Polio in Ireland

Polio was one of the most terrifying infectious diseases to invade Ireland. 

It killed some but paralysed many more, until its eventual eradication in Ireland, due to the vaccine, discovered by Dr Jonas Salk in 1955. 

At the time our members had polio, life was difficult and money was scarce. Many areas of the country had neither running water nor electricity. People worked hard and had few luxuries; it took all their efforts to make ends meet. 

It was a devastating blow for a family to have a child affected by polio – not just to see a healthy child struck down, but where was the money going to come from to enable them to make long and frequent journeys to doctors, hospitals and physiotherapists? 

Few people had cars and public transport was scanty. Who would look after the other children at home? How were they to get the physical aids and appliances needed? The future must have looked bleak indeed!

Yet they survived and surprised 

Polio survivors have overcome some of the greatest obstacles that could face children, from iron lungs, to callipers, to missed schooling – and the most heart-breaking – time away from family and home. 

Many polio survivors had wonderful careers, raised families, travelled, have been creative, had fun, made friends and lived as normal a life as possible. 

However, in a cruel twist of fate, Post Polio Syndrome and Late Effects of Polio came calling. 

With the resilience and tenacity of those who have faced great battles in their lives, survivors met it head on, setting up their own support group to help face this new challenge.  

In the beginning – Joan and Rosaleen

The (then named) Post Polio Support Group was the result of two ladies, Joan Bradley and Rosaleen Gallagher, who had polio, attending the same swimming club at Belvedere College, Dublin. Joan noted that she was getting weaker and had pain and that there must be some explanation. She had attended a number of doctors but they could see nothing wrong and had brushed her off. Rosaleen had just been in the USA and had learned of a condition affecting polio survivors years after they had contracted polio – the late effects of it – Post Polio Syndrome or Post Polio Myellitic Syndrome. She had brought home literature. This information, revealing all the symptoms described, exactly matched what they were experiencing. Looking around, these ladies could see their fellow survivors suffering through lack of information and could not leave them in ignorance. 

Rosaleen and Joan began meeting in Rosaleen’s home. It was 1992/93 and in essence these were the first committee meetings of the organisation. They had no idea how many survivors were still in Ireland, so they wrote a letter to all the papers they could find, and asked survivors to get in touch, to quantify the number still living. The letter described the symptoms and asked polio survivors if they recognised them, but they took care not to scare them. They put a notice in 26 papers and waited. They were overcome by replies – survivors from all over Ireland, some saying, ‘Thank goodness someone is taking notice’.

They were getting the ‘push over’ by the medical profession too. The doctors then, of course, probably knew as little as they did about the condition. The need for information was great. 

From Support Group to National Organisation 

That year Jim Costello joined them, having been contacted by Joan Bradley while in Cherry Orchard Hospital (COH) and asked if he would be interested in getting involved in a Support Group to assist polio survivors. Jim agreed, with only a few people involved at that stage. Jim helped with setting up a registered Voluntary Organisation, called the *Post Polio Support Group. They decided on the name “Post Polio Support Group”, as they felt it covered both their condition (Polio) and their work (Support).

A constitution was drawn up and signed by Joan (Secretary), Rosaleen, Fr Paddy Lewis, Ciaran Nicholson, Aideen Kelly (Treasurer), Vera Roche and Jim Costello as Chairman. They had no finance, so they funded it initially themselves, with the help of a few sympathetic survivors and others. 

All of the administration work emanated from either Joan’s flat in the Iveagh Trust or from Jim’s desk in his room in COH, and this was the position for the first few years.  

Jim was elected the first Chairperson of the Committee that was formed at the time, and there were seven of them involved.

In 1994, the Spiritian Community generously allowed the Committee to hold their monthly meetings in Kimmage Manor, where Fr. Paddy Lewis gave the benefit of his wide experience, and played an active role in committee affairs.

The committee learned that Dr Marinos Dalakas from the USA, who had specialised in the Late Effects of Polio, was coming to Ireland in 1994. They asked if he’d speak while in Ireland at a Polio Conference they planned. Their first grant, from the Polio Fellowship of Ireland, was used for this. It was a packed out affair and there they met Dr Orla Hardiman, who also spoke at the Conference and had worked with Doctor Dalakas in the USA. She was interested in setting up a Polio Clinic in Ireland, which later came to fruition in Beaumont Hospital, still running today.

The next need was for information to be distributed to survivors, doctors, health services and the Government. A programme began of lobbying, seeking media coverage, contacting health services and informing survivors and everyone they could find, who might have a part to play in assisting them.

There were many people who had input in the very early days to whom our organisation is extremely grateful to. They had many struggles and sourcing funding became a daily task.

*The name was changed in 2017 to Polio Survivors Ireland, to reflect all polio survivors in Ireland regardless if they develop Post Polio Syndrome or not.

Polio Survivors Ireland Achievements 

• Becoming a registered charity and limited company
• Securing funding from some HSE CHOs. 
• Holding our first Conference in 1994- at which Dr Marinos Dalakas (Philadelphia) and Dr Orla Hardiman spoke.  Following this, Dr Hardiman set up her Post Polio Outpatients Clinic in Beaumont Hospital.  
• Presentations to the Health Committee of the Dail leading to funding
• Employing staff and developing the organisation
• Various books - Polio and Us, Polio and the Arts, How we Survived and Surprised, Blue Book, Polio Register, Medi-Alert card

History of Polio in Ireland Resources

There are many historical resources about the history of polio in Ireland.

Our own publications give great insight into the personal stories and recollections of polio survivors in Ireland.

You can read about the Polio Epidemic in Cork in Ireland’s History Magazine, History Ireland.

We also have a selection of archived newspaper articles which you can see below.

• 120756 Examiner 15 Polio Cases Cork
• 080856  Examiner Minister in Touch with Cork Authorities
• 160756 Examiner First Death in Cork
• 170856 Examiner New Dates fixed for All Ireland
• 070596 Examiner Polio Comes Back to Haunt
• 180756 Examiner Blessing against Polio
• 250756 Examiner Good Recovery Expected
• 210756 Examiner Lord Mayor Appeal
• 260756 Examiner General Character Mild Polio outbreak
• 250756 Examiner 58 Positive Polio Cases
• 260756 Examiner 65 Polio Cases Confirmed
• 310756 Examiner Low Poll Expected

A more general timeline on the history of polio can be found here History of poliomyelitis.