From the 2002 General Election a paper “IFF News” produced by Niall Blaney who was running for Independent Fianna Fáil in Donegal North East. In what turned out to be the last General Election fought by the Blaney Independent Fianna Fáil Party, Blaney polled 6,124 votes and was elected.
You can listen to a podcast I did on The Blaney Organisation here
This episode tell the story of the Independent Fianna Fáil party founded by Neil T. Blaney after his expulsion from Fianna Fáil. It lasted from 1973 until 2006. There’s a background to Blaney , a brief bit on his career as a Minister, Blaneys time in Europe as well as the various elections the party fought.
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From the 2004 Local Elections a leaflet from Independent Fianna Fail candidates Dessie Larkin and Maureen McLaughlin running in Letterkenny. Larkin, now a Fianna Fail councillor, topped the poll with 1,736 votes whilst McLaughlin polled 573 votes and missed out on a seat.
Other IFF material
From the 1985 Local Elections a sample Ballot paper issued by Independent Fianna Fail for Letterkenny UDC. The candidates were Tadhg Culbert, James Larkin, Hugh Dorrian and Jim Lynch. (A leaflet from them with details of the candidates is posted here)
Of the other Non Party candidates Patrick J Blake, Charles Grant and Sean Maloney ran for The Community Party, whilst James Devenney ran for the Donegal Progressive Party which attracted a Protestant vote.
From the 1979 European Elections ads from The Galway Advertiser for Independent Fianna Fail candidate Neil Blaney running in Connaught Ulster.
“The EEC has failed to deliver on the promises made when you voted Yes to entry 7 years ago” writes Blaney giving details on faults from Potato marketing policy to The Regional Fund.
Blaney topped the poll and was elected on the first count.
From the 2004 Local Elections a leaflet for Independent Fianna Fail candidates for Letterkenny Town Council Dessie Larkin and Peter Patton. Dessie Larkin was elected but Peter Patton missed out.
Dessie Larkin is the son of former Independent Fianna Fail Senator James Larkin (1985 Leaflet here).
The aims and objectives of the party are fairly good. There’s little or no mention of the British presence in the North which was a mainstay of their early policies until the peace process.
From the 2004 Local Elections in Donegal, Independent Fianna Fail candidates Albert Doherty and Columba Doherty. Neither were elected.
Liam Blaney (son of Harry Blaney, Brother of Niall Blaney, nephew of Neil T Blaney etc….), Joseph Cullen and Michael McBride from the 2004 Local Elections which were not brilliant by any means for Independent Fianna Fail. In Milford Liam Blaney held on to his seat but McBride and Cullen failed to get elected.
(kindly sent by IFF at the time)
Tadhg Colbert, James Larkin, Hugh Dorrian and Jim Lynch. An Interesting bunch here. Unusual to see a candidates name have two different spellings. Tadhg Colbert on the front, Tadgh Culbert on the back. He later joined Fianna Fail and stood for them in the 1994 UDC elections.
James Larkin was Neil T Blaneys director of elections. He had also been a member of the Seanad, nominated as part of the deal for Independent Fianna Fail TD Neil T Blaney to support the 1982 Haughey government. Whilst not quite the headline grabber the Gregory deal was, this was the one and only time the Independent Fianna Fail party had a seat in the Seanad.
(more…)
After Neil T. Blaney’s brother, Harry Blaneys defeat in the 1996 by-Election, Independent Fianna Fail easily won back the seat the following year with Harry Blaney again as candidate.
Harry retired in 2002 and it was his son Niall Blaney who successfully stood for Independent Fianna Fail. The third generation of Blaneys to be elected to the Dail.
After negotiations, Independent Fianna Fail rejoined the Fianna Fail mothership in 2006. So this would be some of the last General Election literature produced by the party. The party literature I have always uses orange as the background. (I’ve more that I will post in due course)
Neil Blaney was originally elected as a Fianna Fail TD in 1948 (a by-election caused by the death of his Father Neal Blaney). After a successful Ministerial career, he was sacked from cabinet over what led to the ‘Arms Trial’. It wasn’t though until 1972 that he was expelled from Fianna Fail for ‘conduct unbecoming’.
Neil Blaney then set about the foundation of the Independent Fianna Fail organisation in Donegal. He was returned 8 times to the Dail and twice to the European Parliment. After his Death in 1995 the subsequent by-election was won not by his Brother Harry, but by Cecilia Keaveney, daughter of former Independent Fianna Fail TD Paddy Keaveney….
These are from the 1989 Euro Elections. I have three different leaflets with the same picture but different slogans. The back of each leaflet was different and where you will get an idea of the policies and the experience of the man. His ‘Record’ reads like a historical document of the 50s, 60s,70s and 80s.
In an age where most politicians were members of GAA clubs, Blaney continued the tradition of soccer in Donegal as he had a spell as President of the FAI. You will also see the ‘Troops Out’ heading, Blaney was unashamedly Republican.
The Fianna Fail Ticket from the 1991 Local Elections in the Buncrana Area.
Aside from Joseph Doherty, Denis McGonagle and John Henry McLaughlin we have amongst others ex Fianna Fail TD Hugh Conaghan and former Independent Fianna Fail TD Paddy Keaveney (the only non Blaney to have sat in Dail Eireann for the Independent Fianna Fail organisation). The Late Paddy was father of current Senator and ex TD Cecilia Keaveney.
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Irish Election Literature 
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