Plane crash tragedy - Irish mourn Poland’s loss

THE outpouring of grief and the palpable mood of sadness that pervades a Polish nation in mourning for those who died in Saturday’s tragic plane crash in western Russia was reflected in Ireland over the weekend as people joined in heartfelt sympathy with the many thousands of Poles who live and work in this country.

By claiming the lives of many of its most prominent people – Polish President Lech Kaczynski and his wife, as well as leaders of the country’s political, social, military and financial life – the disaster has inflicted a loss of unimaginable proportions on the people of Poland.

That the disaster should coincide with a memorial for a World War II massacre of thousands of Polish army officers, on Stalin’s orders, in woods near the crash scene, will deepen the sense of tragedy.

It was especially fitting that President Mary McAleese should join members of the Polish community at St Audoen’s Church in Dublin yesterday to mourn on behalf of the Irish nation in solidarity with the people of Poland in their hour of darkness.