One of the most experienced Councillors on the City Council Mary Freehills leaflet from the 1999 local elections in Rathmines.
Eddie Collins-Hughes -Carlow-Kilkenny 2002 GE
Eddie Collins-Hughes from the 2002 General election in Carlow-Kilkenny. Eddie was looking for a fairer society. He polled 1,614 votes.
Sirena Campbell -PD-Meath by-election 2005
Sirena Campbell from the Meath by-election 2005 caused by John Brutons appointment as EU Ambassador to the United States. Sirena Campbell, along with the late Kate Walsh in Kildare North (where a by-election was held on the same day to replace Charlie McCreevey who had moved to the EU Commission) were the last Progressive Democrat candidates fielded in by-elections.
Sirena Campbell, having failed in her attempt in the 2004 locals in Slane, polled 2,679 in the by-election. She got just 957 votes in the 2007 GE , however she was elected to Meath Co Council in 2009 when standing for Fine Gael.
Letter to voters from Bobby Molloy -Progressive Democrats -1989 European Elections November 20, 2009
A Letter from Bobby Molloy to voters from the 1989 European election campaign. He polled well but failed to win a seat finishing 5th.
Molloy First elected to the Dail in 1965, was one of the first Fianna Fail Politicians to join the newly formed Progessive Democrats in 1986. He retired from politics prior to the 2002 General Election in a controversy over representations made in a rape case.
Click on Image to enlarge
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…’
Socialist Labour Party- Recruitment Leaflet November 18, 2009
This is a recruitment leaflet from the Socialist Labour Party circa 1980.
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.
It fought the 1979 local elections as well as the 1981 General Election.
In the 1981 election, Browne was re-elected to the Dail for Dublin North-Central. Other candidates fielded by the Socialist Labour Party included Billy Keegan and Matt Merrigan in Dublin North-West, Michael O’Donoghue in Dublin North-East and Dermot Boucher in Dún Laoghaire. None of them polled well. Matt Merrigan also stood for the SLP in the 1982 Dublin West By-Election.
In the leaflet we have a piece from the Parties Constitution. Sections on its Policies and activities.
The Socialist Labour Party indicate here its willingness to work with other parties of the left. Rather than use differences , use what parties had in common…
‘..We would seek to avoid the isolation and impotence of many small political groupings on the Irish Left. When we find
ourselves in agreement…. we attempt to work together..’
Tony Taaffe – Independent (Fianna Fail) – Dublin NW 1997 GE
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’
Margaret Forde – Fianna Fail -Seanad 1997
Margaret Forde the 1992 ‘Sligo Business Person of the Year’ from her run for the Seanad on the Administrative Panel in 1997. She had failed to take a seat in the 1997 General election and was unsuccessful here again.
‘Politicians on the Fiddle:Vote Them Out-‘Campaign for Honesty in Politics’ 1991 November 17, 2009
1991 Local Elections and a leaflet from the ‘Campaign for Honesty in Politics’ to Vote Out the Big Parties. As tribunals have shown, they were more than correct about ‘Politicians on the Fiddle’.
I’m not sure who was behind the ‘Campaign for Honesty in Politics’, names such as Michael Smith and Colm MacEochaidh have been suggested, but it may not have been them. (It was in 1995 that the reward was offered that led to the tribunals.)
I had it filed away with Green Party material from Ballybrack if that provides a clue to anyone. The Green Party and The Workers Party were the only ‘Small’ Parties to contest Ballybrack and Blackrock. Sinn Fein contested the Dun Laoghaire ward.
Anyway I’d love to know who was behind the leaflet.
As you can see the issues covered are on the Southside of Dublin. Some of the lands mentioned may have been part of the now infamous ‘Jackson Way’ land. It also illustrates the cynical way councillors were using their vote. Also mentioned is the compensation that councils had to pay developers when they refused planning permission.
Tom Kitt- ‘olé olé’ -World Cup 2002
From the 2002 World Cup / General Election campaign a leaflet from Tom Kitt to get voters in the spirit.
Tony Wright, Fiachra O Ceilleachair- Democratic Left- Waterford 1997 November 16, 2009
Democratic Lefts Tony Wright hands over the reigns on Dungarvan UDC and Waterford County Council to Fiachra O Ceilleachair.
Both Fiachra O Ceilleachair and Tony Wright had been members of the Workers Party and Fiachra O Ceilleachair later stood for Labour.
Wright himself had been elected to Waterford Co Council in 1991.
Ruairi Quinn -Letter to appartment Residents 1987
Many of the issues mentioned here by Ruairi Quinn are still happening today. Management Companies are still an area of contention , the country is crawling with unfinished buildings……
Fianna Fail – Sean Lemass Cumann Maynooth -‘Be a Driver not a Passenger’ leaflet from 1991
A leaflet from the Sean Lemass Cumann in Maynoth, explaining why they are so important . It also has an Ad form the ‘Highlight of the Cumann’s year’ .. the annual Ogra Fianna Fail conference….. Admission included to the ‘BRILL. Party and Disco’….
The 1991 conference took place in Cork.
Ciaran Cuffe -1997 Dublin Central
1997 and SouthEast Inner City Green Councillor Ciaran Cuffe is running in Dublin Central looking ‘To clean up this dirty old town’.
(you may need to click on some of the images to read them)
Eric Byrne -‘Jobs’ -Democratic Left 1997- Dublin SC November 15, 2009
1997 and part of the outgoing ‘Rainbow Government’ The Democratic Left would only enter government on the basis of the biggest jobs plan ever…..
Eric Byrne was made jobless by the electorate as he lost his seat in this election.
Tony Ryan _Green Alliance- 1983 Dublin Central By-Election
This was published in part here previously, but given its amongst the oldest Green material I have, I figured it was worth a post of its own.
A few things here such as the TDs annual salary being £16,400. The honeycomb graphic with all the interconnecting Green ideas. To ‘Outlaw Land Speculation’ was suggested here and its an awful pity that never happened.
Ryan got 458 votes.
Derek Connolly – Cork NE -Fine Gael 2004 LE
Derek Connolly who was unsuccessful in his 2004 (and later 2009) attempt to be elected to Cork City Council. (Many Thanks to the donor)
Orla Guerin -Labour -Dublin 1994
1994 Dublin European Elections and a mini sensation is caused by the addition of RTE Journalist Orla Guerin to the Labour Party Ticket.
The addition, supposedly at Dick Springs request, caused friction within the party and between the candidates.
The sitting MEP Bernie Malone, who had been co-opted to replace Barry Desmond, had been selected at the Selection convention was none too pleased. It was one of the most memorable campaigns for rivalry between candidates…. All sorts of rumours went around at the time.
In the end Malone held on to her seat and it was Guerin, despite polling well, who lost out.
Orla Guerin joined the BBC in 1995 and has worked there since.
Irish Election Literature 
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