MEMORY AND LIGHT - a free bilingual community event marking the United Nations International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.

MEMORY AND LIGHTIreland Remembers: Stories of Home, Hardship and Solidarity — Mullingar

Date: Friday, 16 October 2026

Time: 5:00 p.m.

Venue: Columb Barracks, Mullingar

Meeting point: Please meet us at the main gate of Columb Barracks. Our team will guide you to the event hall.

Languages: Ukrainian and English

Integration & Wellbeing Mullingar invites you to a free bilingual community event marking the United Nations International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.

Memory and Light is part of the project Ireland Remembers: Stories of Home, Hardship and Solidarity. The event brings Irish and Ukrainian communities together through history, personal stories, music, creativity and conversation.

Event programme

1. History We Remember

We will watch a presentation and film about the Great Irish Famine and learn about the Holodomor in Ukraine.

The Great Irish Famine of 1845–1852 caused mass hunger, death and emigration. Around one million people died, and more than one million were forced to leave Ireland.

We will reflect on these histories of hunger, loss and survival. We will also remember the strength of people who continued to live, rebuild their communities and preserve their identity during extremely difficult times.

2. Human Voices

Participants will be invited to listen to and share personal stories of migration, displacement, resilience and hope.

The programme will also include music and live performances. These stories and performances will help us understand how people find the strength to continue, support one another and build a new life after loss.

3. From Memory to Light

Participants will make candles from natural beeswax and join in songs of hope.

The candle will become a symbol of memory, inner strength and the light that helps us move forward. Everyone will be able to take their handmade candle home as a reminder:

Do not give up. Even in difficult times, we can carry light and hope within us.

4. The Shared Table

The event will finish with tea, coffee, light refreshments and friendly conversation.

This will be a welcoming space where people from different backgrounds can meet, talk and support one another.

The event will be conducted in Ukrainian and English.

Organised by:

New Life Integration & Wellbeing Network CLG together with Integration & Wellbeing Mullingar.

Funding acknowledgement:

The Department of Social Protection supports this project as part of its funding initiative for the United Nations International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.

#17October #EndPoverty #IrelandRemembers #Mullingar

Description supplied by the event organiser.