Irish Election Literature

… what you maybe meant to keep…

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. “

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Benny Cooney- Independent- Athlone TC 2009 December 4, 2009


For those of you like myself who are consumed with all things elections, Benny Cooneys name may ring a bell.
He polled 18 votes in the 1998 Dublin North by-election, 21 votes in the 1996 Dublin West by-election, has stood on at least eleven occasions and in that time has a top vote of 239 votes. (Benny at ElectionsIreland.org)
Yet theres not much wrong with his policies….

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Joe MacDonough -National Party -1997 Dublin North West November 29, 2009


From the 1997 general Election in Dublin North West, National Party candidate Joe MacDonough who polled 614 votes.

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Marie Walker – Independent -Blackrock 1991 Local Elections November 21, 2009


Marie Walker from the 1991 Local Elections in Blackrock.
Mentions the proposed Oil refinery in Dublin Bay, a proposed Shopping Centre on Blackrock Seafront and other proposals now long forgoten.

 

Orla Guerin -Labour -Dublin 1994 November 15, 2009


1994 Dublin European Elections and a mini sensation is caused by the addition of RTE Journalist Orla Guerin to the Labour Party Ticket.
The addition, supposedly at Dick Springs request, caused friction within the party and between the candidates.
The sitting MEP Bernie Malone, who had been co-opted to replace Barry Desmond, had been selected at the Selection convention was none too pleased. It was one of the most memorable campaigns for rivalry between candidates…. All sorts of rumours went around at the time.
In the end Malone held on to her seat and it was Guerin, despite polling well, who lost out.
Orla Guerin joined the BBC in 1995 and has worked there since.

guerin2

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Dan Boyle -Green Party-Letter to constituents 1992 November 13, 2009


From the 1992 General Election Campaign, A letter from Green candidate Dan Boyle to constituents.
Letter notes how the Green Party are different from the other politicians. ‘ A Plague on all their houses’ indeed…….

boyle1992lett

 

Colm Callanan – Christian Solidarity Party 2007 November 4, 2009


Colm Callanan who stood in Laois-Offaly and Longford-Westmeath in the 2007 GE and also in 10 different LEAs in the 2009 local elections….
His electoral record at Elections.org
Its nice to put a face to a name.
Colm only wants your Number 1 votes (“…a No 2 vote, regrettably, is of little use to me”).
Colm promises “…to take action on … homosexual adoption, increasing levels of porn in newsagents, sexual innuendo in TV ads, etc”

callanan07a

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Fine Gael ‘Yes’ to Bail Referendum 1996. October 30, 2009


1996 and the Rainbow government were getting tough on crime.  A number of cases had arisen where the culprits had been out on bail. So the bail laws had to be changed, which in turn needed a referendum.

FGbail96a

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PD ‘A Nation That Works’ pre 87 election. October 27, 2009


This is a policy doc sent out by the PDs to their members in late 86 I think. Very relevant regarding Seanad Abolition

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Fine Gael 1982 -Taxing the Farmers October 19, 2009


Anyone who lived through the 70’s and 80’s will know what an issue taxing farmers was, especially in urban areas. Farmers were seen as gettingall the grants from Europe and not paying tax either.
Meanwhile the PAYE worker was the one left carrying the burden. Here Fine Gael claim that they tax the farmers more than Fianna Fail. I think that its from 1982 or else 1987.

taxfarmers

 

Alan Shatter – ‘Star Trek’ 2007 October 14, 2009


From 2007, one of the most bizarre leaflets I’ve seen. Alan Shatter dressed up (or photoshoped) in Star Trek gear.
Comparing himself to William Shatner and lots more besides…. Shatter regained the seat he had lost in 2002. (his record at electionsireland.org)

Funnily enough William Shatners middle name is Alan, William Alan Shatner.
Alan Shatter ….Alan Shatner … Its a pity Alan Shatters not younger , otherwise there would be a chance that he was named Alan as a tribute to the Star Trek Actor!
I’ve pared down the size but given the amount of colour involved the images are still big.

ShatterStarTrek1

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John Noonan- Sinn Fein 1984 European elections Dublin October 8, 2009


This is unusual in that at the time Sinn Fein were Anti EEC. It details the reasons why Ireland should withdraw. It was only 11 years since we had joined. Some of the images are big, I’ve tried to pare them down whilst still making them readable.

jnoonan84a

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Eric Byrnes Lotto -Local Elections 2004


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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Louis Belton, John Connor, Liam Naughten -Fine Gael 1992 Longford-Roscommon October 7, 2009


In 1992 the newly founded Longford-Roscommon constituency.  John Connor was the only one of the 3 candidates to be elected. The Jobs proposals may bring back memories of how desperate we were to create jobs and stop the awful flow of emigration.

 

Eamon Gilmore – Workers Party- Dun Laoghaire- November 1982 October 6, 2009


The now Labour Party Leader .The then 27 year old Trade Union Official in his first election standing for the Workers Party in Dun Laoghaire – November 1982.

In 1985 he won a council seat in Ballybrack, before winning a seat in the Dail in 1989.

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Evelyn White – Fianna Fail Carlow-Kilkenny 1992


Not a great success in that Evelyn polled just over a thousand votes.
Looking at the leaflet she says ‘Since being selected as the third candidate at the FF convention….’
Was the fourth Fianna Fail candidate Kevin Fennelly added by HQ? Given his and his families sporting prowess it wouldn’t have gone down well with the other Kilkenny based candidates.

 

Fine Gael Ballymote 1985 LE-Eddie Cogan,Leo Conlon,Neil Henry, Tommy Lavin, Tony McLoughlin, John Perry. October 5, 2009


The 1985 Local elections Ballymote LEA. The Fine Gael ticket of Eddie Cogan,Leo Conlon,Neil Henry, Tommy Lavin, Tony McLoughlin and John Perry. Current Fine Gael TD John Perry wasn’t elected. The leaflet also urges voters to ‘continue your preferences for the Labour Party’. There was no Labour Party candidate.

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Frank Aiken- Progressive Democrats- Louth 1989 October 2, 2009


In the 1987 General Election aside from the TDs, Senators and councillors with a Fianna Fail background the PDs also had a number of candidates whos fathers were ex Fianna Fail Ministers. Amongst them Anne Colley and Martin Gibbons were both elected.
One who stood but wasn’t elected was Frank Aiken in Louth. This is his 1989 manifesto.
FrankAik