Ashton student Annie Walsh presented with Greater Chernobyl Award

Fiona Corcoran founder The Greater Chernobyl Cause, His Excellency Russian Ambassador Maxim Pershkov, Annie Walsh recipient of the Evgenia Nesterenko award

Natascha Fisher Dooley, Fiona Corcoran The Greater Chernobyl Cause, Annie Walsh, His Excellency, Mr. Sergii Reva Ukranian Ambassador, Karen Marshall, Evelyn Sheehan

Ashton students, Annie Walsh, Karen Marshall, Natascha Fischer Dooley, and Evelyn Sheehan were invited guests at the 29^th commemorative anniversary of the world’s biggest nuclear disaster at Chernobyl, which took place at the Lord Mayor’s chambers in the City Hall.

Appreciative congratulations were extended to Annie Walsh who was presented with The Evgenia Nesterenko memorial trophy for the support and assistance she and her colleagues have  given to The Greater Chernobyl Cause.  What an achievement and a great honour.

The trophy is dedicated to a little Belarussiaan girl named Evegenia Nesterenko who died at the Mercy Hospital Cork in 1995.  The Greater Chernobyl Cause are extremely grateful to pupils and staff at Ashton School for their outstanding commitment to the children of Chernobyl and Kazakhstan.  Fiona Corcoran, Charity Founder thanked Annie and her peers for their ongoing support of the organization, much of it done on their own time after school and during holidays.

Among those taking part at The Chernobyl Commemorative Service were the Lord Mayor of Cork  Cllr. Mary Shields, the Ukrainian Ambassador HE Sergii Reva, H.E. Mr. Maxim Peshkov Russian Ambassador to Ireland, City Cllrs, representatives from the Navy, Fire Brigade, Defence Force, school groups, and Annie’s proud parents, Eileen and Fergus Walsh.

Poetry reading, singing by Goggins Hill  school choir, an ecumenical service and  a roll call of some of the victims of the 1986 disaster was read out. A minute’s silence was observed before the poignant playing of the Last Post. Cork’s Lord Mayor, Councellor Mary Shields, the Ukrainian Ambassador to Ireland, HE Sergi Reva, and H.E. Mr. Maxim Peshkov Russian Ambassador to Ireland, amongst others addressed the audience.

This anniversary marks the starting point – not the limit – of the Chernobyl catastrophe which continues to unfold even today. Chernobyl is not in the past. Its repercussions are still being felt by some five million people living in areas of Ukraine, Belarus and Russia who were contaminated as a result of the accident. They have to cope with the ongoing political, social, environmental and health consequences of the disaster. Many are still haunted by fears over the safety of nuclear energy, especially following the recent tsunami and earthquake in Japan.

Should you wish to help in any way, The Greater Chernobyl Cause may be contacted at www.greaterchernobylcause.ie, 021 4323276.