Cork charity marks 40th anniversary of Chornobyl disaster
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An Taoiseach, Micheál Martin addressing attendees at a Chornobyl 40th anniversary memorial in Bishop Lucey Park.Image 2 of 4
Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Fergal Dennehy; founder of Greater Chornobyl Cauese, Fiona Corcoran; An Taoiseach, Micheál Martin; and Her Excellency Larysa Gerasko, Ukrainian Ambassador to Ireland.Image 3 of 4
The children of Goggins Hill National School choir performed at the memorial.Image 4 of 4
Members of the Ukrainian community in Ireland travelled to Cork for Sunday’s memorial.Michael Olney
There were scenes of extraordinary human connection, solidarity, and compassion recently when the 40th anniversary of the Chornobyl disaster was marked at Bishop Lucey Park.
Held on Sunday by the Greater Chornobyl Cause, the memorial service was attended by An Taoiseach, Micheál Martin; Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Fergal Dennehy and Her Excellency Larysa Gerasko, Ukrainian Ambassador to Ireland.
A special feature of this year’s commemoration was the Cork charity’s dedicated birch grove within Bishop Lucey Park where a plaque honours the victims of Chornobyl.
Music and poetry filled the air on the day thanks to performances by Goggins Hill National School, Kalyna choir, and the Ukrainian community who delivered a stirring rendition of the Ukrainian national anthem which brought many to tears.
The commemoration was also attended by members of the Ukrainian community in Ireland who travelled from all corners of the country to stand together in unity on Leeside.
During the service, attendees stood together in the birch grove where they lit candles, called out the names of victims, observed a minute’s silence, and lowered the national flag to half-mast.
Greater Chornobyl Cause founder, Fiona Corcoran, recalled a particularly moving moment from the memorial service.
She said: “A young lady approached me and gifted me white flowers. I hadn’t seen her since she was a child—one of the children of Chornobyl welcomed to Cork many years ago. To see her now, grown and thriving, was a living testament to hope, healing, and the enduring impact of compassion and solidarity.”
Speaking at the commemoration on Sunday, Ms Corcoran reminded onlookers of the enduring pain of Chornobyl in the lives of children with life-limiting illnesses, in the isolation of the elderly, and in the memories of those who lost everything.
She said: “Now, as war against Ukraine rages into its fifth year, new wounds are opened on old scars, and suffering is compounded. The resilience and dignity of the survivors continue to inspire us, even in the face of unimaginable hardship.
“Our annual service is a solemn promise that their story will never be forgotten, and that Ireland stands with them—today and always.”
In his address, An Taoiseach Micheál Martin added his voice to the collective spirit of solidarity in the park.
He said: “We pause not only to remember a tragedy that changed the course of countless lives, but also to honour the extraordinary courage and resilience of those who have endured its legacy. Ireland stands shoulder to shoulder with the survivors, the heroic liquidators, and all those still suffering both from the consequences of the disaster and the horrors of conflict.”