'Ireland will never turn its back on Belarus,' says Tipperary's Adi Roche

Famous Irish activist, anti-nuclear advocate, and campaigner for peace, humanitarian aid and education, Adi Roche, visited Roscrea last week to mark the conclusion of the Roscrea Chernobyl Lifeline project.

The founder and and CEO of Chernobyl Children's Project International, who has made her life's work the relief of suffering experienced by children in the wake of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster, said the Roscrea based Lifeline project has made an exceptional difference in the lives of countless families.

Speaking at an event held at the FRS headquarters in Roscrea, Adi Roche acknowledged the work by Henry Deane and his team, which she said changed lives and made a difference.

“It's all about giving back stolen childhoods - to say to the people of Belarus there is hope and it is coming from Ireland.

“We will never turn our backs on Belarus - people have challenged me on this and say Belarus is complicit in the war in Ukraine - but our covenant is with the people and particularly the children of Belarus and we were there long before the regime and we will be there long after”, she said.

"Our work is about children who are vulnerable and whose lives are on a precipice. We want to alleviate that suffering, which was all created by one single episode at 1:23am on April 26, 1986; when a series of events led to the massive explosion at Reactor No. 4 which spewed up radiation in graphite and uranium and was carried by the elements to all four corners of the earth - including Ireland.

"But Belarus was hardest hit", she explained, adding that the genetic impact of radiation is felt in third and fourth generation Belarusians - a genetic marker "which will continue forever".

Adi Roche was speaking at an event marking the conclusion of the Roscrea Chernobyl Lifeline Project - read our full coverage of the event in this week's Midland Tribune and online at OffalyLive.