From the 2004 Local Elections a leaflet for Independent Fianna Fail candidates for Letterkenny Town Council Dessie Larkin and Peter Patton. Dessie Larkin was elected but Peter Patton missed out.
Dessie Larkin is the son of former Independent Fianna Fail Senator James Larkin (1985 Leaflet here).
The aims and objectives of the party are fairly good. There’s little or no mention of the British presence in the North which was a mainstay of their early policies until the peace process.
From the 2009 Local Elections in Kerry. Poll topper in Killorglin LEA, Michael Healy-Rae, son of the sitting TD Jackie Healy-Rae.
‘I earnestly ask for your NO 1 VOTE Please -or you next highest preference’ writes Michael.
The thing that also strikes me about the leaflet is that when reading it I can hear Michael Healy-Raes voice saying most of the text.
I also see that Michael is a member of the HSE.
From the 2004 Local Elections in Donegal, Independent Fianna Fail candidates Albert Doherty and Columba Doherty. Neither were elected.
Liam Blaney (son of Harry Blaney, Brother of Niall Blaney, nephew of Neil T Blaney etc….), Joseph Cullen and Michael McBride from the 2004 Local Elections which were not brilliant by any means for Independent Fianna Fail. In Milford Liam Blaney held on to his seat but McBride and Cullen failed to get elected.
(kindly sent by IFF at the time)
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’
Tadhg Colbert, James Larkin, Hugh Dorrian and Jim Lynch. An Interesting bunch here. Unusual to see a candidates name have two different spellings. Tadhg Colbert on the front, Tadgh Culbert on the back. He later joined Fianna Fail and stood for them in the 1994 UDC elections.
James Larkin was Neil T Blaneys director of elections. He had also been a member of the Seanad, nominated as part of the deal for Independent Fianna Fail TD Neil T Blaney to support the 1982 Haughey government. Whilst not quite the headline grabber the Gregory deal was, this was the one and only time the Independent Fianna Fail party had a seat in the Seanad.
(more…)
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)
Neil Blaney was originally elected as a Fianna Fail TD in 1948 (a by-election caused by the death of his Father Neal Blaney). After a successful Ministerial career, he was sacked from cabinet over what led to the ‘Arms Trial’. It wasn’t though until 1972 that he was expelled from Fianna Fail for ‘conduct unbecoming’.
Neil Blaney then set about the foundation of the Independent Fianna Fail organisation in Donegal. He was returned 8 times to the Dail and twice to the European Parliment. After his Death in 1995 the subsequent by-election was won not by his Brother Harry, but by Cecilia Keaveney, daughter of former Independent Fianna Fail TD Paddy Keaveney….
These are from the 1989 Euro Elections. I have three different leaflets with the same picture but different slogans. The back of each leaflet was different and where you will get an idea of the policies and the experience of the man. His ‘Record’ reads like a historical document of the 50s, 60s,70s and 80s.
In an age where most politicians were members of GAA clubs, Blaney continued the tradition of soccer in Donegal as he had a spell as President of the FAI. You will also see the ‘Troops Out’ heading, Blaney was unashamedly Republican.
The Fianna Fail Ticket from the 1991 Local Elections in the Buncrana Area.
Aside from Joseph Doherty, Denis McGonagle and John Henry McLaughlin we have amongst others ex Fianna Fail TD Hugh Conaghan and former Independent Fianna Fail TD Paddy Keaveney (the only non Blaney to have sat in Dail Eireann for the Independent Fianna Fail organisation). The Late Paddy was father of current Senator and ex TD Cecilia Keaveney.
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Irish Election Literature 
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