Cork to mark Chernobyl tragedy 39 years on in Fitzgerald's Park

At midday on Saturday, the Lord Mayor of Cork and the Ukrainian ambassador will be joined by members of the city’s Ukrainian community and a locally based international charity to mark the 39th anniversary of a nuclear catastrophe that shook the world.

On Saturday, April 26, 1986, the worst nuclear disaster in history occurred, an explosion and fire at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine which caused radioactive fallout to spew into the atmosphere.

Dozens of people died in the immediate aftermath of the disaster, while the long-term death toll from radiation poisoning is believed to number in the thousands.

While estimates of the eventual total death toll vary, a 2006 World Health Organization study projected 9,000 cancer-related fatalities in Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia.

Every year, Cork charity The Greater Chernobyl Cause commemorates the sacrifices of victims of the catastrophe and, in recent times, the war in Ukraine at an anniversary event in Fitzgerald’s Park in Cork. This year, the Lord Mayor, Green Party councillor Dan Boyle, will preside over the ceremony, while Larysa Gerasko, Ukraine’s ambassador to Ireland, will also be present.

The event will be attended by city councillors, representatives from the Navy, Fire Brigade, and Defence Forces, and they will be joined by local people and members of Cork’s Ukrainian community.

Poetry, music, songs, and prayers will mark the occasion, and candles will be lit, with a roll call of the fatalities from the 1986 nuclear disaster recited.

They will observe a minute of silence prior to performing the Last Post and lowering the flag to half-mast.

Fiona Corcoran, founder of The Greater Chernobyl Cause, said the charity opposed the war crimes committed by Russia against the Ukrainian people.

“We stand in solidarity with our Ukrainian brothers and sisters, who up until three years ago had homes, security, and normal lives,” she said.

“Up until three years ago, people in Ukraine lived normal lives, complete with homes and security.” 

Ms Corcoran began her charitable work in the region directly affected by the Chernobyl disaster, and after the subsequent collapse of The Soviet Union she widened her efforts in Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan.

She said her charity continues to play a leading role in the supply of humanitarian aid right across Ukraine, adding that “the empathy and love of the Irish is clearly evident as we stand with Ukraine in their time of need”.

As of February 2025, approximately 7,059 Ukrainian refugees were residing in Cork, with 1,500 in Cork city and 2,400 in Cork county, according to the National Association of Support Groups (NASC).