THESE are the smiling faces of children affected by the Chernobyl disaster who flew into Ireland on Thursday evening.
A group of 30 kids with special needs - many of whom have come from a disturbed and violent backgrounds - were flown from the Chernobyl affected region of Belarus to join their Irish families for Christmas.
The annual visit, which has been taking place since 1991, is used as a period of rest and recuperation for the visitors from the city which was the scene of a nuclear disaster in 1986.
A slightly delayed flight didn't dampen spirits as the guests began to filter through the doors, guided by the Chernobyl Children International’s chief Adi Roche.
Speaking to Dublin Live at Dublin Airport, she said: "This is the beginning of Christmas because we are awaiting the arrival of 30 special children all the way from the heartland of Chernobyl in Belarus.
"These are children that really deserve this holiday, they come from a bleak institution and are segregated from society.
"Their only time to get a sense of what the outside world is like is when they meet with what we call their Irish families.
"This gives them a sense of value and a sense that they matter as human beings."
There were emotional scenes as the children came through the arrivals gate at Terminal 1 to greet their host families.
Damien Meany from Bray, Co Wicklow was full of smiles when he welcomed back two children, both named Sasha.
He said: "This is what Christmas is about, it's bringing people together and our family and you know the lads are part of our family and have been for a number of years.
"This is a very special day and a start to a great Christmas surrounded by families and friends."
Sasha himself was in tears as he described how happy he was to be home.
"It feels amazing because we have our family here and they are very, very kind to all of us and we never forget what they do for us."
