Irish Election Literature

… what you maybe meant to keep…

‘Orchestrating a better Future’ -Frank McNamara- PD -Dublin South Central 2007 February 3, 2010


Former Late Late Show pianist Frank McNamara from his 2007 General Election campaign in Dublin South Central. He polled 474 votes (result at electionsireland.org)
‘Orchestrating a better Future’ has to be one of the corniest slogans around.
The aim to “cut income tax to 18% and 38%” seems a long way away now.

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Brid Smith -Socialist Workers Party -2002 GE Dublin South-Central February 1, 2010


Brid Smith, The People Before Profit Alliance candidate for Dublin Mayor, from the 2002 General Election where she stood for the Socialist Workers Party. She got 617 votes in Dublin South Central.
In 2009 she was elected easily to Dublin City Council for the Ballyfermot Drimnagh ward.
In 2002 The Bin Tax was the main issue. We see that at that stage the Tribunals had cost more that 60 million too (and how many corrupt politicians were jailed?).
The proposed incinerator (in Poolbeg) and its viability without being subsidised by the householder is mentioned also.

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Mary Upton- Labour Party -2002 Dublin South Central


From the 2002 General Election, Labour Candidate Mary Upton defends the seat she won in the by-election in 1999. The By-Election was caused by the passing of her Brother Pat Upton. Amongst the photos in the Leaflet are herself and Mick McCarthy.

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Martin Walsh -Socialist Party -1997 GE Dublin South Central January 27, 2010


Martin Walsh of The Socialist Party in Dublin South Central in the 1997 General Election. Martin Walsh polled 328 votes. Walsh a shop steward at Packard Electrical in Tallaght from 1987 to 1996 and also had a role with the ATGWU.
Leaflet mentions some of the scandals of the time such as the Hepatitis C and Lowry/Dunne affair.

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Ruairi McGinley, Gay Mitchell -Fine Gael -1997 GE Dublin SC December 31, 2009


From the 1997 General election, Ruairi McGinley and Gay Mitchell. Mitchell was returned with over a quota, McGinley failed to win a seat.

 

Michael Mulcahy -1997 GE -Dublin South Central December 24, 2009


Michael Mulcahy stood on four occasions in Dublin South Central before finally being elected in 2002.

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Bob Quinn -Progressive Democrat- 2002 Dublin South Central December 10, 2009


Former president of the Students Union of the National College of Ireland Bob Quinn from his 2002 campaign. He received  1,377 votes.
The PDs used a lot of these cartoons on their 2002 literature.

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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.

ebyrnejobsa

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Pat Upton- Labour- Dublin South Central 1997 November 4, 2009


The late Pat Uptons last election campaign. This leaflet gives the mark of the man , his experience, his attitude to fairness in Society and you can see that his politics is in the mould of the late Frank Cluskeys. His early passing at just 54 years of age deprived the public of an excellent representative.

pupton97a

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Brid Smith -Socialist Workers Party -Dublin South Central 1997 October 13, 2009


Brid Smiths first electoral outing in 1997, where she gained 218 first preferences, the worst performance of the 4 SWP candidates in that election.
Fast forward to 2009 and she is elected easily ,146 first preferences away from the quota, in Ballyfermot-Drimnagh standing under the People before Profit banner.

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Eric Byrnes Lotto -Local Elections 2004 October 8, 2009


Eye catching leaflet from Eric Byrne on house prices and the money being made by developers . It made a lot of sense at the time . Although what those houses are worth now is anyones guess.

ebhouse2004a

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Ben Briscoe-Fianna Fail 1997- “No Posters” September 28, 2009


Ben Briscoe was elected in 1997, despite according to this letter , not putting up posters on lamposts.

 

Áine Ní Chonaill- Immigration Control Platform 2002 Dublin South Central. September 25, 2009


Áine Ní Chonaill was one of the first people to come out and publicly question immigration. The ICP is vehemently anti asylum seeker and felt that Ireland was easy for them to get Asylum.

 These two leaflets are as vile as you will come across…. (In Ireland anyhow)

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Sean Kelly 1997 – Not the usual political portrait…. September 11, 2009


Normally candidates look happy , sometimes even serious as they try to project some form of gravitas from their pictures.  They may even wear a fancy outfit or shiny suit . The airbrush is common as when some candidates call to the door they look a different person to that in the poster or flyer pictures…..

Not so Sean Kelly who stood as an Independent in Dublin South Central in the 1997 General Election. Sean, is not the height of fashion , looks more than grumpy and the dog doesn’t look thrilled to bits either.

He polled 125 votes.

 

Mary Daly – Natural Law Party -1992 Dublin South Central


The Natural Law Party stood in Irish Elections (both North and South) during the 1990s. The attraction of solving the worlds issues via Yogic Flying never caught on with the electorate. This is Mary Dalys leaflet from the 1992 General Election (Mary Daly on ElectionsIreland.org)

Famously Paddy Seery of the NLP recieved 5 votes in the Birr Town Council elections of 1999, although had reached the grand total of 11 by the time he was eliminated.

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