A old Christmas card from Dick Roche
Tony Dempsey- Fianna Fail- Wexford 2002
Former Wexford Hurling manager Tony Dempsey when he ran successfully in the 2002 General Election.
He invokes the specialness of being a Wexfordian, a heritage those of us outside Wexford tend to forget about.
Michael Mulcahy -1997 GE -Dublin South Central
Michael Mulcahy stood on four occasions in Dublin South Central before finally being elected in 2002.
Neil O’Neill- Fianna Fail -Clondalkin 2004 LE December 23, 2009
Young candidate, Neil O’Neill from the 2004 Local Elections where he failed to get elected for the Clondalkin Ward.
Stephen Rineys Rathfarnham Heritage Map-1991 LE
This is part of a leaflet produced by Fianna Fail Councillor Stephen Riney for the 1991 local elections. Alas the names of the places were all that was on the leaflet/map. No 8 on the map Butterfield House was supposedly one of the houses Robert Emmett hid in. Rathfarnham Castle, The Bottle Tower, Hell Fire Club, Lamb Doyles and Loreto Abbey would be familiar name to those from outside the area.
I might return to this at a later date and add some more background to the places.
Anyway an unusual piece of election material. Riney wasn’t elected.
You’ll need to click on the image to read the finer details.
Leaflet advertising ‘Berties Walkabout’ -Phibsboro 1993 December 22, 2009
A leaflet advertising Berties forthcoming Walkabout in the St Peters Parish area along with Tony Kett. I had thought that ‘Berties Walkabouts’ were somewhat impromptu but it wasn’t the case.
Like an awful lot to do with the Ahern organisation it had a military precision about it.
The Advice Centres are held in conjunction with Tony Kett and Willie O’Byrne.
Tony Kett was a councillor and later a senator. In the obituary of Tony Kett, Bertie Ahern wrote that he was ‘a man I am so proud to have been able to call my best friend’.
Willie O’Byrne stood for Fianna Fail in the 1991 local elections but failed to win a seat.
Throughout the Advice centre details, Bertie puts emphasis on the fact that he would deal with any queries ‘personally’.
Brian Cowen -Final Election Message -Laois-Offaly 2007 GE
Brian Cowens final election message to constituents in 2007. He asks Voters to ‘let us proceed with the Next Steps’… ‘to ensure Bertie Ahern continues the good work…’
The candidates shown are Sean Fleming, John Moloney and John Foley.
John Foley is the chap who disappeared and then reappeared in that David Davin Power report from the Fianna Fail Ard Fheis a few years back.
Invite to the 2005 Fianna Fail Ard Fheis December 10, 2009
How special one must have felt when this arrived in the post, with an almost personal message from Bertie too.
The letter that got Cyprian Brady elected -Fianna Fail 2007 -Dublin Central December 8, 2009
The night before the 2007 General Election, this leaflet was distributed in almost all areas (note the ‘your area’) of Dublin Central (Such stunts are not unusual). Mary Fitzpatrick wasn’t best pleased, especially as she didn’t have time to respond before the election.
Having received just 939 first preference votes, Cyprian Brady gets elected. How? He got the lions share of transfers from Bertie Aherns surplus, it was enough to put him ahead of Mary Fitzpatrick. When Mary Fitzpatrick was eliminated, Cyprian got the bulk of her transfers and finished comfortably ahead of Paschal Donohoe to win the final seat.
So this letter was deemed to have worked.
Noel Ahern – Fianna Fail -1997 Dublin North West December 7, 2009
The then Taoiseach, Bertie Aherns, brother Noel Ahern from the 1997 General Election where he topped the polled getting over 1.5 quotas.
Frank O’Flynn , Kevin O’Keefe -Fianna Fail- Fermoy 1999 December 4, 2009
Frank O’Flynn and Kevin O’Keefe (Son of Ned O’Keefe) from the 1999 Local elections (A Thanks to Frank for sending me these a few years back). Both candidates have been returned at each local election since.
(Judge) Henry Abbott -Fianna Fail – 1987 Longford-Westmeath December 3, 2009
Another member of the judiciary with a political past, Judge Henry Abbott.
He had one term in the Dail in 1987 (where the specimen ballot paper below is from) before losing his seat in 1989.
Note Helena McAuliffe Ennis has her occupation as ‘senator and housewife’.
She was also the only Labour member of the Oireachtas to join the PD’s in the months after their formation.
The Casino at Marino -Sean Haughey -Fianna Fail- Dublin North Central November 30, 2009
A lovely picture of the Casino at Marino, opens up to be a thank you and vote No 1 letter from Sean Haughey.
Although it’s a local landmark, does it signify the voter taking a gamble and voting for Sean?
Ernie Beggs – Fianna Fail 1991 LE November 23, 2009
Ernie Beggs running for Fianna Fail in 1991 local elections, his running mates were Tony Kett and Tom Stafford. Both Stafford and Kett were elected, Beggs got 593 votes.
An interesting title he had too ‘Fianna Fail Trade Union Co-Ordinator’.
Ernie Beggs later ran as an Independent… so must have fallen out with ‘Dublin Central Fianna Fail’…
Betty Coffey -Fianna Fail -Dun Laoghaire 1989 November 22, 2009
Betty (Elizabeth in some records) Coffey stood in both the 1989 and 1992 General Elections for Fianna Fail in Dub Laoghaire. In this 1989 election she was just 26 votes behind party colleague Brian Hillery when she ws eliminated, Hillery was elected. Although not so much here, a lot of her other literature promoted her ‘Liberal Agenda’.
Sorry I Missed you….. Michael Woods November 19, 2009
Michael Woods, the man who signed the deal with the religious… is ‘Sorry I missed you…’
Tony Taaffe – Independent (Fianna Fail) – Dublin NW 1997 GE November 18, 2009
Tony Taaffe, formerly a Fianna Fail Councillor who left and ran as Independent Fianna Fail in the 1997 General Election. I’m not sure but I suspect he may have failed to get on the party ticket. He ran again for Fianna Fail in the 1999 local elections and was elected.
His name is recorded in some places as ‘Taffe’ as opposed to ‘Taaffe’
Irish Election Literature 
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