Eddie Collins-Hughes from the 2002 General election in Carlow-Kilkenny. Eddie was looking for a fairer society. He polled 1,614 votes.
Tony Taaffe – Independent (Fianna Fail) – Dublin NW 1997 GE November 18, 2009
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’
Mae Sexton- Independent 1992 -Longford Roscommon November 10, 2009
New Labour Party recruit, Mae Sexton was initially elected to Longford County Council and UDC in 1991 as an Independent.
This is her missive from the 1992 General Election.
Over the years a number of Independent Councillors such as Mae Sexton and Kate Walsh joined the PDs.
Here though Mae ‘never felt that joining a political party would accomodate the free expression of my points of view’.
She was also opposed to Service charges and a number of other items that could have seemed incompatible with the PDs.
In 2010 she joined the Labour Party. Another councillor to do so was John Kelly in neighbouring Roscommon.
Jack Fitzsimons -Independent -Euro 1994 Leinster November 8, 2009
Meath Councillor Jack Fitzsimons running on amongst other things an anti hunting and Hare Coursing ticket. He got 6,752 votes.
Leaflet from Barbara Hyland- NLJAG /Independent -1989 General Election
Barbara Hyland has stood multiple times in multiple elections, most notably in 1987 where she along with four other candidates stood for the National Legal Justice Action Group. NLJAG were campaigning against the Law Society, or rather the staus of the Law society as the ‘only avenue of complaint’ if you had ‘Suffered at the hands of the legal profession’.
They wanted an independent ombudsman.
She stood in 13 constituencies top vote of 217 in her home of Wicklow, lowest 33 in Dublin North West.
This is from 1989 where she stood in just Kerry South and Wicklow. She stood again in 1992, 1997 and 2002. She has various newspaper clips in the leaflet which may give you a better idea as to her motives.
She had stood previously in the Local Elections for Labour.
Senator David Norris Newsletter 2002 November 6, 2009
The senators newsletter from the 2002 Seanad election campaign. (I’ve presented it in grayscale as the images were, rather aptly, too colourful). Views expressed on East Timor and a host of other interesting topics.
Tony Gregory- 1999 local elections November 5, 2009
The last local elections that the late Tony Gregory stood in. Gives a good illustration of his work since being initially elected in 1979.
John Bracken -‘Man of the People’ – Laois-Offaly 2007
John Bracken from 2007, where he got a lot of media coverage due to his posters, literature and a campaign song but mainly because of his looks.
His policies were sensible enough but he didn’t get a huge vote. He failed again to win a seat in the 2009 local elections.
Leaflet from Pat O’Brien -Anti Incinerator Independent-Meath 2002 General Election October 19, 2009
Pat O’Brien an anti Incinerator candidate in the 2002 general election in Meath. Having looked to have died out, The incinerator plans appear to be back. Pat stood for Fine Gael in the last local elections but failed to win a seat.
Martin Donohoe – Independent -Dun Laoghaire Feb 82 October 16, 2009
As often is the case,candidates of similar names put themselves before the electorate.
In February 1982 Independent Martin Donohoe and Fianna Fails Martin O’Donoughue both stood in Dun Laoghaire. There were no pictures on Ballot papers then, so I’m sure he hoped for some confusion.
The views here of the major parties was the publics perception.
Other things include, The proposed Oil Refinery in Dublin Bay, ‘wasteful day-to-day Government Squandering’ as well as he hope that it were a hung Dail.
Michael Quinn -‘Independent For Life ‘-Dun Laoghaire 1992
Michael Quinn was a pro- life Independent who later ran for the National Party. He polled over 1700 first preferences in the Dun Laoghaire 92 election.
He later became involved with the Democratic Right Movement.
Richard Greene – Muintir na hÉireann 1997 Dublin South October 7, 2009
In the wake of the Lisbon 2 result, Cóir are considering becoming a political party. This is some of the election literature of Richard Greene one of the main Cóir spokespeople. Greene initially elected a councillor for the Green Party in Clonskeagh, left and founded his own party Muintir na hEireann. This is some of his literature from the 1997 General election.
John McGettrick Independent 1992 Sligo-Leitrim October 5, 2009
John McGettrick stood in the 1992 General Election for the ‘Arrow-Owenmore Drainage Committee’. It was ‘Now or Never’ back then. It turned out to be ‘Never’.
Eddie Cogan in the 1985 FG Ballymote literature had ‘drainage of the Owenmore and Arrow rivers’ as one of his priorities ‘when elected’
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.
Two Leaflets from Martin MacFeorais -Independent -1987 Dublin South
“….we are assailed from many quarters, and by determined individuals advancing their own sectional interest to our detriment…”
Ring a bell? a good deal of this could be applied to today.
I just like the design of these two leaflets, the mother carrying her shopping with a boy and girl either side, the warm greeting ‘Dia bhur mbeatha’ and even the colurs are unusual for election flyers.
Martin MacFeorais polled 107 votes.
Noel O’Hanrahan ‘Stop The Rot’ – Dublin North Central 1992 September 26, 2009
An unusual leaflet (and he had posters similar to the main picture around at the time too.) In 1992 he reckoned “.. by reducing expenditure on the border by 100 million pounds….creating 30,000 new jobs in Dublin from this saving…” Lots more good plans in the leaflet. Nice Dig at Taca in it too.
For his troubles Noel got 363 votes….. Still, its the picture at the front that makes it!
William Coughlan -Pembroke LEA 1985 September 25, 2009
This is one of the oddest looking leaflets I have. Not too many candidates have drawings of themselves on their leaflets. Coughlan polled 87 votes.
Irish Election Literature 
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