First Ukrainian candidate for Kerry’s local elections announced

A Ukrainian refugee who arrived in Ireland in 2022 is to contest the local elections in Kerry.

Natalia Krasnenkova has put her name forward to run in the Killarney Electoral Area as an Independent candidate.

She was forced to leave Ukraine with her children, leaving behind her home and business and she arrived in Ireland in March 2022 to live near Killarney at the Innisfallen Hotel.

Since then, she says she had to rebuild her life and feels that her experiences in the Ukraine and here in Ireland makes her the ideal candidate.

“I’m running to unite the community around solving common issues,” she says.

She said she is well-known in the Killarney area as a community leader among the Ukrainian community.

Natalia works as a community developer worker with NEWKD. Its slogan is ‘Unity in the community’ because it seeks to unite the community, including new residents, to solve common issues and Natalia says this too is her aim and is why she wants to run for election.

“The professional experience I gained in Ukraine, combined with my experience as a refugee and my job as community worker in Kerry, gives me a deep understanding of humanity, people’s basic needs and how a whole-community approach yields the best outcomes. I know what communities need to thrive because I work with the neediest of members of society every day, I hear them and I understand them. I see a bigger picture and the needs of the entire community so I want to work to improve life for everyone.

“I would be a powerful voice in Kerry County Council for integration and justice in our community. I want to use my experience to do good work in Kerry County Council. I strongly believe that a unified community is a strong community,” she said.

Back in the Ukraine, Natalia worked as a television reporter on the Ukrainian TV channels STB and Channel 5 and in PR and communications. In 2011 she founded her own business, a social communications company, which focused in particular on advocating for the rights of patients and vulnerable groups.

Aside from her role as a community developer worker with NEKWD, she also works as a freelance journalist in Kerry, both for Radio Kerry and the Killarney Advertiser. She volunteers in many capacities, including organising cultural events such as the Independence Day of Ukraine, film screenings, concerts, book presentations and sports events to spread awareness about Ukraine and integrate Ukrainians into the local community.

She says housing and promoting the development of small businesses will be a key focus if elected to Kerry County Council.

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