As the invasion of Ukraine sadly passes its second anniversary we hear from Maria Turuk who came to live in Kenmare.
“My first clear recollection of Ireland is the Molls Gap road at dawn. Our bus driver stopped at Ladies View. Overwhelmed and exhausted, afraid of what lay ahead, we got off the bus. That view was amazing. We couldn’t believe our eyes. So beautiful and peaceful. I had no idea where we were going, but I had a feeling we would be okay. I remember the unusual silence around. It took me a while to get used to it. And then there was Kenmare, so nice and tidy, so cozy, so different from anything I had seen before. Strangers smiled at me, and I smiled back. Thus began my new life. I joined Kenmare TidyTown and that was pivotal in some way. That was the first local community I became a member of. Despite my poor English, they welcomed me and accepted me with warmth and later became my friends. That was the first link in a large chain of acquaintances and events. Since then my life has changed a lot. I currently work for the Alzheimer’s Society of Ireland. I like everything about my job but most rewarding is the opportunity to make a difference, to make someone’s life a little better. In my free time I enjoy walking the hills and mountains with the Kenmare Walking Club.
I’m learning to live without planning ahead. But I still have dreams. The greatest of them is peace for everyone, peace for my country. I will cherish my memories wherever I go. There will be challenges, ups and downs, new memories. “Walk tall, walk straight and look the world right in the eye,” my Irish friend once told me. I will try. No matter how my life turns out I know that Kenmare will always be a special place for me. The place I belong to now.”
