Westport memorial service to be held for ‘faithful and kind’ Ukrainian woman

A memorial service is to be held for a woman who lived and worked in Westport after fleeing the war in Ukraine.

Alla Sharapova, originally from Kharkiv in northern Ukraine, had recently moved to Wexford before she passed away from illness.

Ms Sharapova had been living in Hotel Westport for over a year, where she had made connections among the local Ukrainian and Irish community.

She worked in Westport Golf Club, where she was described as ‘a good responsive worker’ and was sending money back to her two sons in Ukraine.

She arrived in Ireland in October 2022, six months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion.

The Mayo News understands that Ms Sharapova had been looking for accommodation in Westport before moving to Wexford after Hotel Westport ended its contact to accommodate Ukrainian refugees.

She has been remembered as ‘a loyal friend, a close and soulful person, a fair, faithful and kind friend’ by a close friend of hers.

Judy Casey, co-founder of Westport Welcomes Ukraine, described her as ‘the sweetest lady’.

A memorial service in her memory will be held in Holy Trinity Church in Westport on Monday, July 15, at 6pm. Nezlami, a local group made up of Ukrainian refugees, will provide music at the ceremony. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam.