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THE Ukrainian community are coming together on this Friday, February 24, at 5pm to hold a candlelit vigil in the Square in Tralee.
There will be music and speeches from the Mayor of Tralee Cllr. Mikey Sheehy and the Ukrainian community to mark on year since the Russian invasion of the country.
The event is being organised by the Ukrainian community in Tralee and a spokesperson from the organising group said; “It has been a year of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, but in fact, this fight has been going on for at least 9 years.”
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“Ukrainians choose freedom because it is the highest value for Ukraine and the entire civilised world. We fight and die for the right to live, dream and rule freely on our land. The price of this struggle is tens of thousands of dead and wounded civilians and military, completely destroyed Ukrainian cities and villages, and a huge migration crisis, with millions of people forced to leave their homes and flee to other countries.”
The spokesperson continued; “The event we are organising is to remember our loved ones still in our home country and those who lives have been lost in the war. It is also to thank the people of Kerry who have warmly welcomed the Ukrainian community to their county and who have helped ensure the safety of women and children who fled their homes in the days after the invasion last February and every day since then.”
The event is being supported by Tralee International Resource Centre who have helping the thousands who arrived in Kerry since the war first began and who continue to arrive daily.
“This event is for the Ukrainian community and the local community to join together to mark the year anniversary of the invasion that forced them to flee to Ireland and Kerry. It has been a difficult year for all involved but the love and compassion and welcome shown by Kerry to those who need their help has strengthened the hearts of the Ukraine community,” said TIRC co-ordinator Mary Carroll.
“It had been a privilege for TIRC to be part of the incredible community response to this crisis, and we will continue to support the Ukrainian community with all our supports, from English classes, to employment advice to general information on living in Ireland,” she continued.
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