Adi Roche: Forty years have passed but Irish commitment to Chornobyl remains

The disaster sparked four decades of compassion, resilience, and radical kindness demonstrating the remarkable spirit of human solidarity

(Left to right) Lord mayor of Cork Cllr Fergal Dennehy, Valerie O'Sullivan, chief executive of Cork City Council, Gerasko Larysa, ambassador of Ukraine to Ireland and Adi Roche, Chernobyl Children International at the unveiling of the ‘Chornobyl Mother’ sculpture in Cork's Marina Park to mark the 40th Anniversary of the Chornobyl Nuclear Disaster. Photo: Darragh Kane

This year marks a sombre milestone that feels both a lifetime ago and as immediate as a heartbeat: the 40th anniversary of the Chornobyl nuclear disaster. At 1.23am on April 26, 1986, a silent, invisible enemy was unleashed. In a single moment, the world changed forever and for millions of people, life would never be the same again.

Chornobyl has become a symbol, a potent enduring metaphor for catastrophe, perhaps history. While much has been written, thousands of metres of film and photographs accrued, we may think we know everything: facts, numbers, names, but we still don’t have a full understanding of what it meant for humanity.