Sending aid from afar
While they may not be fighting on the front lines, the Association of Ukrainians in the Republic of Ireland are ensuring that their members are still making a contribution to the war against Russia.
Led by their director Sergiy Balan, who lives in Laragh, the group recently donated two vehicles to help evacuate those injured in the conflict from the frontlines.
“We gave a Range Rover jeep, which was donated by Farrell Brady who owns the Lakeside manor, as well as a Ford Transit van, which is a 4x4, very good for off the road, which we bought for €3,500 from funds we raised from doing activities such as concerts, as well as an i-donate fundraising campaign. We have a lot of support from Irish people and companies, even the company transporting the vehicles gives us a good discount on the transport, which allows us to give even more support,” Sergiy told the Celt.
He says that the association and the Irish public have been most generous in giving aid to Ukraine and urges for more to be sent.
“We started up in 2008. Before the war, we were a place for Ukrainians to meet. We also had a school in Dublin open on Saturday to teach the Ukrainian language to kids of Ukrainian parents who were born in Ireland. Since the war started, we changed to give humanitarian help. We’ve raised over €750,000 to date and have sent 42 vehicles so far," he revealed.
The group gather at a a hub in Tallaght on the premises of an old supermarket to send out the aid.
"We’ve also joined with Medical Help Ukraine, a group of Ukrainian doctors living in Ireland, to send aid over. One of the things we’re doing together is collecting equipment from gyms to send to hospitals to help rehabilitate soldiers who have been injured, we need to think of the future," he continued.
Sergiy is from a small village near the city Vinnytsia, located on the Southern Bug River, in west-central Ukraine, 400 kilometres from the capital Kyiv, and 50 kilometres from the border with Moldova.
While he initially wanted to join the war effort, he decided he was more useful in Ireland.
“I wanted to go back to the frontline, it's inhumane what is going on there, but we said 'I’m able to do more to help from here.' I’ve been in Cavan for 22 years, first in Ballinagh, then I moved to Laragh where I built my house, I’m a Cavan man, I have lots of contacts here who can help.”
Sergiy says that he is worried about the reputation of the Ukrainian people given the influx of refugees arriving here since the beginning of the war in February 2022.
“A lot of people came over and looked to start working immediately. But some have a different attitude and sit down and wait, which is a bit of a shame. We used to have a very good name as Ukrainians but, now that different people have come, the news is not as good. We want to show that we are not all like this. We need to help Ukrainians. Maybe we look after them too much, they should give them the bare minimum to anyone who is available to work. Social welfare is good but at the same time it destroys people.”
He says that, one of the reasons why Ireland has given so much support to Ukraine, is that we are able to empathise with their plight.
“We’re very oppressed by our bigger neighbour, Irish people understand this a lot. I was talking to a man who lived in a one-bedroom house, and he said he’d take a Ukrainian family to live with him, I asked ‘where will you go?’ and he said ‘don’t worry about me, I’ll sleep in the kitchen!’"
Sergiy is keen for members of the Ukrainian community to show thanks for the support they have received and to create positive interactions between them and the Irish people.
“Although language is a big issue for us, we want to break the barriers that divide us and show thanks to the people who have helped us so much. At the Ukrainian development centre on Bridge Street in Cavan there are lots of things organised by Ukrainian people for the public like art classes, music, yoga, dancing, Ukrainian language. We work closely with companies such as Breifne Integrated to do things like this.”
Fundraiser
To raise funds the association is hosting a fundraiser this weekend.
“We are having a classical music conference on Saturday, October 1 at 2pm in the Cathedral of Ss Patrick and Felim. It will feature acts such as the internationally known Yershovy family, as well as Olga Doroshchuk, the opera singer, the Ukrainian theatre and film actress, with the conductor, the Merited Artist of Ukraine, Viktoriya Zhadko. There will also be an art exhibit and a cake sale,” Sergiy revealed.