Vigil to mark 2nd anniversary of Ukraine War takes to take place in Ashbourne this evening
A candlelit vigil to mark the second anniversary of the Ukraine War will take place this evening in Ashbourne.
Friends of Ukraine, Ashbourne has organised the event to remember those that are displaced and away from family and friends.
The evening of reflection takes place outside Ashbourne Library from 6.30pm to 7.30pm. Those attending are asked to bring a candle and a teddy which will be donated afterwards to a Ukrainian orphanage.
At last year’s vigil to mark the first anniversary of the Russian invasion, those gathered watched a video that viscerally showed the picture postcard country of Ukraine before and after it's devastating descent into war and destruction.
The eight-minute video montage opens with footage of Ukraine's rural beauty and modern cityscapes, sweeping drone footage of ancient architecture and rolling countryside dotted with historic castles with their gold onion-shaped domes.
That serenity and peace vanished on the morning of the 23rd February 2022 as Russian invaders began the destruction of the peaceful, beautiful country of Ukraine and the terrorisation of its people. Cities like Bucha, Mariupol, Kherson, and Kharkiv reduced to rubble and millions of people killed or displaced.
The video starts as a picture postcard to a Ukraine that the proud people of that country would want you to visit, but who will now need our help rebuild in the years after this nightmare ends.
Fine Gael Cllr Alan Tobin urges anyone able to attend to show up and support people who have experienced the trauma of war.
"The Friends of Ukraine have organised this themselves and they want this to be a solemn occasion where they are remembering after two years of war their family at home and their friends who have died and have been badly affected by it," said Tobin.
"And they are also hoping that the war at some stage will come to an end and they will be able to go home," he added.
“Our Ukrainian community here in Ashbourne have enriched the area and are the first to help out with local projects and we will stand in solidarity with them this evening."