Lorry packed with high-quality aid leaves Castletownbere for Ukraine

West Cork-based Ukrainian Viktor Frolov earned enormous support from the rest of the local community for the aid mission to the country of his birth

Thu, 17 Mar, 2022 - 14:31

Pádraig Hoare and Niamh Griffin

From the edges of Western Europe, a convoy has begun its journey to provide aid and comfort to those on the opposite side of the continent.

When Castletownbere-based mechanic Viktor Frolov saw the horror unfolding in his native Ukraine, the former soldier's first instinct was to return home to fight against Russian invaders in order to liberate his people.

A beloved member of the community for nearly 20 years, Viktor was persuaded by his neighbours and friends that he could serve his native people better not by fighting this time, but by assisting those who have had to flee and take refuge in the likes of neighbouring Poland.

The Beara community rallied round one of their own, and a lorry is leaving Castletownbere today, St Patrick's Day, with around €100,000 worth of high-quality supplies for Ukrainian people on the Polish border, along with €28,000 in cash donations.

Whole community gets behind the mission

Local man Jason Quirke volunteered to drive the truck from West Cork to its final destination, a round trip of 5,000km, after the manager of Castletownbere Fishermen's Coop, John Nolan, secured it for the effort. The intention is to deliver the supplies to the Red Cross when it arrives.

Viktor and around a dozen Ukrainians are considered to be a major part of the Beara family, according to his boss, local business owner Paul O'Shea, who along with Viktor, Jason and Carol Murphy, spearheaded the aid push over the past few weeks.

The likes of Beara Distillery, J&D Wiseman, Harrington's Arro Home and Garden, Daybreak, Cross Pharmacy, Berehaven Pharmacy, Hanley's Drapery and local shopkeepers really stepped up to the plate, but the appeal was bolstered by the community in Ballincollig, rallied by people such as Michelle McAdoo, Mr O'Shea said.

"You couldn't fit a pound of sausages into the truck as it left, it was full to the brim of high-quality products," he said. "We had the Ukrainian community here with us as the lorry departed. It was the polar opposite of emotions seeing it off — crying with happiness and sadness, seeing it all there laid bare.

I have a garage here in Castletownbere, and Viktor has been with me for 17 years. Simply, he has been the backbone of my garage — attitude, ability, everything that is good in a man, he has it.

He has been in every dogfight we have been in for the past 17 years, he has been there to assure me about my business, whatever it has gone through.

"Our business is first and foremost about safety, and making sure what we put out on the road is safe, and Viktor has grasped that better than anyone — a brilliant colleague and friend."

'The community circled the wagons'

As a former soldier, Viktor felt an "overwhelming desire" to go and assist his stricken country, Mr O'Shea said.

"A bunch of us here in the community circled the wagons, and assured him instead that he could make an equally valid contribution by doing this [the convoy] instead. We reminded him that he has a young family, and he has ambitions since he joined me to go and buy his own house. He's at that point now, and we wanted him not to lose sight of why he came here in the first place. He has now been able to make a very valid contribution at home with this."

Mr O'Shea said Castletownbere wanted to see more like Viktor Frolov and the existing Ukrainian community settle in West Cork:

Going forward, we are expecting a Ukrainian community to join us and grow here in Castletownbere, which would be fantastic.

"There are vacant jobs in garages, construction, painters, plumbers, cafés, pubs, and all the rest of it. There is a need for that workforce, and if they can bring the same work ethic as Viktor Frolov, it will be wonderful for Castletownbere."

The entire community has been involved in the convoy effort, with the likes of fisherman's charity, Lost at Sea, chipping in with €2,000.

Mr O'Shea said: "The next phase will be seeking out things like schoolwear, lunchboxes, footwear, and all that kind of stuff. We are going to continue our efforts and the collections, because we stand with Ukraine and its people."

Meanwhile, the HSE is preparing “ significant responses” for health needs of refugees arriving from Ukraine, and could potentially assist with retrieving sick children from Ukraine, chief operations officer Anne O’Connor said:

We are working closely with public health, clearly there are challenge because of that profile of women and children in terms of, for example, pregnancy, post-natal, children.

They are also looking at Covid screening and giving access to GP services.

“We do expect to have an increased burden down the road in terms of trauma and potentially PTSD would be a factor,” she said.