'I can stay, my son can stay in school': Joy in Killarney as refugees allowed to remain

Hannah Bieliaieva and her son Yurii are overjoyed at the decision to allow 135 Ukrainian refugees to stay in Killarney. Picture: Anne Lucey

There were tears of joy and immense relief in Killarney this morning after the Government announced it was reversing its decision to relocate 135 Ukrainian refugees to Mayo.

Just minutes before busses arrived to take members of the Ukrainian community who were living in Hotel Killarney to Westport, news came through of the U-turn by Integration Minister Roderic O'Gorman.

The Ukrainian refugees — who have been staying at the hotel for six months and are made up mostly of women and children — were being relocated to make room for 200 male asylum-seekers. They had been given just 48 hours' notice that they were to be moved to Westport.

A number of the Ukrainian women had vowed not to get on the bus. Hanna (Anna) Bieliavieva had been told she was to leave at 11am on Wednesday. On Tuesday, she described how she arrived in Killarney with her two sons, aged six and eight, from a camp in Poland in March. She is from Kharkiv.

She had arrived with nothing but a backpack and the people of Killarney had brought toys and clothes. On Wednesday morning, a smiling Anna thanked the media and holding her six-year-old son Yurii said: “I am very happy.” “You see today! I am very happy.”

Julia Bondarenko arrived in March from the Donbas region with her two children, a boy aged 11 and a girl aged seven. Her husband drove here two weeks ago. Her son Vsevolody and daughter Kira were crying last night at having to leave their Killarney friends.

Julia who works in the Great Southern Hotel, had vowed to live in the family car, rather than move to Westport from Killarney. On Wednesday, an overjoyed Julia said: “Finally, I have peace in my heart and my soul. Tomorrow I go to work. My daughter and my son go to school."

Julia Bondarenko said moving her children again was her biggest worry. She does not know where they will move to now but is happy that they will remain somewhere around Killarney.

Speaking through fellow Ukrainian Voktoriia Volkova, she said: “I have a job in the Great Southern [hotel]. My children are in school, they have friends here. I can support my children here, work and be useful to Irish society. I am an independent woman and do not want to sit on welfare.

“Finally we can continue our lives here.”

Hundreds of people, including neighbours, schoolteachers and members of the Polish community, many draped in Ukrainian flags, had gathered in solidarity early this morning at the hotel before the news emerged the refugees would be allowed to stay.

Teachers and classroom assistants from St Oliver’s, where 25 children from the hotel attend, as well as the principal of St Brendan’s secondary school, had gathered with hundreds of others to say goodbye and voice their objections.

St Oliver’s teacher Noel O’Sullivan said they were there in “a show of solidarity”. “There were lots of tears in the classrooms this morning,” Mr O’Sullivan said.

He described the removal as “inhumane and heartless”. One of the Ukrainian boys told him he had not slept at all last night; while the 11-year-old friend of another was in tears.

“We felt strongly as a school community that this was the wrong decision. We were made aware of viable alternative accommodation options in Killarney so we felt very strongly that if we had to leave here we’d deal with that but they had to stay in Killarney and St Oliver’s because they’re part of our school."

Sheila Casey, chairperson of the organisation Kasi, which was instrumental in convening meetings to resist the relocation, questioned why the decision to allow the community to remain “had to go down to the wire” this morning.

“What has shocked us all big time is to think there was accommodation, already registered with Ipas, in Killarney and this was brought to the attention of Ipas and the department by Brendan Griffin TD and yet it had to go down to the wire.”

Principal of St Brendan’s College Seán Coffey said the issue for schools was one of trust. The decision to suddenly remove the pupils and their families after the huge work which had been put into very successful integration in Killarney had undermined the relationship between students and teachers in all schools.

“This has re-established it. It is a common-sense solution.”

The Ukrainian students were not alone integrated in St Brendan’s but “they have added to the school community”. One of the students now in fifth year and staying at the hotel is on duty for the school’s open night on Wednesday.

“And he was to be gone if this went ahead,” Mr Coffey said. “I’m delighted this has been reversed.”

Niall Kelleher, mayor of Killarney, who worked with Fine Gael TD Brendan Griffin on getting the decision reversed, said it was welcome news.

“I hope lessons have been learned,” he said of Ipas. 

What happened was a huge mistake, especially as there were solutions.

He said the community had rallied to help find alternative local accommodation for the Ukrainian women and children.

“Yesterday, Minister O’Gorman said there was difficulty sourcing accommodation.

“It was very important that we offered solutions to the minister’s problem, which we were able to do.

“Accommodation was offered by holiday home operators, hotel operators and I’ve had calls from people who have accommodation available for short-term lets. There were a lot of offers from the people around Killarney.

“We have to remember that there are children in school with our children who were sitting next to them yesterday but not today. Thankfully, they can go back to the classrooms.” 

Although their immediate future remains uncertain, there was an overwhelming sense of relief from Ukrainians in Killarney.

“We’re elated, excited and delighted that the decision has been reversed and the residents of this hotel can stay here in Killarney,” Jean Eustace said.

“They don’t need fancy accommodation, they just ask that they can stay here where they’ve put down roots. They’ve been here over six months. They have schools, jobs and they’re part of the local community.”

Speaking for Antonia Khrystieva and her baby Platon from Nikolaev who was born in Kerry this summer, she said the trip would have been very difficult for her friend’s baby.

“He was born July 20 as a surprise — she did not know she was pregnant! He was premature so he is a very special baby.

“The bus trip would have been very difficult and he’s under care of the local health services. A move would have been a huge disruption to his care and his health.”

Orthodox monastic priest, Fr Benjamen, who arrived a month ago from the north of the Ukraine and is also staying at the hotel, said his community were six weeks waiting for a priest in Killarney and he was happy now he and others were not being moved.

“Brutal” was how Rev Simon Lumby, Church of Ireland, described the letter to the Ukrainian community. He had called for “a stay of execution” on Radio Kerry.

Integration Minister Roderic O’Gorman and his officials decided, under significant pressure from Government colleagues, to stop the relocation this morning.

The Irish Examinercan confirm that alternative accommodation has been secured in the Killarney area which will allow the families to remain in the community and schools they have settled. It is not yet clear how many of the 135 will remain in the hotel.

Already today, some of the Ukrainian refugees were being taken from Hotel Killarney by bus to alternative accommodation — another hotel in the town sourced early this morning.