A leaflet given out by the Labour Party in the 2007 General Election Campaign called ‘The story of Labour’s Rose’.
James Larkin, James Connolly and Sean O’Casey all get a mention here.
‘Of Larkin, O’Casey said he was a man who would as soon put a rose in a vase as bread on the table.‘
The Story of Labour’s Rose -Labour Party 2007 March 16, 2010
Joe MacEnri -Fine Gael -Lucan 2004 LE
From the 2004 Local Elections Fine Gael candidate Joe MacEnri running in the Lucan LEA. He wasn’t elected.
Messages include Lucan being under represented on the council, schools, youth facilities and Adamamstown.
Albert Doherty, Columba Doherty -Independent Fianna Fail- Innisowen 2004 LE March 15, 2010
From the 2004 Local Elections in Donegal, Independent Fianna Fail candidates Albert Doherty and Columba Doherty. Neither were elected.
Ulster’s Solemn League and Covenant 1912
From 1912 an original copy of ‘Ulster’s Solemn League and Covenant’ sent in by a kind donor who writes…..
This is not election literature but very political nevertheless and probably one of the most important documents of the 20th century.
In fact, it’s probably the Unionist equivalent of the Proclamation.
It’s ‘Ulster’s Solemn League and Covenant’ known as ‘The Covenant’ from 1912. Many of the most ardent opponents of Home Rule were said to have signed it in their own blood, not the only blood spilled over that bill.
The text of the Covenant is
‘Ulster’s Solemn League and Covenant
Being convinced in our consciences that Home Rule would be disastrous to the material well-being of Ulster as well as of the whole of Ireland, subversive of our civil and religious freedom, destructive of our citizenship and perilous to the unity of the Empire, we, whose names are underwritten, men of Ulster, loyal subjects of his Gracious Majesty King George V, humbly relying on the God whom our fathers in days of stress and trial confidently trusted, do hereby pledge ourselves in solemn Covenant throughout this our time of threatened calamity to stand by one another in defending for ourselves and our children our cherished position of equal citizenship in the United Kingdom and in using all means which may be found necessary to defeat the present conspiracy to set up a Home Rule Parliament in Ireland. And in the event of such a Parliament being forced upon us we further solemnly and mutually pledge ourselves to refuse to recognise its authority. In sure confidence that God will defend the right we hereto subscribe our names. And further, we individually declare that we have not already signed this Covenant.
The above was signed by me at ____________
Ulster Day, Saturday 28th, September, 1912.
God Save the King ‘
Socialist Labour Party flyer
A simple flyer from Noel Brownes Socialist Labour Party that was sent to me.
The Socialist Labour Party was short-lived, having been co-founded in 1977 by Noel Browne and Matt Merrigan (who both had been thrown out of the Labour Party). It finally disbanded just five years later in 1982.
Tom Crosby- Independent -2004 LE Roscommon March 14, 2010
From the 2004 Local elections, Independent candidate Tom Crosby running in the Strokestown LEA for Roscommon County Council. Tom Crosby was initially elected as a Fianna Fail councillor in 1991. He has been re-elected to the council ever since.
Loughlin Deegan -Fianna Fail -Rathmines 1999 March 13, 2010
From the 1999 local Elections in Rathmines, former UCD Students Union President Loughlin Deegan running for Fianna Fail. Loughlin Deegan polled 588 votes.
John Connor -Fine Gael -1989 Roscommon-East Galway
From the 1989 General election, Fine Gael candidate John Connor. He was elected here in 1989 and again in 1992 in the Longford-Roscommon constituency. He lost his seat in the 1997 elections and failed to regain it in 2002.
Dick Roche -Fianna Fail -Wicklow 1997 General Election March 12, 2010
From the 1997 General Election the dashing Fianna Fail candidate Dick Roche.
Amongst other things we learn that Dick was the ‘first Irish winner of United Nations Human Rights Fellowship, 1978’. It was Dicks lobbying that got a new sewage plant in Greystones.
Theres plenty more in the leaflet which appears to be tailored towards the Greystones area.
Fine Gael membership form in Lithuanian
Something that reflects one of the changes in Ireland in the last twenty years.
A Fine Gael membership form in Lithuanian.
My Lituanian wouldn’t be great so I’m at a loss as to what it says. (I guess Endas not fluent either so it could be saying anything about him)
In other words…
Tai, kas atspindi vienas iš Airijos pokyčiai per pastaruosius dvidešimt metų. Fine Gael “narystė formą lietuvių kalba.
Mano Lietuviški neturėtų būti didelis, kad aš ne kaip į praradimą, ką ji sako. (I guess Endas negali laisvai arba kad ji galėtų būti pasakyti nieko apie jį)
Geraldine Kennedy (large leaflet) -Progressive Democrats – Dun Laoghaire 1989 General Election March 11, 2010
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.
Mary Banotti -Fine Gael -1997 Presidential Election
From the 1997 Presidential Election, Fine Gael candidate Mary Banotti. Mary Banotti polled almost 30% of the vote in a contest won by Mary McAleese. In the wake of Mary Robinsons success, of the five candidate (an unprecedented number) four were women, Dana, Mary McAleese, Adi Roche and Mary Banotti with Derek Nally the sole male candidate.
Mary Banotti had both tradition, being in the Michael Collins bloodline and a career of caring to do well. Also even in 1997 it was unusual for a politician to announce they were separated.
Dan Boyle Flyer -Green Party -Cork South Central 1992 March 10, 2010
A flyer from the Cork South Central Green Party candidate,the now Senator, Dan Boyle from the 1992 General Election.
It was his first General election and he polled 1,166 votes.
A few nice lines about building houses rather than motorways, fundamental changes in our taxation system and looking after the young and the elderly.
Kathleen O’Meara -Labour Party -Tipperary North 2007 GE
From the 2007 General Election, former Labour Party Senator Kathleen O’Meara running in Tipperary North. The leaflet is focused on both ‘Labour’s 5 commitments for change’ and local issues in Ballina such as a new bridge.
Kathleen O’Meara had previously been a journalist in RTE, she is currently Head of Advocacy and Communications at the
Irish Cancer Society.
Senan Griffin -Fine Gael -1999 Local elections Leixlip
From the 1999 Local elections in the Leixlip Ward Fine Gael candidate Senan Griffin. Senan Griffin was elected.
There is a message from Bernard Durkan as well as one from Senan Griffin himself. His achievements include ‘Quality Footpaths’ and Grants to GAA clubs.
You will also see mention of opposition to the proposed incinerator in Kilcock. The Incinerator
proposal was turned down by An Bórd Pleanála’s who refused planning permission for the proposed plant.
Brian Lenihan , Gerry Lynam -Fianna Fail Dublin West 2007 March 9, 2010
The generic Fianna Fail leaflet that went through the doors at election time throughout the country for the 2007 General Election. Here we have Brian Lenihan and Gerry Lynam running for Fianna Fail in Dublin West. Little or no detail about the candidates. A letter from Bertie Ahern telling us about the Next Steps.
The now Minister of Finance Brian Lenihan topped the poll and was elected on the first count.
Irish Anti Apartheid Movement Posters and Flyers
A selection of posters from the Irish Anti Apartheid Movement. The address on the posters is that of Kader Asmal , co founder of the IAAM, who later became a minister in South Africas first post apartheid government. The IAAM were founded in 1963 and continued until the early 1990s.
(the following is from a speech made by Louise Asmal about the Irish Anti Apartheid Movement)
“We had very little funding that we did not raise ourselves – and here I should pay tribute to the many musicians who sang for us at concerts, and often turned down lucrative offers to tour South Africa as well. Poets like Seamus Heaney read for us, Sean O’Casey and Samuel Beckett were among the first signatories of a list of playwrights who refused to allow their plays to be performed in South Africa.
But of course it was the sports boycott which aroused the most passion and the most controversy. (1969-’70 Springbok rugby tour – 8000).
In 1984 Mary Manning, a young trade unionist working in a supermarket in Dublin, refused to register the sale of an Outspan grapefruit. She and 10 others who supported her were suspended, and went on strike for three and a half years. For those three and a half years we organized a Saturday picket outside the store, but management refused to respond to our letters and refused to meet us. In 1987 the Irish Government imposed sanctions on South African fruit and produce.”
You will see ‘Outspan’ and ‘Cape’ fruit refered to in one of the posters below.
Fine Gael Flyer advertising Anti Property tax meeting in 1994.
From 1994 a flyer advertising a meeting about The Residential Property tax that was introduced by the Fianna Fail / Labour Coalition.
The meeting was to be addressed by John Bruton.
Irish Election Literature 
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