“Michael Healy-Rae is a good person. And his brother,” says a Ukrainian man who calls himself Eugene when The Irish Times visited Rosemont B&B in Oakpark on the Listowel Road, Tralee.
Eugene, from Donetsk but living in Mariupol before the war, has found a home in the Healy-Rae-owned guesthouse since arriving in Tralee last June. He is one of 13 people from the southern Kharkiv, Odessa and Black sea region staying in what had been a highly rated family-run guesthouse before being bought by the TD.
Danis (29) and his wife Nataly (30) brought their own car from southern Ukraine and were on the way to do some shopping in Aldi Tralee when The Irish Times called.
Originally from Mykolaiv, Nataly learned English online in Ukraine, while Danis, who originally worked in the oil industry, is getting to grips with the language.
Each unit has its own bedroom and bathroom, and the kitchen and public rooms are shared. They prepare their own food.
“It is better that way,” Nataly said. “I really love this country. People are very open, very friendly.”
The couple have visited the Cliffs of Moher, Dublin and Killarney which is “very beautiful”.
“Of course we love Ukraine. I think of going back most days,” Nataly says.
Danis does not miss home as much, she says.
“It’s war,” he remarks. They would like to find “good jobs” in Ireland while in exile.
[ Irish Times poll: Majority of voters support ban on protests at refugee centresOpens in new window ]
Julia (23), a lawyer, brings The Irish Times into the warm dining area for tea and homemade pancakes. The only thing she doesn’t like about Rosemont is what might be described as the cinnamon wall colour in the reception area. Has Julia ever met her famous landlord?
“I have,” she says. “He is always asking ‘Do you need something, maybe I can help you?’” she says.
Eugene, who has family in Ireland, has his grandmother with him in Ireland but she has Parkinson’s.
Julia would like a “separate house for all of us” and is planning to write to Michael Healy-Rae for assistance.
The conversation veers to the war. She believes the conflict is about money and arms, with Ukraine caught between east and west.
“It’s not about the people. Our people don’t want war. We have had war with nine years,” Julia says.
Their home, an apartment in an eight-storey building, was bombed but they don’t blame the Russians.
There is bad and good on both sides, they say. Until last year, the rest of Ukraine ignored the war that has been taking place in Donetsk since 2014.
Eugene, who has signed up for a VTOS computer course and wants to improve his English, is anxious to communicate how good a person Michael Healy-Rae is. And his brother, Danny, he adds, noting they are very busy and “come” to a lot of funerals in Kerry.
On Radio Kerry on Thursday morning Michael Healy-Rae said he had not ruled out hosting more Ukrainians if the opportunity arose. He cannot predict if it will happen but, at the moment, all his accommodation is full, he tells Jerry O’Sullivan. Despite hosting Ukrainians himself, he is still in favour of a cap on the numbers coming into Ireland.