Children hit right note in Cork on Ukraine’s special day

The members of the Cork Ukrainian Children’s Choir never faltered through heartfelt renditions of Shche ne vmerla Ukrainy i slava, i volia and Amhrán na bhFiann yesterday afternoon in Fitzgerald’s Park.

It was Independence Day for Ukraine, marking 34 years since the declaration of independence on August 24, 1991, and the young people sang their national anthem, Ukraine Has Not Yet Perished, and followed it with The Soldier’s Song, the song of their adopted home.

Earlier in the day, Taoiseach Micheál Martin had paid tribute to the ongoing and outstanding courage and determination of Ukraine’s people.

“More than ever, we remain steadfast in our support for a free and independent Ukraine,” Mr Martin said. “More than ever, we will work with EU colleagues and the US for a just, secure, and lasting peace for the people of Ukraine.”

In Fitzgerald’s Park, Ukraine’s ambassador to Ireland, Gerasko Larysa, said Ireland had become a safe haven for more than 100,000 Ukrainians.

“Here they found safety, education, work, and dignity. We will never forget that,” 

she said.

Ireland’s support was “true friendship, and we remember”, she added.

Fianna Fáil councillor Fergal Dennehy, the mayor of Cork City, said this Independence Day was more than a celebration, it was an act of defiant hope.

“As Lord Mayor of Cork, I stand here proudly alongside our Ukrainian community, and with all of you, honouring Ukraine’s resilience,” he added.

Mr Dennehy said the sense of community shown by Ukrainians in Cork, while also giving back, had made a city of welcomes all the better, adding:

“You have shown us, not only how to survive hardship, but how to go forward with dignity.”

The former lord mayor, Green Party councillor Dan Boyle, who was described from the stage as a great friend to Cork’s Ukrainian community, said the day was further recognition of the importance of that community.

“It’s also a reminder of the hell the country has endured, and that needs to be brought to a peaceful conclusion, but peace means nothing without justice,” he added.