This Roscommon town went above and beyond to make Syrian refugee children welcome

When they first heard that Syrian refugees would be arriving to live in their town, the people of Ballaghaderreen decided to build a wall.

A wall of welcome. It was announced that at least 80 people - most of them children fleeing war and violence - would become part of the Roscommon community and locals got busy planning their welcome. Many have made it their mission to help the 37 children learn how to be kids again and to let their little minds rest. They built a quiet space with donations of toys, books and building materials because they want the children and their families to know how much their community care about the awful things that have happened to them. The people of Ballaghaderreen say the entire project has brought their town even closer. Have a look at the unbelievable effort the town went to create this little play haven for the little ones: And the reaction has been fantastic. The number of refugees could rise to 240 people but many in this tight-knit community of just 2,000 people say this is a chance to make their town stronger and believe they have a duty to reach out and support the less fortunate. The refugees are expected to arrive in early March. They hope the wall and the nursery can be a symbol of hope. We think this touching welcome is the biggest symbol of hope of all.