A charity which helps people recover from addiction has housed over 20 families from Ukraine at a new residential centre in Co Wicklow.
Six of the children and teenagers started school in Greystones today.
It brings a semblance of structure to the lives of those who arrived there on St Patrick's day.
A local national school bearing the name of the saint is where Ivan Skochko and Tetiana Lukash collected their three boys this afternoon. The boys said they had a good day.
The youngest Anton grins at his mother Tetiana when he tells her he got to hold a hamster.
These kinds of distractions are good according to Principal Rachel Harper who took the children into the school following a call from the head of the Tiglin charity Aubrey McCarthy last week.
While they were understandably shy to begin with, the boys came out of their shells during playtime, according to Ms Harper - particularly when they got to play football outside.
Other children shared books with them and Google Translate was used to help communication.
Mr Harper says the children could understand English very well and by the end of the day they were speaking more.
The children and teenagers RTE News spoke to off-camera liked the schools they attended today.
It was noted that the teachers were very friendly.
"They're more serious in Ukraine," one 14-year-old says, "like this", she says making a scowl and slumping her shoulders forward.
The community of Greystones has come behind Tiglin to help those who it has accommodated.
It was built to house women recovering from addiction, but it was agreed with those involved, including the women in recovery that the refugees should get the accommodation first.
The building consists of family rooms, twin rooms and four double rooms.
Aubrey McCarthy says that since then the community has come behind the charity, providing clothes, food, musical instruments and children's bikes.
He acknowledges there is some pressure on kitchen staff, so he says they could do with another chef, but apart from that, things are going well in terms of wrap around support.
There are people of all generations at the centre.
Grandparents, teenagers, mothers, a small number of fathers and children with disabilities.
All are fed in a small central canteen which adjoins an indoor play area for the children.
Donations to the charity from the community included a guitar.
University student Yaroslave Bilous, who is studying cybercrime, is a classically trained pianist. He has taken the guitar and when he plays, everyone stops.
Yaroslave left Ukraine three days before his 18th birthday. Had he waited any longer, at 18, he would have had to stay in the country.
He arrived in Greystones with his aunt, his cousins, his grandfather, and grandmother. The rest of his family, including his parents and sister, are in Chernobyl.
They are safe, he tells me.
Those who have reached the safety net of Greystones are thankful and have thanked the Irish people for their support.
