Dozens of generators and ambulance among donations sent by Irish farm families to Ukraine

Farm families across four Irish counties have donated dozens of items including an ambulance to people in war-torn Ukraine. 

Eighteen jeeps, 32 generators, thermal clothing and emergency medical supplies will be delivered in person to families in need in Ukraine this weekend. 

The effort involved dozens of dairy, tillage and dry stock families across Tirlán Co-op's West Waterford, South Tipperary, East Cork and North Wexford local advisory committees. 

Paddy O’Donnell from outside Clonmel in Tipperary and longtime friend Joe Harty from An Rinn in Waterford, as well as their extended network in the farmer-owned co-op, were responsible for the mission. 

Both have reportedly had Ukrainian men working on their farms over the years. 

Joe Harty said, "These men didn’t just work with us, they ate with us, they stayed in our homes and they became part of the extended family.

"Paddy O’Donnell got in touch with me a few months back when he got a request for aid from friends in Ukraine. He went out in a donated Landrover Freelander jeep in October with two other dairy farmers, Jack Walshe from Kilmacthomas in Waterford and Bill Stokes from Kilsheelan in Tipperary to suss things out, make sure donations which were being made via the Ukrainian army were going to worthy causes. It all checked out.

"We got word before Christmas that they needed jeeps. Then they asked for generators and more recently, we got a call asking for thermal clothing and any medical supplies as the winter was kicking in and power supply was unreliable. We started off with 6 generators and that just grew and grew." 

A generator fund was set up through the Tirlán branch in Dungarvan and family farm suppliers have to date donated €20,000, which has been used to purchase some generators and vehicles, while others were donated. 

Paddy O’Donnell explained: "We didn’t want to be handling money so the account was set up through Tirlán and they managed it and they got generators for us at a great price. We’re particularly thankful to Barry Power and the team in Dungarvan for managing and overseeing everything. Other generators were donated. Jeep donations flooded in. With some of the money left over, we also bought an ambulance. 

"This has been a huge team effort involving tillage, drystock and dairy farmers. Some of these families bought jeeps out of their own pockets or did up surplus vehicles which were then donated. Word went out in our discussion groups and farmers were not found wanting. It’s been a good year for farm prices and everyone was very keen to give something back." 

The duo are among up to 40 volunteers who drove in convoy and brought the vehicles and supplies by ferry to Cherbourg earlier this week. They are now travelling through France, Germany Austria, Hungary, and Slovakia before reaching the border with Ukraine this weekend. 

There they meet their trusted and established contacts in the Ukrainian army who will distribute the donations on the ground to those most in need. All the farmers and volunteers fly home at their own expense later this weekend. 

Joe concluded: "We are most thankful to all the companies, all the farm families and all of the individuals who have been so generous. All of us involved in delivering this aid are paying our own way and making our own way home at our own cost so absolutely everything donated goes to those most in need." 

Among the many companies to support the drive are Tom Beresford and Sons, Dungarvan; Centenary Co-op; East Cork Oil; Industrial and Agri Supplies, Dungarvan, Co Waterford; Clem Jacob Tool Hire in Waterford;  Tirlán,; O’Donnell Agri, Taghmon, Co Wexford; Dungarvan Tyre Centre, Enrich Environmental, Quality Recycling, Ormond Stores, Hanntec Security; OD Agri, PSD Agri, Clonmel Show, Strangs Garage Kilsheelan; O’Donnell’s Crisps, Clonmel Waste, Medite, Clonmel Machinery, P&J services, Coolmore, ABP Foods, Cahir;  O Mahony Scania, Maher Plant, Suir Engineering, Mark Dwan BEOFS, AQL Industrial Coatings, Surehaul, Hazport Ireland, Mitchelstown Transport, Ashfield Safety, Hogan Drain Cleaning, The Beasley Family, AQS Environmental Solutions, HACI Industrial Hosing, The Ryan Group, Denis Kinnane Honda, RPM Motors, Mossy Hughes, Mike English and family, Dominic Ellickson, MW Hire, Dick Boland Oil,  Ryan Roche, John Hennebry, Michael Hahessy, Ann and Martin Flynn, Tom and Marcella Hahessy, Pat Sheehan Sawmills, Jim Kirwin and many very generous farmer groups and individual farmers.