Cork 70th Anniversary Media Coverage Report

We are delighted to report that the media coverage for our 1956 Cork 70th Anniversary Event was a success. The anniversary generated significant national media coverage reaching over 5 million people. Highlights included a five-minute interview on RTÉ Radio One’s Morning Ireland with Cork support group member and author Vincent McDonnell, a television feature on the RTÉ Six One News reported by Paschal Sheehy, and a prominent Irish Independent feature on survivor Joan McDonnell. Additional historical retrospectives and coverage were featured across the Irish Examiner, Evening Echo, Independent.ie, and EchoLive.ie.

Alongside honoring the past, the event emphasized that polio survivors are still here and Budget 2027 doesn’t necessrily acknowledge them. Because 89% of members have reached retirement age and no longer receive standard disability payments, Polio Survivors Ireland is calling on the Government to grant survivors access to the €500 once-off cost-of-disability payment. The organisation also continues to advocate for greater medical awareness around Post-Polio Syndrome (PPS), which brings late-onset fatigue, muscle weakness, and pain decades after initial infection.

Polio Survivors Ireland extends its gratitude to all members who shared their stories to keep this history alive. If you would like to watch, listen, or read any of the media coverage, please visit the links below.

RTÉ Radio One’s Morning Ireland with Cork support group member and author Vincent McDonnell: https://www.rte.ie/radio/podcasts/5390747e-7fb9-4dae-aff9-b4e90089809a-morning-ireland/

RTÉ Six One News reported by Paschal Sheehy: https://www.rte.ie/news/regional/2026/1020/1596022-polio-survivors-cork/

Irish Examiner: https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/spotlight/arid-41925472.html