A pox on the anti-vaxxers who cost the lives of Glanmire's children 

A pandemic wiped out an entire generation of children in the Cork suburb in 1809, primarily because local 'witch doctors' and 'naysayers' persuaded parents not to inoculate their offspring against the deadly smallpox

John Gilroy, a former senator who is currently studying folklore and archaeology at UCC, has uncovered a shocking account of how 'witch-doctors' and naysayers' destroyed a plan to vaccinate children against a massive smallpox outbreak in Glanmire. Picture: Dan Linehan

A pandemic wiped out an entire generation of children in a Cork suburb, primarily because local 'witch doctors' and 'naysayers' persuaded parents not to inoculate their offspring against a deadly plague.

As some resist getting a Covid-19 vaccine for themselves or their children, historical research has shown how a whole generation of youngsters was wiped out in the Glanmire area over 200 years ago, by smallpox.