Young candidate, Neil O’Neill from the 2004 Local Elections where he failed to get elected for the Clondalkin Ward.
Neil O’Neill- Fianna Fail -Clondalkin 2004 LE December 23, 2009
Mairead McGuinness Letter to electors -Fine Gael -2004 European Elections- East
It was quite a coup when Fine Gael secured Journalist and TV presenter, Mairead McGuinness on its ‘East’ ticket for the 2004 European Elections. A hard-fought campaign and rivalry between herself and Avril Doyle led to Fine Gael winning two of the three seats on offer. McGuinness topping the poll with just over a quota.
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’.
Paddy Cooney, Charlie McDonald -Fine Gael -1989 European Elections Leinster
From the 1989 European Elections Leinster. Paddy Cooney and Charlie McDonald.
Cooney was Minister for Justice in the 1973 to 77 Coalition government and later served as Minister for Posts and Telegraphs, Minister for Transport, Minister for Defence and Minister for Education. He was elected to the Dail in 1970 for Longford Westmeath, lost his seat in 1977, regained it in 1981 and held it until 1989 when (in the election the flyer is from) he won a seat in The European Parliament.
Charlie McDonald had a number of spells in the Seanad and also in the European Parliament. He served one Dail term from 1973 to 1977 for Laois Offaly.
Fine Gael emphasised their link to the Christian Democrats to imply that they had a bigger influence than Fianna Fail in the European Parliament.
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.
Catherine Murphy -Kildare North by-Election 2005
Former Workers Party, democratic Left and Labour Councillor Catherine Murphy (who has been very kind in sending her election literature over the years) from her successful by election campaign in 2005. This is just her flyer, I’ll put up more detailed stuff in due course. However it does show the pressures on North Kildare at the time such as school places and recreation facilities, indicating that a lot of the estates built were done so without adequate facilities.
Benny (Benedict) McElwee -Sinn Fein- 1982 Stormont Elections December 21, 2009
This Poster was sent in by a kind reader , who writes …..
It is about as early as you will find from modern day Sinn Féin. It’s from one of the initiatives I think it’s 1982 but it’s definitely the Jim Prior organised one for a Stormont Assembley/Forum which SF fought on an abstenion policy. I think the SDLP ended up the same too.
The candidate is Benny (Benedict) Mcelwee from Bellaghy, the brother of Hunger Striker, Thomas and cousin of Francis Hughes. Second on the paper is Danny Morrison of Ballot box and Armalite fame.
It was for the mid-ulster constituency and this one was the South Derry version. Up until this election, most full on Republicans had stood on a H-Blocks ticket and for the short lived Irish Independence Party so it’s as early a PSF poster as you’ll find.
Ironic indeed the ‘Smash Stormont’ legend at the top, I think the DUP ran with ‘Smash Sinn Féin’ in the same campaign.
Paul Kane – ‘Framed by a Supergrass’ -Irish Anti Extradition Committee 1988
Paul Kane was one of the 38 prisoners that escaped the Maze Prision in 1983.Extradition was a big issue in the Republic all throughout the troubles. Despite the quotes from Charles Haughey and Gerry Collins on the back of the leaflet, Paul Kane was extradited in 1989. The Quotes from Haughey and Collins also illustrate how throughout the Troubles Fianna Fails policies shifted to populist Republican ones most often when in opposition.
Others mentioned as awaiting extradition in the leaflet include Dermote Finucance, brother of the late Pat Finucane and former MP and election agent for Bobby Sands, Owen Carron.
Dermot Tobin- Workers Party -Wicklow 1989
Dermot Tobins literature from the 1989 General Election. Times were not unlike today, with fiscal considerations the main issue.
A public jobs scheme is suggested, De Rossas message to the electorate is almost as relevant today as it was back than.
Tobin polled a disappointing 2049 votes down 1500 from John McManus two years previously.
Padraig O’Neill -Independent -Dublin South 1987 December 20, 2009
‘Thatcherism has not Worked in the UK. It will not work in Ireland’ proclaims Padraig. Also shows the Tax rates of the times in a little chart. He got 142 votes….
Vote No to Citizenship Referendum 2004 December 19, 2009
Up until 2004 if your child was born in Ireland, you were entitled to citizenship. It was felt that this left the country open to people coming into the country to give birth so they could automatically gain citizenship. It was passed by 79% Yes to 21% No.
Michael McDowell was Minister for Justice at the time.
Noel O’Gara -The Planning Reform Party 2007 GE
The 2007 Manifesto of Noel O’Gara, current owner of Dartmouth Square. He is the only Candidate to have stood for The Planning Reform Party. In 2007 he stood in Dublin South East(27 votes), Laois Offaly (45 votes), Longford Westmeath (84 votes), Roscommon South Leitrim (66 votes) and
he also stood in the 2009 Dublin South by-election (172 votes).
Noel O’Gara is not a fan of planning permission.
“Don’t throw it all away” -2007 Progressive Democrats December 18, 2009
Saw these and couldn’t resist….
Young Fine Gael Leaflet circa 1990
Not quite sure when this is from, as some of the press cuttings look to be from different years. Young Fine Gael went to the USSR, they called for State Funding for Parties, Weren’t too happy about a rugby tour to South Africa and lots more in the press clippings. Hugh Gillanders is listed as the National Youth Officer.
Victor Boyhan -Progressive Democrats- Blackrock 1999 LE December 17, 2009
Victor Boyhan of the Progressive Democrats for the 1999 local elections in Blackrock. He won a seat, lost it in 2004 and was elected as an Independent in 2009. Boyhan grew up with Paul McGrath and some of his 2009 literature had recommondations from Paul McGrath as opposed to Liz O’donnell as we have here. (I’ll post that in due course)
Donogh MacCarthy Morrogh (Mr Mac) – Green Party -Cork North Central 1992
Donogh MacCarthy Morrogh (Mr Mac) from the 1992 General election where he polled 818 votes. He was the Gardener on Cork Multichannel, how big a role that was I don’t know.
Given the current prominence of ‘Green Jobs’ here we have them being promoted in 1992 by Donogh MacCarthy Morrogh. Amongst the proposals were recycling and insulation, the Green jobs still being touted today.
I don’t know if the Beautiful City – Garden Festival ever took place.
Irish Election Literature 
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