I
was proud to dress up in the colours of Ukraine and hold the country's flag
high yesterday as I took part on my bike in the Connemara Greenway
presence in the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Moycullen.
It was so lovely to be joined by so many good friends demanding the completion of an access-for-all Connemara Greenway including John Power (CEO for Aerogen & the campaign's No 1 supporter), Claire Lillis (what a fantastic job she did with the promotional signage!), Micheal Ó Cinneide (the great co-leader of the Corrib BEO initiative - the Corrib blueways & greenways are so interlinked!), Helen Caird (eco artist extraordinaire), Ronald van Dijk, Gabe Bourke (who travelled from Donegal to join us!) Thomas Flanagan (who cycled from Barna) Kevin Jennings (chair of Galway Cycle Campaign & who cycled with friends from Galway city), Dick Delaney (who begins today a cycle with family from Galway to Dublin!), Thomas Ó Cadhain (who, in spite of being in pain with a severe injury, walked with his crutch), councillor Alastair McKinistry (who has been a staunch and strong political advocate for it) Pat Collins, Kyran O'Gorman (a great Blue advocate of Lough Corrib)....
All along the route of the parade, the watching crowd cheered and clapped their support for the Greenway. The enthusiasm was palpable!
But
I felt, as so many others across our country did yesterday, that it was
important too that there should be a tribute and a remainder of the
brave men, women and children fighting a people's war against Putin's
brutal invasion of their country and his attempts to wipe an independent
sovereign country of the map of Europe and assimilate into an
anti-democratic new Tsarist Empire. So I dressed up head to toe in the
colours of Ukraine carrying my home-made Ukrainian flag and tunic
I feel too that Irish people, because of our history, have a special affinity with small countries that suffer oppression and occupation from aggressive rulers of larger more powerful neighbours. Hence the popular support in Ireland too for Palestine.
I hope someday to visit a free Kyiv, Lvev, Kharkiv and Mariupol in a free Ukraine.
1 comment:
Very nice bro
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