The generic Fianna Fail 1987 leaflet which would have had candidate details inside. The Message from Charles Haughey to the electorate is interesting.
In similar enough times to now, Haughey had an emphasis on providing employment.
“..People are looking for leadership, for the restoration of confidence and better management of their affairs..”
*A 6 page version of The Programme for National Recovery’ is posted here
From the 2004 local elections and european elections, an election flyer for Sinn Fein candidate in the Strokestown LEA John Reynolds. On the back there is a part with Pearse Doherty, candidate for the Euro North West constituency, plying his wares.
Neither candidate was elected.
This wonderful poster was produced by Michael Finneran TD to commemorate the 90th Anniversary of the First Dail.
It contains a scene from the Dail as well as pictures of each of the members.
(Thanks to Liam Byrne for sending me this)
Click on the poster to enlarge
From the 1987 General Election in Dublin South East. The fianna Fail candidates of Mary McAleese, Gerard Brady, Michael Donnelly and Eoin Ryan.
Gerard Brady won a seat. (result at electionsireland.org)
The profiles of all the candidates have items of interest.
For instance Mary McAleese was a member of the Roman Catholic Episcopal Delegation to the New Ireland Forum. Who remembers her now from her time on RTE Radio and Television. Eoin Ryan is a graduate of Kildalton Horticultural College.
From the 2007 General Election, Independent Councillor Mary Roche in Waterford. A former Fianna Fail councillor, Mary Roche She resigned from FF in 2003 due to their failure to deliver on the 2002 Election promise regarding radiotherapy for Waterford.
The Leaflet also contains a wonderful flow chart.
From the 1985 local elections, the Green Party candidate for the Pembroke Ward, Enid O’Dowd.
Enid O’Dowd polled well but with the likes of well established community activist Carmencita Hederman on the ballot paper it was unlikely she would get in. The Green Party won a seat in Pembroke in the 1991 local Elections through Claire Wheeler.
More recently Enid O’Dowd has been doing some great work on Oireachtas expenses with a number of articles in the Irish Times and an appearance on Liveline.
An election flyer from the 2005 UK Westminister Elections in the Foyle Constituency, Socialist Environmental Alliance (SEA) candidate Eamonn McCann. He received 1,649 votes.
A veteran campaigner, the well known Eamonn McCann ‘has been active in left-wing politics for more than 40 years. He was a member of the Labour Party in the 1960s and provided a strong socialist voice in the early civil rights movement. He first stood for Foyle in 1969. He has been involved ever since in challenging the abuse of State power, particularly in relation to Bloody Sunday.He is a campaigner for the rights of children and disabled people, and against sexism, racism and homophobia.
He is a member of the Socialist Workers’ Party, chairman of the local branch of the NUJ, vice-chairman of Derry Trades Council and a member of Amnesty International. …and lives in Derry with his partner, Goretti Horgan’
‘The SEA offers a better way. The more emphasis we give to the issues which unite us, the better we can handle the issues which divide us.’
The then Progressive Democrat Pat Cox from the 1992 General Election in Cork South Central where he won a seat.
Pat Cox left RTE to run for the Progressive Democrats in the 1989 European Elections where he topped the poll in Munster. This leaflet is from his 1992 Dail Campaign.
In 1994 it was expected that he would remain in the Dail, instead he took on former Party Leader Des O’Malley and held his MEP seat as an Independent. In Brussels he was elected president of the ELDR group in the European Parliament in 1998 and in 2002 he was elected President of the European Parliament. He continued in that role until 2004.
He is now President of ‘The European Movement’.
There are some awaiting his return to Irish Politics.
From the 1997 General Election in Dublin North West,The Workers Party candidate John Dunne.
Issues covered in the leaflet include a wish for the LUAS to service Dublin North West, a strategy for Jobs that may be of use today, a novel Bus users charter as well as plenty of problems the Celtic tiger failed to fully address.
From the 1989 NUI Seanad Election, UCD Agriculture Professor Paul McNulty. He just missed out on winning a seat. He stood again in 1992 but again just fell short.
Many thanks to the donor.
The H-Block campiagn fielded 9 candidates in the 1981 General Election. Two were elected. Kieran Doherty was Elected in Cavan-Monaghan and Paddy Agnew was elected in Louth.
The other candidates were Joe McDonnell in Sligo/Leitrim, Martin Hurson in Longford-Westmeath, Kevin Lynch in Waterford, Tony O’Hara (Brother of Patsy O’Hara) in Dublin West, Joe McDonnell in Sligo/Leitrim , Mairéad Farrell (one of the Gibraltar 3) in Cork North Central, Sean McKenna in Kerry North and Tom McAllister in Clare.
Between them they got over 3% of the national vote.
Three other candidates stood on an Anti H-Block ticket. These were Sean Kelleher in Cork South West, Vincent Doherty (of Peoples Democracy) in Dublin North Central
and Paddy Healy in Dublin North-East.
On the second of August 1981 ,Hunger striker Kieran Doherty TD died.
From the 2007 General election. The now Independent TD Joe Behan when running for Fianna Fail in Wicklow. He is full of praise for outgoing Independent TD Mildred Fox.
Joe Behan has been a councillor since 1985, so would be well acquainted with many of the problems in Wicklow and indeed well set up to hold his seat.
The Green Agenda, Farming, commuting,Housing and Education (Joe Behan is an ex Primary School Principal and Teacher) are the main issues he asks for support upon.
From 1986 a booklet ‘A New and Exciting Option in Irish Politics’ from the Progressive Democrats.
Given the current climate, where it is seen as an ideal opportunity for a new party to emerge, it makes interesting reading.
There is a message from Des O’Malley who states “The Progressive Democrats came into existence in response to inherent weaknesses in the
Irish political structure and the disaffection of very many people with the manner this country has been governed in recent years…”
There are a number of different sections to the booklet. These are “Origins and aims of the Progressive Democrats”, ‘What is the philosophy of the party?’,
“Right or Left?” , ‘What about The Economy?’, ‘How can you reduce taxation?’, ‘Can you reduce unemployment?’, ‘Will you tackle difficult social issues?’,
‘Waht hope for Northern Ireland?’, ‘How will party policy be framed?’ and ‘After the next Election?’. And of course ”How do I join?’.
It gives an idea as to what the parties policies were initially and also what was attractive about them.
From the 2007 General Election, Irish Socialist Network candidate John O’Neill. John O’Neill recieved 505 votes.
From the 1991 Local Elections Fine Gael candidate Sam Carroll. Carroll failed to win a seat in the Glencullen ward.
Sam Carroll is a well known face around the Foxrock/Deansgrange area.
From the 1998 Limerick East by-election ( won by Labours Jan O’Sullivan) the Fine Gael candidate, the then Senator Mary Jackman.
Mary Jackman stood for the Dail on 5 occasions but was never elected.
Pictured with Michael Noonan (who was yet to be Party Leader) most of the issues are local to Limerick.
Jackie Healy-Raes card, himself on the front and his constituency secretary Michael Healy-Rae on the back. Jackie Healy-Rae doesn’t advertise his mobile number.
(Thanks to Michael Healy-Rae for this)
A 1997 newsletter from the ‘Peninsula Action Group’ (which there is very little available info on now) ‘a voluntary organisation based on the Howth-Sutton Peninsula which concerns itself with planning issues on the Peninsula‘. They are affiliated with a group called MEAS (which I can’t find anything on) “which is the coordinating body for groups concerned with the development of Halting sites throughout the country and in particular with the existing absence of a transparent consultative process pertaining to Halting sites.”
This issue is dominated by proposals to establish Halting sites in Howth at Windgate Road and the entrance to the Deerpark hotel. Readers are urged to lobby their councillors, TDs and election candidates.
I have a few items from the time where the establishment of halting sites are a very hot topic. Any more info on PAG would be more than welcome.
Irish Election Literature 
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