Irish councilor proposes tiny statue of mosquito blamed for killing invader Oliver Cromwell
A Green Party councillor in Cork has proposed a tiny statue to honor the mosquito believed to have caused the death of Oliver Cromwell. The motion was tabled at a Cork City Council meeting, suggesting it be the world's smallest public statue. This proposal reflects a unique approach to commemorating history, focusing on overlooked figures and events.
- ▪The proposed statue would be mounted on an empty plinth outside City Hall in Cork.
- ▪Oliver Cromwell died of malaria, believed to have been contracted from a mosquito bite during his siege of Cork.
- ▪Cllr. Oliver Moran was inspired by a social media discussion about Cromwell's legacy in Ireland.
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| Original publisher | Boing Boing |
| Canonical URL | https://boingboing.net/2026/05/26/cromwell.html |
| Publication time | Tue, 26 May 2026 12:23:39 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-26T12:47:49.069Z |
| Last seen | 2026-05-26T12:47:49.069Z |
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Irish councilor proposes tiny statue of mosquito blamed for killing invader Oliver Cromwell Rob Beschizza 5:23 am Tue May 26, 2026 Painting: Samuel Cooper. Photo: JJ Harrison (CC BY-SA 3.0) A Green Party councillor in Cork wants the Irish city to honor the mosquito blamed for killing Oliver Cromwell, the English Lord Protector whose conquest of Ireland made him a reviled figure there. Oliver Moran tabled the motion at a Cork City Council meeting on May 12, proposing what he describes as the world's smallest public statue, to be mounted on an empty plinth outside City Hall.
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