Deirdre Garvey: Kindness and compassion are a mainstay of Irish identity

St Patrick's Day brings out all sorts of ideas about what Irish identity means, but our humanitarian response remains at the core of who we are 

Ukrainians Daryna Bala and Olha Khoroshevska flank Irish Red Cross secretary general Deirdre Garvey and Dóchas Centre governor Lorraine McCarthy at an Irish Red Cross shamrock presentation at the Dóchas Centre, Dublin. Picture: Sharppix

Three years ago, when the war in Ukraine began, Ireland witnessed an extraordinary humanitarian response that none of us could have forecast. 

What emerged, and continues to flourish today, is a movement of kindness where individuals and the State work in partnership to provide refuge and hope — an innovative model of temporary accommodation unlike any other in Europe or indeed the world.