The booklet produced by the Referendum Commission for The Good Friday Agreement Referendum in 1998
Proinsias DeRossa – Workers Party Euro 89
The 1989 Euro elections, a breakthrough as Proinsias DeRossa wins the seat. The style and content of this leaflet was refered to in ‘The Lost Revolution’. The centrepiece where he has the three people was novel at the time.
“Sean is from the Southside ..Dolores is from the Northside..” I wonder where they are now?
Also the leaflet is addressed to my family rather than to each of the then 5 voters in the house. Similar for the Workers Party General election Candidate, probably illustrates how tight funds were at the time.
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.
Colm Mac Eochaidh -Fine Gael 2002 Dublin South East
Colm Mac Eochaidh, who along with Michael Smith in 1995 offered a reward of €10,000 for information leading to convictions for corruption in the planning system in Dublin. He failed in this attempt at election.
Jeananne Crowley -PDs- Pembroke 1991
Actress Jeananne Crowley in her one forray into politics standing for the PDs in the 1991 local elections. She didn’t win a seat but got over a thousand first preference votes.
You’ll need to click on image to see it in a fuller size
Michael McDowell 1987- Dublin South East October 15, 2009
A fresh faced former PD party leader Michael McDowell, in the 1987 General Election. Contains a profile of him, a message from Dessie O’Malley about him and of course a message from Michael McDowell himself. His pastimes included ‘reading and running’.
Garret Fitzgerald topped the poll on the day, with Ruairi Quinn, Gerard Brady and Michael McDowell all winning seats too. Amongst the vanquished were Mary McAleese, Eoin Ryan, Aengus O Snodaigh and Joe Doyle.
Anne Wilkinson- Labour Donegal 1985 October 14, 2009
Reading this its hard to believe that Labour were in government at the time. .. Yet Donegal Labour had a Socialist Agenda. They “oppose the right -wing Labour leaders who are doing Fine Gaels dirty work in Government”.
On the North the focus was on the Working Class rather than the Nationalist/Unionist divide.
The whole thing is a valuable read to illustrate how ‘diverse’ the Labour Party were at the time.
I’m not sure but I suspect She was part of the Militant Labour group that became the Socialist Party.
Alan Shatter – ‘Star Trek’ 2007
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.
‘Workers Party News and Views’ – Kildare 1990
In the late 80’s North Kildare was seen a major growth area of the Workers Party. In 1988 Catherine Murphy and Colm Purcell (who later joined Labour) had been elected to Leixlip Town Commission, although Murphy didn’t do brilliantly in the following years General and European Elections. The recently formed Maynooth branch get a mention at the back. Among them Fiachra O Ceilleachair who served as a Democratic Left and later a Labour councillor in Waterford. Also there is Geography lecturer Prionsias Breathnach who is still a regular contributor to various publications (as well as his own).
1989s marked shift in party policy is illustrated by the welcome given to Intel. Not just that but we have Catherine Murphy acting as a conduit for Intel recruiters. What we also see here is that Water Quality issues are not a recent thing!
Dublin Housing Action Campaign (DHAC) 1999 – SWP
The Dublin Housing Action Campaign (DHAC), this time the Socialist Workers Party inspired version. A protest in 1999 against evictions in St Ultans Flats.
One of many organisations to have the name (or at least a similar name) and same initials used numerous times by different groups.
Kevin Fennelly, Liam Aylward, MJ Nolan, Evelyn White -Fianna Fail Carlow-Kilkenny 1992
Fianna Fail had hopes of taking that elusive third seat here with Hurler Kevin Fennelly.
However on the day it was Kilkenny based Liam Aylwards massive first preference vote combined with Kilkenny based Seamus Pattison riding on the Spring Tide meant he had little chance of winning a seat.
Aylward also mentions that he is a ‘prominent member of the GAA’, in fact the same club as Kevin Fennelly!
Kevin Fennelly is the uncle of Hurling star Henry Shefflin.
Emmet Stagg- Labour – Kildare 1989
A Socialist Emmet Stagg, complete with Starry Plough in 1989 . The issues mentioned and the organisations he is a member of tell us a lot about the time.
Seamus Kirk, Dermot Ahern and Jimmy Mulroy Louth 1989 October 13, 2009
Seamus Kirk, Dermot Ahern and Jimmy Mulroy.
Seamus Kirk was amid his five year stay as Junior minister for Agriculture.
Jimmy Mulroy had been nominated to the Seanad in 1987.
It was Dermot Aherns second election. He had initially been elected in 1987 and two years later was already assistant chief whip.
Brid Smith -Socialist Workers Party -Dublin South Central 1997
Brid Smiths first electoral outing in 1997, where she gained 218 first preferences, the worst performance of the 4 SWP candidates in that election.
Fast forward to 2009 and she is elected easily ,146 first preferences away from the quota, in Ballyfermot-Drimnagh standing under the People before Profit banner.
Vision, With Purpose -Fine Gael 2002 October 12, 2009
Saw this and it bought back memories of the 2002 election, when Fine Gael were decimated. Each house would have got this in the run up to the election. I can visualize Michael Noonan saying ‘I want to see our public services become the envy of Europe’…..
… and wasn’t “Vision, With Purpose” one of the worst slogans ever.
So whilst Fine Gael had Michael Noonan witha shocking slogan, Fianna Fail had the blue eyed Bertie with ‘A lot done, more to do’
‘Dana’ Rosemary Scallon – 1997 Presidential Election Leaflet
The 1997 Presidential Election was Dana’s first election. She finished third polling over 175,000 first preferences. Encouraged by that performance she was elected an MEP for Connaught-Ulster in 1999. She then contested Galway West in 2002 but fared badly. In 2004 she lost her European Parliament seat being eliminated before the final count.
She didn’t actually say much on this leaflet, although voters would have known her conservative views.
Adi Roche -1997 Presidential Election October 8, 2009
Adi Roche, the highly respected Founder of The Chernobyl Children’s Project ran in the 1997 Presidential election. She had been nominated by the Labour Party, Democratic Left and Green Party.
She was expected to do well and was an early favourite to replace Mary Robinson. However stories of Bullying by a former workmate surfaced during the campaign and her chance went.
John Noonan- Sinn Fein 1984 European elections Dublin
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.
Irish Election Literature 
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