Irish Election Literature

… what you maybe meant to keep…

“Are you Being Served?” -Young Fine Gael give out about the Banks in 1990. January 29, 2010


“Are you Being Served?” ask Young Fine Gael in 1990. The Banks should look after students, giving them loans, according to Young Fine Gael around 1990.
In my day the banks looked after students by giving them a free fiver when they opened an account.
I’m sure the banks parsimony changed with the Celtic Tiger, Students were probably given mortgages by the banks then!

 

Liam Kavanagh -Labour Party -Wicklow 1989 January 28, 2010


Labours Liam Kavanagh From the 1989 General Election in Wicklow. Liam Kavanagh served as a TD from 1969 to 1997 (Liam Kavanagh on electionsireland.org).
In his time he served as Minister for the Public Service, Minister for Labour, Minister for the Environment and Minister for Tourism, Fisheries and Forestry.

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Priorities Party – St Lukes Leaflet -2008


Many thanks to the donor. The Priorites Party (known also as the The Peoples’ Accountability, Transparency and Standards Party?) were short lived, one of the founders Leo Armstrong is listed as an Independent in the 2009 Local Elections in Clane, although I don’t know if he was standing for the Priorities Party or not.
The party is now defunct.
I have another leaflet from them posted HERE.

 

Rory Hearne -People Before Profit -2007 GE Dublin South East January 27, 2010


Rory Hearne, the People Before Profit candidate in the 2007 General Election in Dublin South East. He polled 591 votes.

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Tomas O’Conaill, Liam Coveney, Billy Murphy -Labour -Youghal UDC 1985 January 26, 2010


Not exactly the best quality leaflet, which wasn’t helped by the fact that I ‘rescued’ it from a ditch on the way to some haunted ruins on the banks of the Blackwater! I’m pretty sure its from the 1985 although I cant be certain. Tomas O’Conaill was running for Cork County Council where he polled 584 votes and failed to win a seat. He also ran for Youghal UDC whilst Liam Coveney and Billy Murphy were just running for the UDC. I’ve no idea who got in.
From a Brief search I see that Liam Coveney was still involved with the RNLI s Youghal Lifeboat.

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Brendan Brady -Fine Gael -1997 Dublin North West


Fine Gael candidate Brendan Brady from the 1997 General Election where he failed to win a seat in Dublin North West.
Brendan writes “… The Country has had its fair share of Fianna Fail Governments and the people have had enough of Golden Circles and scandals…” yet it was Fianna Fail that were voted in.

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Pro Life Campaign Leaflet -1992 Abortion Referendum January 25, 2010


The 1992 abortion referendum had 3 separate ballots.
The first regarded Abortion itself. Which was defeated through a mix of people who felt it went too far and others who felt it didn’t go far enough.
The Second was to do with the Right To Travel. It was passed.
The Third was to do with the Right to Information. It was also passed.
The Referendum arose in essence from issues surrounding the ‘X’ case.

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“How many Councillors does it take to turn off The Water Tax?”-Democratic Left -1994


The Democratic Left were opposed to Water charges, Water Tax or Water Rates. They wanted to put pressure on other councillors to oppose them too.
Looking at the previous years vote thats shown, some Fine Gael and Fianna Fail voted against the charges.
The Government were seen to be bringing in these extra taxes whilst at the same time having the Tax Amnesty.
In 1985 the Councils in Dublin, following the election of councillors such as The Democratic Lefts Eamon Gilmore…….” took a bit of phrasing considering Gilmore was elected for The Workers Party.

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John Burns- Natural Law Party -1999 European and Local Elections January 22, 2010


John Burns of the Natural Law Party from the 1999 European Elections in Dublin and 1999 Local Elections in Pembroke. He polled poorly in both.
His call for NATO bombers to be replaced with 7000 Yogic flyers did not capture the voters hearts. (John Burns at electionsIreland.org)
The Natural Law Party stopped fielding candidates in Ireland around 2000.

*this Leaflet, was previously part of another post, but I reckoned it deserved a post of its own

 

Leaflet from the 1954 General Election


Another item received from a most kind donor.  The prices are in old old money and from brief calculations the increases are bad.
Amongst the things to go up in price were Cigarettes (can you imagine any party giving out about that now) and the Wireless licence. The bread in the picture is what looks like a batch loaf (none of your sliced pans back then!) and all the other staples of tea, butter, flour, sugar and porter are there too. 

I actually don’t know what party issued this though, other than it mustn’t have been Fianna Fail.  I presume it’s from the 1954 General Election also.
Any ideas?

 

“Has your Labour Candidate been telling you the Truth?- NO!”-Dr Pat Lee -Fine Gael – 1992 Dublin NC January 19, 2010


From the 1992 General Election, Dr Pat Lee of Fine Gael attacks Labour.
With the Spring led Labour party on the up, they were being attacked not just by Fianna Fail (an example) but by Fine Gael also.

Pat Lee (electionsIreland.org record) had originally been elected for Dublin Central, however due to boundary changes he ended up standing in Dublin North Central, where he lost his seat.
Items such as the Residential Property tax and  means testing Childrens allowance get a run out as Fine Gael try to portray Labour as about to attack the middles classes again.

 

John Bruton-Fine Gael- Meath 2002 January 17, 2010


John Bruton stands for the last time in 2002 in Meath where he was elected on the 8th count. Former Taoiseach and Fine Gael Leader, Bruton resigned his seat to take up the role of EU Ambassador to Washington in 2004.

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“They Will Tax the Roof over Your Head” -Fine Gael anti Property Tax Leaflet 1994 January 16, 2010


1994 and the Labour/ Fianna Fail coalition announce that they intend to introduce a ‘Property Tax’.   The arguements here against the tax still stand, so its just as relevant today as it was in 1994. The 1994 tax seemed to take into account both the value of the house and the income of householders.

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Pat Talbot- Immigration Control Platform -2009 Dublin Central By-Election January 15, 2010


Pat Talbot from the 2009 Dublin Central by-election where he got 614 votes……..

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John De Courcy Ireland -Democratic Socialist Party- Dublin- 1984 European Elections January 14, 2010


This is from the 1984 Euro Elections. De Courcy Ireland, aside from his political interests was heavily involved in the foundation of the Maritime Museum in Dun Laoghaire. The profile below shows the calibre. He had been Jim Larkins election agent and  aside from the DSP, had spells affiliated or involved with the Northern Ireland Labour Party, the Irish Labour Party, the Communist Party of Ireland, the Workers Party, Democratic Left and the Socialist Workers Party. (Party details from Wikipedia)
He was a founding member of Irish CND and also involved with The Irish Anti-Apartheid Movement.
He passed away in 2006.

(This leaflet was previously part of another post)

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Paddy McNamara -Labour -2005 Kildare North by-election January 13, 2010


Labour councillor Paddy McNamara from the 2005 Kildare North by-election where he got almost 18% of the vote. The by-election was won by Catherine Murphy.

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Eamonn Murphy -Independent -1994 European Elections Dublin January 8, 2010


Eamonn Murphy from the 1994 European elections. It has one of the strangest reasons to vote for a person I’ve seen.
Based on an apparition of the Blessed Virgin to a Japanese Stigmatist in 1973, accepted by the now Pope Benedict XVI (Cardinal Ratzinger) , Murphy wants to prepare for the prophesies and other forthcoming disasters by maximizing food production.
He is also a Pro Life Candidate. He had stood for the Short Lived Christian Centrist Party in 1991 and was standing for a group called
“Independent European Alliance’ in 1994.
Amongst those he outpolled in 1994 were PD candidate Stephen O’Byrnes, Fianna Fails Olive Braiden and Sinn Feins Larry O’Toole.

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Ronan Garvey -PD -Clontarf 1999 LE January 6, 2010


A trodden Ronan Garvey (sadly I pick these things up when I see them on the ground) from the 1999 local Elections in Clontarf where he failed to be elected. The leaflet has details of the PDs proposed Transport policy for the Dublin area. Much of which has come to fruition since.

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