Night of shared culture and tradition deepens bond between Ukrainians and Irish
Jimmy Reidy sits on a wooden chair by a quietly-crackling fire, telling a story of Paddy Englishman, Scotsman, and Irishman all throwing themselves off a building over some minor qualms about their packed lunches.
The punchline is met by a roar of laughter from friends and strangers alike, before he starts into a tune on the harmonica. As he plays, a couple of guitarists find the chords and watch for the changes. Not forced, but naturally finding their stride.
It sounds like a scene from a traditional Irish gathering, not least as it is being held in a small famine-era cottage in rural Limerick where local storytellers, musicians, and teamakers have gathered.
However, they are there on the eve of Eastern Orthodox Christmas in a gathering which has an even mix of 40 locals and Ukrainians.
The most wonderful trinkets dangle from walls and cabinets. Old Christmas cards and a rogue Christmas stocking hang from a line across an archway between the old cottage and a new extension, where rows of church pews and paint-spattered benches are arranged.
A framed picture reading “God Save Ireland” hangs prominently, a Child of Prague statue sits above the fireplace, and the same image of Jesus is dotted around sporadically.
A young Ukrainian woman borrows a guitar to sing in her native tongue, flanked by her peers giving backing vocals. Much like the Irish, Ukrainians sing along or hum the tunes of their own songs, and locals tap their feet to the beat.
Limerick man Pat O’Donovan bought the house 50 years ago after it was left unoccupied for a decade. He renovated the small building and it soon became the focal point for locals to exchange traditional Irish culture, and most importantly, record it.
Pat is the chairman of Knockfierna Heritage Society, which he helped found in 1987. The society aims to preserve the traditions of an Ireland slowly fading into memory. Before the pandemic, and the building of its new extension last year, up to 50 people would pile into the small cottage, shoulder to shoulder, sitting along the narrow stairs and peering through windows.
“It was packed in, in those days,” he says fondly, with a hint of sadness. Some absences are felt tonight, as not every storyteller made it through the pandemic. “The new extension part, of course, really makes a difference, because that crowd wouldn’t have fitted at all in the olden days," he says.
Last March, some new faces were welcomed to Cahermoyle nearby, as Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion of their homeland moved into an empty religious house. After getting to know some of the 150 Ukrainians, Pat wanted to share “the real old Ireland” with them and exchange cultures on the eve of their traditional Christmas.
Fifth-class Ukrainian student Kateryna Lapina, with near-perfect English, introduces herself to the crowd. After learning the tin whistle since coming to Ireland, she plays 'Away in a Manger'. There is a deep respect among those present, who listen intently to the young musician. You could hear a tiny whisper in the back of the room, such was the attention given to her.
Seven Ukrainian women, young and old, gather by the fire to sing Christmas songs of great national significance and are met with delight by locals with shouts of “bualadh bos!".
“We hadn’t a clue what ye were saying but that was beautiful,” Pat proclaims to the group.
“They have some fine singers,” Pat says. “It’s the first time we’ve had such a wonderful mix.”
Lively traditional Irish songs are a clear favourite of the Eastern European guests. Ukrainians move in their seats to the beat of the bodhrán and spoons, narrated by a fiddle and accordion. One boy dances in his seat, stops to reach over and grab a handful from a box of Quality Street, and soon returns to his groove.
Some close their eyes, smiling, while some of the younger children are glued to their phones, playing variations of Candy Crush and the like.
Among the Ukrainian singers is Nataliia Bezus, who left her home in Lviv, Western Ukraine, shortly after the invasion began.
“It’s really good to try to know the other culture and to show our own culture,” she says.
The Orthodox Church of Ukraine recently gave its blessing for its followers to celebrate Christmas along with the rest of the world on December 25, signalling a shift from the traditional Russian Orthodox Christmas celebrations on January 7.
“The time is coming when all [Ukrainian] people will celebrate on the one day, December 25, to celebrate with the whole world,” she says.
A local man sings of old Ireland, Killarney, and Cork’s Shandon bells in an almost solemn affair, mourning the country of his youth.
As the music goes on, two women prepare a large pot of tea and scones and soda bread in the other room. When the crowd begins to mingle, a man plays a flute quietly in the corner, sound-tracking the evening. New friends swap stories from times gone by.
“The community want to go back home for their own home and land,” Nataliia says solemnly, adding that many are waiting in hope it will be safe to return home soon.
To end the evening, everyone stands for an unaccompanied Ukrainian national anthem, which is witnessed by many with a hand on their hearts and a tear in the eye.
Despite the cultural differences and language barrier, much is found in common. Ukrainians sing to remember their homeland, and locals to remember a land slowly fading to the history books — one lost person at a time.
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