worse since she left. She got one of …

TWO OF the county’s biggest GAA rivals have come together to collaborate with Eoin Gavin Transport to assist the people of Ukraine. Both Newmarket-on-Fergus and Sixmilebridge are known as fierce rivals on the hurling and camogie fields but the clubs have put their differences to one side as they encourage their members to partake in a joint venture whereby they will help Bunratty based Eoin Gavin Transport fill a truck full of twenty six pallets containing vital items to be transported to Ukraine. As part of the Irish hauliers network, Eoin Gavin Transport have given a commitment to make their trucks available to get supplies into Ukraine as its country continues to come blistering attacks from Russia. This Tuesday, an Eoin Gavin Transport truck will be on the ferry and move towards Hrubieszowski Ośrodek Sportu i Rekreacji in Hrubieszow, beside the Ukrainian border in Poland. “The trucks will be coming, they will be pulling open the curtains and distributing the …

A BOYCOTT of Russian goods in response to the invasion of Ukraine has been called for by Ennis councillors, who have also urged the people of Clare to support local efforts to provide relief for the war-stricken country. Councillor Clare Colleran Molloy, speaking at the monthly meeting of the Ennis Municipal District, urged that retailers who are stocking products made in Russia withdraw them from shelves as she described President Vladimir Putin as a “modern day Hitler”. She said that the people of Ireland are “repulsed” by recent events in Ukraine. She acknowledged, “This is not the Russian people, they are in the dark, this is being done by a megalomaniac who is detached from reality. He doesn’t care about Russian soldiers in Ukraine who thought they were going in on exercises. This is an appalling betrayal of his own people. But this shouldn’t deter us from boycotting Russia economically.” Mayor of Ennis, Councillor Ann Norton praised the people of …

AN Ennis group of volunteers are working with well known Polish charity WOSP in transporting necessary supplies to the Polish/ Ukrainian border. WOSP is the biggest non-profit charity in Poland. WOSP are collaborating with local volunteers in Ennis through the local Polish School (Polanka) in transporting vital items for the Ukrainian refugees in the coming days. This is a nationwide project initiated by our Polish community. The items needed include, thermal blankets, sleeping bags, sleeping mats, hygiene products- toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, body wash, tampons, sanitary towels, cotton wool and baby wipes. Disposable plates, cups and cutlery. Baby food and formula. Disposable gloves and face masks. First Aid items- bandages, plasters and dressings. Powerbanks, USB charging cables, battery operated flashlights and batteries. Noise cancelling headphones and earplugs along with thermos mugs and flasks. “These items can be dropped off at our unit at Tracklands Business Park, Clon Road More in Ennis – V95 F3C5 (beside Pitman Training Clare)  each day between …

THE Russian ambassador to Ireland Yuri Filatov should be sent home, Senator Timmy Dooley believes, having been part of a campaign of misinformation in the build-up to his country’s invasion of Ukraine.  “I’m very slow to say things like that, I’m not given to that kind of carry-on, calling for people to be expelled, but I just think it has reached a threshold beyond which general diplomacy isn’t relevant. He has told lies all the way through. What purpose does it serve any of us having an actor in place who is not telling the truth?  “We’ve often had countries like that, but the ambassador would shut his mouth, he’d stay back from the front line and would remain behind the scenes and act as a back channel to the jurisdiction. “Of course they’d represent their country, but if they couldn’t tell you the truth they’d say nothing. This fella’s actions and his utterances were absolutely part of the campaign …

A FAMILY who left Ennis in recent years have opened their hearts, and their home, close to the Polish / Ukraine border to those fleeing the Russian invasion. Marcin Piotrowski and his wife Marina Sestasvili-Piotrowska who lived in Ennis for more than a decade with their children have been playing a key role in providing support to Ukrainian people escaping the conflict. As well as giving Ukrainians refuge in their guest house Chutor Gorajec in Poland, just a few kilmotres from the border, they have also been co-ordinating the gathering and distribution of vital supplies including food, tents, medicines and blankets for those still waiting to cross the border. Marcin and other volunteers regularly cross the border into Ukraine to bring donations to those in need, while Marina looks after those who have come to their guest house seeking shelter. A warehouse has been set up to house the donations which have been flooding in from all parts of Poland …