By Sean Moriarty

Killarney Fire and Rescue have praised the people of Killarney who helped fund a fire engine that will be driven to the Ukraine-Polish border and will be used to help people in the war-torn country.

Last March firefighters from several Kerry and Cork fire stations launched a fundraiser to help buy the fire engine.

Three months later they hit their €50,000 target and later this month Tralee fire men PJ O’Dowd and Trevor Kelliher will drive the unit to Poland were it will be handed over to aid organisations in Ukraine.

Over €2,500 was raised by Killarney Fire and Rescue through various fundraisers that were held in the Gala Courtyard shop on Upper College Street.

The store is managed by Iryna Rudenko, whose home city of Sumy has been devastated by the war. She organised a different fundraiser for her home country that raised a further €2,100.

“The local collections were a mix of coffee mornings and store collections with the help of Killarney and Dunmanway Fire service. We would like to thank everyone who made a donation which has got us to the stage where we now have purchased a Fire Truck and we are currently planning driving the Truck to Poland at the end of the month. We will be travelling over with three Fire service jeeps that are being donated by Kilkenny. Also the Irish organisation Safe Harbour Ukraine will be helping us with the journey,” local fireman Martin Grady told the Killarney Advertiser.

“Huge thank to the people of Killarney for their kindness, it is important that vital public service vehicles are replaced and equipped to deal with emergencies.”