The Letterkenny community is in mourning following the sudden death of Oksana Ivanova, a well-loved Ukrainian woman, at the age of 51.
Oksana, who sought refuge in Ireland with her daughter three years ago due to the war in Ukraine, tragically died in an accident at home last week.
Arriving in Ireland in March 2022, Oksana left Ukraine with only a backpack, a laptop, and her then eight-year-old daughter, escaping the conflict.
Letterkenny, a town she had never heard of, became her safe haven in the northwest of Ireland. She quickly integrated into the community while remaining deeply concerned for her family near Kyiv.
A talented writer, Oksana frequently used social media to express her gratitude to the local community, including clubs, schools, businesses, and organizations like DLDC and Donegal ETB, for their support of Ukrainian refugees. You can see examples of her posts of appreciation online.
Her untimely passing has deeply saddened her many friends both in Donegal and in Ukraine.
A farewell ceremony for Oksana took place yesterday evening at the Eternal Light Chapel of Rest. It was attended by a large number of Ukrainian people, as well as staff and students from her daughter’s school, and numerous others who had known Oksana through her involvement in the town.
Her daughter, Anastasia, now 11 and a student at Scoil Cholmcille, Drumman since 2022, will now return to Ukraine to live with her father.
The Scoil Cholmcille community has launched a fundraising campaign to support Anastasia.
Claire Claydon, a teacher at Scoil Cholmcille, stated, “While we cannot erase the pain of losing her mother, we can strive to alleviate their financial strain and provide Anastasia with a foundation for her future education and endeavors.”
Claire described Oksana as a strong and generous woman who consistently went above and beyond to assist others.
Claire wrote: “Oksana arrived with a strong will to create a better life for her daughter. She was determined to work and contribute to Irish society. Oksana immersed herself in our culture and became a leading figure in the community, helping fellow Ukrainians settle and establish themselves in Donegal. She was a pioneering and resilient person with a wonderful sense of humour. Oksana recently experienced the tragic loss of her only sibling, who died on the front lines in Ukraine.”
Claire noted that Anastasia now faces a very uncertain future, as her father is currently fighting in the war.
“We will deeply miss her presence in school, and she will undoubtedly feel the loss of leaving her school friends and the community,” she added.
Over €1,300 has already been raised in memory of Oksana. To donate, please visit the GoFundMe page: https://www.gofundme.com/f/oksanna-ivanova
Letterkenny joins in mourning following sudden passing of popular Ukrainian woman was last modified: June 19th, 2025 by
