9th November 2022
The event will kick off just before 5pm with the Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr. Deirdre Forde raising the Polish flag at City Hall. This will be followed by a celebration of music, food and dance in the Millennium Hall. The event will feature Polish children attending ‘Razem Academy’ afterschool run by Together-Razem will sing Polish songs and be dressed in beautiful folk costumes. The participants will also have a chance to sample some delicious traditional Polish food.
Together-Razem intend that the event will also mark Poland’s close ties with the Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees in Cork, and show their solidarity and support for Ukrainian action in the fight to protect their independence.
In acknowledging the contribution the Polish community have had to Cork City, the Lord Mayor, Cllr. Deirdre Forde said ‘I wish to express my warmest gratitude for the positive impact, culturally, economically and socially, the Polish community have contributed to Cork City and we stand collectively to celebrate the value of independence.’
Voyteck Bialek, Together-Razem CEO said: “The Poles live and work here. Their children were born in Ireland but at the same time they want to maintain their heritage, their mother tongue, culture and traditions. We also need to show solidarity with our Ukrainian brothers and sisters and to not forget that the war is there.”
Ewa Ikwanty, the Event Coordinator, confirmed that: “The City Hall will be illuminated in the red and white colours of the Polish flag on the day of their event and the following day of the anniversary.”
It is estimated that almost 25,000 Polish people live in Cork City and County which makes it the largest minority group in Cork. The Cork Polish community is a very vibrant and active one, with Polish clubs and groups, Polish schools, shops and small businesses spread out across the city and county. Their culture, language and traditions enhance the vibrancy of Cork and help to enrich the social and cultural fabric of Irish society. On 11th November 1918 Poland re-gained their independence after the First World War.
Together-Razem, the main organizer of the event, provides support to the Polish and East-Central Europeans migrants since 2006 offering them a wide range of services to help them integrate better with the Irish society and at the same time to maintain respect and memory of their roots and traditions. Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine Together-Razem also supports Ukrainian refugees by providing essential services in a dedicated hub Together4Ukraine in Blackpool.
The event is free and open to everyone.
For more information please contact: Together-Razem office @ 021 439 55 88 or by email info@together-razem.org
