From the 1999 local Elections, unsuccessful Fianna Fail candidate Daid Boylan
Neil O’Neill- Fianna Fail -Clondalkin 2004 LE December 23, 2009
Young candidate, Neil O’Neill from the 2004 Local Elections where he failed to get elected for the Clondalkin Ward.
Paddy Gallagher, Tony Wright – Workers Party 1987 Waterford. December 8, 2009
Paddy Gallagher had briefly been a TD between February and November 1982 when won a seat from Fianna Fails Billy Kenneally.
In November 1982 Fianna Fail won the seat back.It had been felt that Gallagher hadn’t done enough to protect jobs in Waterford.
Aside from Fianna Fail Gallagher was also hit on the left by two Independent candidates, Terry Moroney who had been part of a march from Dungarvan to Dublin protesting against Youth Unemployment and also Thomas Brennan who had been formerly a leading light in the local Labour Party.
Brian O’Shea of Labours vote held steady at around 4% in both the February and November 82 elections.
Tony Wright was added to the 1987 ticket to cover the Dungarvan side of Waterford.
Amongst the policies listed in this 1987 campaign leaflet… The idea of an agricultural Development Authority seemed innovative and, as now, Health and Social Welfare cuts are part of the bigger parties plans. Plenty of other things of interest there also.
We also have the achievements of the Workers Party TDs in the previous Dail.
Emmet Stagg- “Cuts Kill, defend your right to Health”- 1989 GE Kildare December 6, 2009
Emmet Stagg attacks the cuts in the Health Services in 1989.
“If you can pay,
your child gets heart surgery in a week.
If you can’t pay,
join the waiting list or die. “
Anne Colley -Progressive Democrat- Dublin South- 1987 December 5, 2009
Anne Colley, Daughter of George Colley, Granddaughter of Henry Colley (who lost his seat to Charles Haughey!) from the 1987 general Election.
With such a background it was no surprise when she joined the Progressive Democrats and subsequently topped the poll with well over a quota.
She lost her seat in the 1989 election and retired from politics.
Marcus McCabe -Green Party – Cavan-Monaghan 2002 GE
Marcus McCabe (who kindly sent me this) stood in the 2002 General Election in Cavan-Monaghan for the Green Party. It was the first time the Green Party stood there. He polled 1,100 votes, 843 votes behind Monaghan based Independent councillor Vincent Martin (a former president of the Students Union in Maynooth) who subsequently joined the Greens and stood in 2007.
Donegal Labour /Labour Youth -1985 LE
Donegal Labour weren’t happy about being in coalition with Fine Gael. Being Socialists they didn’t want coalition with Fianna Fail either.God knows what they would have thought of the yet to be formed Progressive Democrats.
That small piece shows the problems parties (especially of the Left) have when going into Coalition. Here were Donegal Labour in effect, disavowing the party that they were standing for. Maybe thats why the literature differs from the 1985 Labour Party template.
Under the No Coalition is a small bit about Labour Youth and a recruitment ‘form’. The name to send off to is F McCafferty. Francis McClafferty stood in the 2004 local elections for the Socialist Party. In 2009 he was part of the group that set up the ‘Letterkenny Residents Party’ which had Tom Crossan elected to the UDC.
On the Reverse is a profile of Anne Wilkinson who was standing in the 1985 local elections for Labour.
Sirena Campbell -PD-Meath by-election 2005 November 21, 2009
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.
Fine Gael- Bernard Durkan, Gerard Callery, Catherine McGarry- Celbridge LEA 1991 October 20, 2009
Not too many candidates these days would include beagling in their hobbies and interests as Catherine McGarry does.
Sean Dublin Bay Loftus 1992 GE October 1, 2009
A request came in for more Sean DBL…. This is from the 1992 General election.
Sean Dublin Bay Loftus (also known briefly as Sean Dublin Bay Rockhall Loftus), was elected to the Dail on just the one occasion in June 1981. He lost his seat 8 months later at the Feb 1982 election (maybe that’s why he has “A Fixed Statutory Dail term of 5 years” in his manifesto) . He Stood in Dublin North Central.
Sean isn’t in favour of Coalitions…. instead he favours that the major party does a deal with a bunch of Community Candidates rather than say The Labour Party! …
Plenty of other decent and interesting policies also. To see a proposal 20 years ago that would fit today…
Reduction in Number of TDs and A Politicians Pay Freeze.
An Abortion Referendum was held on the same day as the 1992 Election and Sean was very much ‘Pro-Life’, he advocates a No vote.
Slightly Bizarre… Pat ‘Abel’ O’Reilly- “You will never Vote Better” -1987 Dun Laoghaire September 18, 2009
There’s some pretty funny stuff in this…
First off he changed his name to ‘Abel’ O’Reilly to be top of the ballot paper. What alternative to alphabetical order would he have proposed?
I gather he was a member of the PDs and had sought the nomination, hence ….
“Sean Doherty TD has described the addition of Geraldine Kennedy to the PD ticket as Hitler Politics”
You’d never have guessed either that he was once a policeman in the US.
The Vote yourself into Money is quoted too, with his odds of being elected at 50-1. lots more odd stuff there too. He polled 233 votes.
Tim O’Brien -Independent Socialist Dublin North 1997
From the 1997 General Election, running in Dublin North Independent Socialist Tim O’Brien. Tim O’Brien polled 376 votes and failed to be elected.
Here he lists religious figures, Peter McVerry, Sister Stan and Sean Healy as influences
Fine Gael 1987 – ‘Guaranteed Irish Jobs’ Leaflet. September 17, 2009
Election 87 after five years in Government Fine Gael play on the highly popular (and important) slogan of
the time ‘Guaranteed Irish’. They had inherited a country in bits and some of the text such as “You’ve worked hard- don’t throw it all away” gives an idea of the sacrifices the public (or the PAYE sector) were making. Mind you there was still an awful long way to go….
We have the front page, the middle pages which are “What Fine Gael have done” and “What Fine Gael will do”
Amongst what they had done was… “Started the first ever reform of the Public Service”,”The Anglo-Irish Agreement”,
“Biggest road building programme ever” and so on.
Amongst what they would do was “Build regional sports centres”. Also with regard to creating jobs- “get fares down further and increase tourism”. There were no low budget airlines back then. The low budget was the supabus to London, which many had taken but not come back.
1987 was also the Progressive Democrats first General Election.
Nessa Childers – From Green 2004 to Red 2009 September 16, 2009
Found this Nessa Childers leaflet from 2004s Local Elections and thought it worth posting…..
Nessa, daughter of former President Erskine Childers won a seat for the Green Party here. She later resigned the seat and bowed out of politics only to reappear as Labour candidate for Ireland East in the 2009 Euro elections.
In Ireland we often have people leaving parties going Independent or founding their own party/group, often they are welcomed back to the party which they had left.
Not too many elected representatives switch between the main parties, so as a collector I like the fact that I have both the Green and Labour leaflets for Nessa Childers….
‘We must grasp the opportunities offered by new technologies…‘ she writes in the Labour Leaflet
Fianna Fail -November 1982 – Haugheys Message to the Electorate.
Fianna Fail November 1982. This was the second election in the year and also the shortest serving Government. It was the GUBU government that did the ‘Gregory Deal’ and was to an extent dependent on support from Sinn Fein The Workers Party who later withdrew their support. That doesn’t get a mention in Haugheys message. Instead he refers to the death of Bill Loughnane and the illness of the late Jim Gibbons for this ‘unwanted and unneccessary General Election’. Yet it was a motion of confidence proposed by Mr Haughey upon which the government fell.
We have a stern Haughey trying to look Statesmanlike on the front …… a friendly but menacing looking Charlie on the inside….
The Pro-life Amendment is now an issue. The usual stuff about stability (give me an overall majority please) is there too.
The part regarding “a sovereign Independent Nation with own policy on international issues …..settlement of international disputes by peaceful means” is a reference to the Falklands war. Haughey whilst initially not supportive of Britain towed the EEC line, He broke ranks after the sinking of the Belgrano, much to Britain’s displeasure.
Sean Walsh, Chris Flood Dublin South West -1987 GE
The 1987 General Election- Dublin South West. This is the Leaflet of Chris Flood and the late Sean Walsh.
Colm McGrath, recently charged with corruption is pictured as one of the Support Team on the back of the leaflet.
(Tony Fox leaflet : http://wp.me/pDoVn-31b and Don Lydon leaflet http://wp.me/pDoVn-FX)
Sean Walsh ‘who has a long record of dedicated public service” and “is totally committed to the needs of his constituency through his council involvement, his Dail experience and his local knowledge” came to the attention of the Planning Tribunals. ….. “his council involvement ……. and his local knowledge” served him well in certain quarters. The Park opposite ‘The Square’ is named after him.
Chris Flood who had his name mentioned in the Tribunals also, “worked unstintingly in the interests of residents…..” etc etc
One or two of the “Support Team” pictured, of John Hannon, Jim Barry, Padraig Lynch, Colm McGrath, Seamus McGowan and Sean Ardagh, have also got a mention at the Tribunals.
Niall Blaney – Independent Fianna Fail -2002 GE September 14, 2009
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)
Fianna Fail – ‘The Best Deal on Tax’, ‘The Best Deal on Social Welfare’ 1992
Two Leaflets from the 1992 General Election. Taxes were still very high. By referencing the introduction of Free Travel, Free fuel etc they were showing that they were on the side of the ordinary person. A far cry from their image today.
The price of drink was important back then. Fianna Fail had only put 1p on the pint in five years whilst the Coalition had put 11p on the pint!
Irish Election Literature 
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