Kilkenny heroes stand up to the mark in Ukraine's hour of need

‘Actions speak louder than words’ is a phrase many of us are familiar with, but yet we so rarely follow. Granted, at the most basic level, you may say I do act — by emptying the dishwasher or offering a kind gesture to a family or friend. Each noble acts in their own right. However, in terms of global affairs and the safety of our fellow men, women and children, four Kilkenny people stand a world apart.

Francis O’Brien, Michael Power, Tom Walsh and Dan Smithwick set out on a two-week journey of a lifetime at the end of June, delivering vehicles and medical supplies to Ukraine’s capital of Kyiv, hoping their efforts would offer valuable assistance to soldiers fighting against the Russian invasion of the country. 

Russia’s attempted occupation of the Ukranian state began in February 2022, killing tens of thousands of people on both sides and displacing over eight million Ukranian civilians, forcing them to move to a vast number of countries around the world including Ireland, which currently has a population of almost 80,000 Ukranian people. For many though, fleeing is not an option. An estimated 500,000 soldiers are currently on the army’s books, while others lack the necessary wealth to leave the country. 

Earlier this year, Gowran native Jim Harding travelled to the war-stricken land as part of an Irish aid-convoy, determined to offer support to the Ukranian people. Having spoken to locals, it became clear to Jim that vehicles were a necessity in the war effort.

Four-wheel-drive vehicles key to bringing army personnel to and from the frontline, and to transport injured people away from the frontlines to ambulances and treatment centres. 

Fast-forward to August 2023, two weeks since their return, Francis O'Brien and Michael Power sit outside a coffee shop on one of Kilkenny’s busiest streets. Kieran Street, located in the heart of the city, bustling with activity. Coffee shops brimming with customers, people chatting and tourists taking in the midieval sites, a monumental contrast from the streets of Kyiv.

“It turned out to be the trip of a lifetime,” Power opened the conversation by saying, recalling the craic the four men had while making the long journeys through Europe and into Ukraine. During the highs and lows of a trip that brought great sadness and laughs along the way, their bond was an important ingredient.

O’Brien, a bus driver from Kilkenny, had witnessed the impact of the war's devastation first hand, transporting a number of Ukranian kids to and from school and speaking to a number of their parents on his daily travels, the consequences of the war on their family life hit home. 

A gruelling journey began in Rosslare, into France and Belgium before concluding for a rest period in Germany. The group then embarked on a remarkable 15-hour trip from Germany to Ukraine’s capital, stopping in the city of Kursk to collect a jeep for the remainder of the trip. From there it was on to Kyiv for the Kilkenny travellers.

On their first day in the city, the pair were instantly struck by the eeriness on the streets. “The balance was wrong on the streets, wealthier upper class people were gone and poorer people remained,” Michael said, while Frances recalled the ‘skeleton crew’ on the city’s building sites. 

The road journeys were more than simple trips from A to B, they were emotional reminders of what had been lost with Michael admitting to shedding a tear while passing burial sites: “There were graveyards in every town with flags signalling those that fell on the front line.” 

Francis vividly recalls their first major experience in the city: “It was pure excitement, the first night we were there we heard the sirens, we went out to have a look.” 

The Ukranian defiance came through for Michael. “People carried on with their meals,” he said — they seemed unfazed by the now usual event in their daily lives. Concerts were still permitted during the daytime but yet shopping centres lie uncomfortably silent and late-night curfews in operation. 

The expected suspicion also seeps across the city, the Kilkenny contingent forced into a lengthy waiting time before their vehicles were accepted by the relevant authorities at St Michael's Cathedral. Gracious but yet only too aware of the dangers their country is facing. 

The rapid rate of war further portayed in the deploying of the vehicles, fully in use and under fire within a week of the delivery.

“They (people they met) couldn’t be more thankful, they didn’t come over directly, bar one or two with English but we were very well received,” the pair claimed, adding, the stories they heard of the deceased from loved ones left their mark on them.
After over two weeks in the country, the pair are planning a return.

The men determined to see the country blossoming again.