News
Victoria Volkova: I want to teach children English
By Natalia Krashanova
Viktoria Volkova is a Ukrainian who arrived in Killarney three months ago.
She is a beautiful, nice and intelligent woman. At the time she reached Ireland with her teenage daughter and her mother, she had had covered a journey of 3,300 km from Kherson, occupied by the Russian military, to Killarney.
She drove her car with her elderly mother, her daughter and a dog. The traveling trio finally made it to their destination and boarded the plane to Ireland.
From the very beginning of the war the outskirts of the city of Kherson, in the south of Ukraine, was under constant shelling.
Victoria, her daughter and her elderly mother had to move to her friends’ house because they had a basement. It served as a shelter from Russian missiles.
“It was the beginning of March. There was no heating in the basement, so it was very cold.
We brought blankets and warm things, a minimum supply of food, water and TV. We got to know last news from it. There were 13 of us in the basement. When the shooting stopped, we went out to get food, but the shops were mostly closed. We bought everything we could find, even chicken feet, which we could also cook in soup,” recalls Victoria.
“All the time, while we were living in the basement, we hoped that the Ukrainian army would be able to recapture our city. However, the Russian army firmly occupied Kherson, having established checkpoints and brought in bunch of military equipment, tried to set its administration (to this day, the city of Kherson is under the occupation of Russia).
After a month spent in the basement, she realised that it was time to leave the city before it was too late.
But the Russian army did not give civilians a ‘green corridor’.
They decided to evacuate on their own.
They left Kherson at the end of March in their car, joining a line with other cars through mined fields. Every minute there was a risk of blowing up a mine or being attacked from the air.
Fortunately, the women reached a Ukrainian checkpoint. When Victoria saw the soldiers in Ukrainian uniforms, she understood that they had managed to escape from the encirclement. Then she cried for the first time.
Victoria Volkova is a teacher of English and piano. The first thing she did in Killarney was to obtain registration and confirmation of her teacher’s diploma.
She is one of the first Ukrainians who was able to confirm her diploma and registrated with the Teaching Council of Ireland.
Now Victoria is waiting for an opportunity to continue working as an English teacher in one of the schools in Killarney.
“I see that not all Ukrainian children speak English well. Therefore, I will be glad to help them. Because only knowing the language can help Ukrainians fully integrate into Irish society,” says Victoria.
Victoria currently works at Kerry ETB where she helps to organise English language courses
for Ukrainians. Knowledge of Ukrainian, Russian and English enables to Victoria effectively
organise the work at the language centre.
One in five Ukrainian refugees, who have arrived in Ireland since the war broke out, have already found employment, while almost two thirds of the remainder are actively looking for work. This is one of the principal findings of the inaugural survey of Ukrainian refugees carried out by Ukrainian Action In Ireland (UACT), a registered non-profit committed to supporting Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees.
One of the biggest issues facing Ukrainian refugees in accessing language courses, with almost half of all respondents speaking little or no English and 63% experiencing a language barrier in their search for a job. More than half of Ukrainians are studying English by themselves using online resources. 40% of them are attending English classes in person.
St Brendan’s College student Franciszek (Frank) Jakubowski has claimed a title on the national martial arts stage after winning a gold medal and championship belt at NAGA Ireland, one of the country’s premier Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitions.
The 17-year-old Killarney resident fought through five matches to secure first place in his category at the event. The Fifth Year student trains locally at BJJ Killarney under coach Wilson, who guides his daily skill development. He also credits his older brother Filip, who competes in Cork, for helping him fine-tune his technique, prepare for tournaments, and support his athletic journey.
Jakubowski is a regular competitor on the Irish and international circuit, having built up a strong record across major events. Along with his latest NAGA Ireland belt and gold medal, his recent achievements include two gold medals and a silver medal at the Irish Open, four gold medals at the Grapple Series, and a gold and silver medal performance at the Ground Game Cup in Suwałki.
The essential and often overlooked role played by the women of Kerry during the revolutionary period in Ireland has been acknowledged with the unveiling of a commemorative sculpture in Tralee Town Park.
The landmark memorial—the first of its kind in the country and the first ever commissioned by a local authority—follows a proposal from the female elected members of Kerry County Council. Former and current councillors Norma Moriarty, Aoife Thornton, Deirdre Ferris, Maura Healy-Rae, and Marie Moloney brought forward the motion in 2023, seeking a fitting tribute to the vital contribution of Kerry women between 1912 and 1923.
Titled ‘Spiorad Bán Chiarraí’ (Spirit of the Kerry Women), the 2.5-metre (100-inch) bronze artwork was created by award-winning sculptor Elizabeth O’Kane. The piece depicts a woman in period uniform marching forward while raising the Irish flag. Her determined expression and raised chin signify courage, resilience, and leadership.
To ensure precise historical accuracy, O’Kane referenced original uniforms associated with Cumann na mBan and Cumann na Saoirse, complete with a Sam Browne belt and Slouch hat. The sculpture was supported by funding from the Department of Housing and Local Government under the Percent for Art Scheme.
“The sculpture was a year and a half in the making, from sculpting the larger-than-life-size clay figure in my studio to the many months of highly skilled bronze casting carried out in a Dublin foundry,” said Elizabeth O’Kane.
“From start to finish, it has been a labour of love—artists often claim to suffer for their work, but I have the X-ray to prove it! A fractured wrist in the middle of the project was extremely untimely, but I am immensely proud of the final result. It has been a privilege to commemorate the women of this period with a sculpture that celebrates their courage, sacrifice, and enduring legacy.”
O’Kane was awarded the commission following an open competition. A member of the Society of Portrait Sculptors, her work is also featured in Leinster House, the European Parliament, Shannon Airport, and Irish embassies in London and Washington.
Unveiling the piece alongside fellow elected members, Mayor of Tralee Cllr Angie Baily described the sculpture as an evocative tribute to the diverse roles women played in the years leading up to Irish independence.
“This is a beautiful memorial which reflects the wide and diverse roles of Kerry women during the revolution, whether they took part in combat or contributed to a wide range of social, cultural, and political activities and organisations like Cumann na mBan,” Cllr Baily said. “Sadly, for too long, the story of these women during this period was sidelined and ignored, and I believe that this sculpture will encourage new engagement with the remarkable role of the women of Kerry during this formative and turbulent time.”
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