With a striking image and the famous quote “When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why are they poor, they call me a Communist.” from Archbishop Camara, this leaflet from Emmet Stagg asks “By working together, socialist and christian activists can radically change the nature of politics in Ireland”.
I don’t know if anything came from this Christian Socialist message which I think was from the 1989 General Election campaign.
From the Christmas 1988 edition of the Shamrock Rovers fanzine “Glenmalure Gazette” a letter of support from the band The Housemartins to Shamrock Rovers Fans over the loss of Milltown.
Given that the band split in late 1988 , it was possibly one of their last acts as a band.
Will scan and post the rest of the issue when I’ve a chance.
From the 1968 Referendum on the system of voting , Fine Gael urge voters to “Say NO while you still have a chance” .
There were two Referendums on that day both defeated.
The change in voting one was
To substitute for the present system of voting at Dáil elections the “straight vote” system in single-member constituencies;
To establish a Commission to determine constituencies, subject to the right of the Dáil to amend the constituencies as so determined; and
To provide that whenever the Dáil is dissolved the outgoing Ceann Comhairle may be returned, without a contest, as a second deputy for a constituency chosen by him which consists of, or includes a part of, the constituency he represented before the dissolution.
Whilst the Formation of Dail Constituencies Referendum….
The Third Amendment of the Constitution Bill, 1968, proposes that in forming Dáil constituencies, the population per deputy in any case may not be greater or less than the national average by more than one-sixth and that regard must be had to the extent and accessibility of constituencies, the need for having convenient areas of representation and the desirability of avoiding the over-lapping of county boundaries.
Both were rejected.
From the 1923 General Election and a piece from Cumann na nGaedhael illustrating some of the issues of the time .
“The Challenge – Government and Order V The Irregulars and Anarchy”
From the 1987 Referendum on the Single European Act an ad from Christian Family Action ‘In the name of the Most Holy Trinity from whom is all authority ….’ calling for a No Vote.
From the 1981 General Election the Fianna Fail anthem “Arise and follow Charlie” in praise of then leader Charlie Haughey.
From southern glens to Aston Shores
The ancient cry of freedom roars
From Northern hills to Leinster’s doors
We’ll rise and follow CharlieWith Charlie’s song we’ll sing as one
With Charlie’s song we’ll sing along
With Charlie’s song we’ll march along
We’ll Rise and Follow CharlieHail the leader, hail the man
With Freedom’s cause it all began
With Irish Pride in every man
We’ll Rise and Follow CharlieWith Charlie’s song we’ll sing as one
With Charlie’s song we’ll sing along
With Charlie’s song we’ll march along
We’ll Rise and Follow CharlieYoung and old we all approve
He’s kept the Country on the move
He’ll help the Nation to improve
So Rise and Follow CharlieWith Charlie’s song we’ll sing as one
With Charlie’s song we’ll sing along
With Charlie’s song we’ll march along
We’ll Rise and Follow Charlie
From the 1923 General Election ,a leaflet “Vote for Sinn Fein” . Amongst the opening paragraph is that Sinn Fein offers “Justice and Brotherhood- not Flogging and Tortures”.
“Sinn Fein will abolish the murder gangs and secure the life, liberty and property of the people”
Lots more besides,
Many thanks to the sender.
Another batch of old Local Election results many of which are unavailable online.
The ones I’ve posted to date are available HERE
They are in excel format.
Galway County Council election results 1925 to 2009
From the 1973 Border Poll (also known as the Northern Ireland Sovereignty Referendum) a poster from the Official Republican Movement urging a Boycott of the poll. The figure in the poster I think is that of the then Northern Ireland Secretary, William Whitelaw.
There were two choices and 591,280 people voted to stay part of the UK whilst , due to the boycott, just 6,463 voted in favour of a United Ireland.
I’ve a Ballot,Envelope, Polling card etc from the poll posted Here .
Many thanks to the sender.
This is great, the results of a questionnaire on teaching issues sent by the INTO to “Messrs deValera, Mulcahy, Norton, McBride, Blowick and Everett” . Its from the 1948 General Election and not all replied.
You can imagine many of the newspapers today having a field day with some of the questions.
From the 1981 General Election Fine Gael looking for the farming vote. “Fine Gael subsidies will help you increase production -bring you up to the Mark Clinton standard”.
Mark Clinton was the Fine Gael Minister that negotiated Irelands entry to the Common Agricultural Policy.
An eye catching poster , probably from the mid 1940s , from Ailtirí na hAiséirghe with the slogan “Partition Must Go”.
Ailtirí na hAiséirghe were a Fascist style party set up in Ireland in the early 40s. There is a good book on them called “Architects of The Resurrection”.
Many thanks to the sender.
From 1936 a poster advertising a meeting to set up a branch of the Irish Christian Front in Rathmines Town Hall. ” Show by your presence at this meeting that Ireland Rejects Communism”.
More information on The Irish Christian Front here and from here a brief description of their aims..
The aim of the Irish Christian Front is to organise a united Irish front of all those who are opposed to Communism and its allies in Ireland, for the creation of a social order worthy of the Christian professions, and to send medical aid and supplies to the patriot soldiers of Spain, and to assist the refugee victims of the Red government.
Many thanks to the sender.
From Fine Gael during the 1981 General Election Campaign “Fianna Fail – Just how bad are they?” with reference to unemployment figures.
From the 1986 Divorce Referendum an ad from the “Anti Divorce Campaign Committee” with the slogan “Protect the Family -VOTE NO TO DIVORCE”.
Another batch of old Local Election results many of which are unavailable online.
The ones I’ve posted to date are available HERE
They are in excel format.
From the 1957 General Election a leaflet from Mairead McGuinness who was running for the Irish Housewives Association in Dublin North East. She polled 1,640 votes. As Mairead de Lappe she had been active in the War of Independence and the civil war , on the Republican side. Her daughter in law is retired Supreme Court justic Catherine McGuinness who was elected to the Seanad in 1979 and served there until 1987. Her son the late Proinsias Mac Aonghusa stood, in 1965 in Louth as the Labour candidate and in 1969 in Dún Laoghaire as an Independent.
The Irish Housewives Association fielded 3 candidates at that 1957 Election (there may have been a fourth) , the others being Beatrice Dixon who polled 2,488 in Dublin South West and Kathleen Swanton who polled 669 votes in Dublin North Central.
Kathleen Swanton was elected to Dublin Corporation in 1960 as a Housewives candidate. She had previously been elected under the ‘Ratepayers’ banner.
There are some details on the The Irish Housewives Association Here which includes a brief summary ..
The Irish Housewives Association (IHA) were founded in 1942 to advocate for women’s rights in home and on matters relating to consumerism. In Ireland at the time, there was no other group or organisation making efforts to improving the lives of Irish women in both town and country. The IHA also sought to gain recognition for women’s role in the home and get them more involved in community work and planning. Other issues they would have been active with included women’s access to education, removal of the marriage-bar within the Civil Service, full equality of citizenship, pay, taxation and family planning, burning issues in Ireland up till recent times. The IHA sought to work with the authorities to achieve their aims in contrast to the more radical feminist’s movements such as the Irish Women’s Liberation Movement (formed 1970) whose outlook was strongly left-wing and Republican. Similar aims but different approaches.
When the IHA were formed, it had an enthusiastic and mainly middle-class following that crossed the religious divide. However, as the years went by, new membership rates rose too slowly to replace those leaving. Average membership was aging and in the early 1990’s it was decided the IHA would be wound up. The work of the IHA is continued in Ireland by the Consumers Association of Ireland and the Council for the Status of Women.
Many thanks to the sender.
From the 1951 General Election campaign “Fianna Fail – for the Workers!” where Fianna Fail outline the benefits workers enjoyed under Fianna Fail.
Irish Election Literature 
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