Several thousand students braved the elements on a wet and windy Thursday in Dublin to raise money for the victims of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster.
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Thousands of students braved
the wintry conditions in Dublin. |
Fewer than the 10,000 marchers hoped for by the organisers turned up for the final leg of the 10-kilometre Dublin walk that left from O'Connell St Bridge and ended at a rallying point at the Papal Monument in the Phoenix Park.
Some 50,000 students nationwide are expected to take part in the Union of Students of Ireland (USI) charity walk in aid of the Chernobyl Children's Project.
The event, which was hoped would be the largest student charity event of the year, is the third such event organised by the USI, and organisers are hoping to exceed the €500,000 raised to date for the charity.
The 1986 accident at the Chernobyl nuclear plant was the worst environmental disaster in modern history, and millions of children are suffering from the after-effects, which include cancer. Millions were displaced and many are still living in isolated poverty.
Agricultural areas in Belarus and Ukraine the size of England and Wales are so heavily contaminated that they cannot be worked for many decades to come.
Ms Adi Roche, Chernobyl Children's Project Executive Director said: "Scientists predict that the worst effects of Chernobyl will not be felt in the region for another 20 years".