On Saturday in Limerick, at the Redemptorist Community Limerick grounds, an event took place that united Ukrainian communities across Ireland not only in prayer but also in sport. A football tournament was held between priests and laypeople from parishes across the country — from Dublin, Sligo, Waterford, Limerick, and Galway.
The tournament was organised by the Ukrainian church community of Limerick, in particular Fr Vasyl Chavaha and Fr Roman Lagish. The parish rector, Fr Brian Nolan, addressed the participants and later presented the awards to the winners at the close of the event. The gathering of all teams began with the Divine Liturgy and a blessing for everyone present.
The first match was played against the Limerick team, where Sligo emerged victorious with a 5:2 score.
The second game, against Dublin, also ended with a win for Sligo, 1:0. And in the third and decisive final match, Sligo once again triumphed, defeating Waterford 3:2.
Throughout the tournament, the players were filled with incredible emotions and true sporting spirit. “Our parish team from Sligo, in which I played under the leadership of team captain Nazariy Fedorenko, showed unity, strength, and the will to win,” said Fr Taras Fedorenko. “We are very grateful to our supporters, who helped keep our winning spirit alive.”
“Our goal was to help our parishioners, most of whom are refugees from the war, to get to know each other better and to participate more confidently in Irish society. We welcomed not only our parishioners but also those who simply took an interest in the event and learned for the first time about the mission of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Ireland,” explained Fr Lagish. “May this event become the beginning of a good tradition, further uniting our communities in prayer, friendship, and sport!”
