It’s time to change the government writes Ciaran Cuffe running for the Green Party in Dun Laoghaire in the 2007 General Election. A feeling many share with him 3 years on.
We have his decent record over the previous 5 years as a TD and the plans for the future.
From the 1967 Local Elections in the Rathdown ward for Dublin City Council a card from Labour Party candidate, the Shankill based Joseph Maguire.
The message of ‘THIS TIME: SWING TO LABOUR WITH Joseph Maguire‘
The other Labour Party candidates were Bernard Connolly, Vincent McDowell and Gerard O’Reilly.
From the 1985 Local Elections in the Blackrock Ward, Fianna Fail candidate Michael Cotter. Michael Cotter failed to be elected and stood again in 1991 without success.
A plea about being the youngest candidate and asking young and first time voters to vote for him is a fairly common theme.
A Rather Lengthy and verbose ‘Sorry I missed you’ card from Nessa Childers when running for the Green Party in Blackrock in the 2004 Local Elections. Nessa Childers was elected.
She is the daughter of former president of Ireland Erskine Childers. She resigned her council seat in August 2008 citing pressure of work as a psychoanalyst as her reason.
Less than a year later she surfaced as the Labour European Parliament candidate for the East constituency. She was elected and is now a Labour MEP.
From the 1999 Local Elections in the Ballybrack Ward , Green Party candidate Catherine Sweeney. She polled 853 votes and just missed out on the last seat.
From the 1987 General Election in Dun Laoghaire, Progressive Democrat candidate Larry Lohan.With Geraldine Kennedy and Helen Keogh also on the PD ticket Lohan didn’t win a seat.
He was elected as a councillor in 1991 , Left the PDs stood again as an independent in 1999 and in 2009 stood for Fianna Fail but failed to win a seat.
From the 1985 Local Elections in the Dun Laoghaire LEA. Labour Party candidates Jane Dillion Byrne, Eric Doyle, Jack Loughran and Philip Murphy. I think only Jane Dillion Byrne (who taught me to swim many many moons ago) was elected.
Lots here too in the profiles of the candidates showing the local issues of the time and some reminders of times past.
Jane Dillion Byrne was a founder member of Amnesty International in ireland.
Eric Doyle was educated at the long closed CBS Eblana Avenue (Ronnie Drew was another past pupil).
Jack Loughran had fought for Dun Laoghaire harbour to be under democratic control and developed for all.
Philip Murphy campaigned against payment of compensation by Local Authorities to disappointed developers.
The now Labour Party Leader Eamon Gilmore running for The Workers Party in the 1985 Local Elections in the Ballybrack Ward. It was an important election for Gilmore as he won a seat which was a major breakthrough for The Workers Party and himself.
From the 1985 local elections for the new Dun Laoghaire Rathdown council. A Fine Gael newsletter ‘Dun Laoghaire Report’ which focuses on issues of the time in Dun Laoghaire Rathdown. There are short profiles of the Fine Gael Ballybrack candidates Donal Marren, Barbara Culleton, Jim Ansboro and Steve Nalty.
Issues mentioned in the Newsletter included a proposed Planetarium on the old Pavilion site, a new third level college for Dun Laoghaire, housing grants, Dalkey Library and a proposed swimming pool in Loughlinstown Leisure centre
Clicking on the images will make them larger.
The now editor of The Irish Times, Geraldine Kennedy running for the Progressive Democrats in the 1989 General Election in Dun Laoghaire. Having been elected in the 1987 General Election in the wave of PD success, Geraldine Kennedy lost her seat in this 1989 General Election.
You will see reference to Mr Haughey getting an overall majority, a theme later revisited with success in 2002 due to their ‘Single Party Government – No Thanks’ posters and leaflets. Also covered are local issues such as the Shankill bypass and Dun Laoghaire Harbour.
You will also notice The ‘agreed agenda for action with Fine Gael’. Its forgotten now but the PDs went into the 1989 election with a pact with Fine Gael.
A Crime Survey from Dun Laoghaire Progressive Democrat TD, Helen Keogh in 1996.
Crime is one of the political constants, being seen to be tough on Crime or tougher than the others.
So here we have a survey asking about Crime and then asking the constituent to send it back to the TD. Needless to say I’d assume that people who had been victims of crime would be more inclined to return the survey. So hey presto the TD can say “In a survey of constituents I did 50% had been robbed…. etc etc”
It was in 1997 that Fianna Fail ran with its Zero Tolerance policy.
From the 1985 Local Elections, The Fianna Fail candidates for Blackrock Anne Brady, Michael Cotter and Paddy Madigan. As far as I’m aware Anne Brady and Paddy Madigan were elected. Paddy Madigan was elected again in 1991. He then fell out with Fianna Fail (or they fell out with him) somewhere along the way and ran as an Independent in the 1994 European Elections and the 1997 General Election.
Michael Cotter ran again in 1991 and failed to win a seat. He is a Lecturer/ Academic in DCU.
Anne Brady a councillor since 1979 lost her seat in the 1991 Elections.
From the february 1982 General election in Dun Laoghaire. The Fine Gael candidates Monica Barnes, Sean Barrett and Liam Cosgrave. Sean Barrett and Liam Cosgrave were both elected.
From the 2007 General Election in Dun Laoghaire, Fine Gael candidate Senator Eugene Regan.
Regan an economist, Barrister, SC also has had spells in Brussells.
He Specialises in European Law.
From the 1991 Local Elections Fine Gael candidate Sam Carroll. Carroll failed to win a seat in the Glencullen ward.
Sam Carroll is a well known face around the Foxrock/Deansgrange area.
The late Vincent MacDowell from the 1997 General Election in DunLaoghaire where he stood for the Green Party. His daughter Nuala Ahern had two terms as an MEP for Leinster (and was an MEP when this election took place in 1997).
Vincent MacDowell had a long and varied career (at electionsireland.org). He was a member of ‘The Socialist Republican Party’ which was founded in 1944 (wikipedia entry) and the group joined the Labour Party in 1949. In more recent times he was a founder of save our seafront.
This leaflet covers in-depth the major Green issues of the time. Nuclear Power (Sellafied ,Chernobyl),Neutrality , jobs for people not machines and other areas are covered.
From the 1985 local elections, Labour candidates Frank Smyth and Tim Wilson who ran in the Ballybrack ward.
Aside from the profiles of Frank Smyth and Tim Wilson,Rezoning issue and advocating control on the price of building land are amongst the things mentioned. There is also a message from the then local Labour TD Barry Desmond.
The now disgraced former Fine Gael TD Liam T. Cosgrave from the 1989 General Election in Dun Laoghaire.
From a Fine Gael dynasty, Liam T Cosgrave is son of former Fine Gael leader and Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave and also grandson of another former Fine Gael leader W. T. Cosgrave.
Having lost his seat in 1987 Liam Cosgrave again failed to win a seat in 1989 despite having won the fourth most first preferences in a five seat constituency.
In 2003 he resigned from Fine Gael, after evidence in the Mahon tribunal heard that Cosgrave had accepted illegal payments from property developers in return for voting to rezone property in Dublin. In 2005, Cosgrave pleaded guilty to a charge of failing to disclose to the Standards in Public Office Commission a political donation of £2,500 received from lobbyist Frank Dunlop. He was sentenced to 75 hours Community Service.
Irish Election Literature 
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