As I’m on an EU Referendum buzz…..
I couldn’t find this on the Referendum Commission website nor elsewhere online. Its a leaflet delivered to each house entitled ‘The EU and How it works’. (or at least worked prior to the Nice Referendum).
Its done in a simple manner and is pretty good in giving the reader a grounding into ‘The EU and How it works’ prior to the Nice Treaty.
A leaflet produced by Young Fine Gael for the 1998 Referendum to ratify the Amsterdam Treaty
There was a bit of fuss when this Young Fine Gael Leaflet came out. Not about the content but about the cover….. the content was full of possible double entendres….
Young Fine Gael Yes to the Amsterdam Treaty.
Given the proximity of Lisbon 2, I figured I’d post stuff from previous European Referendums (or is it Referendi?).
Here is the National Platform asking us to Vote NO to Maastricht. with Seven good reasons to do so.
As you can see it’s roughly the same core arguments used for each European Referendum…
The Convenors of the National Platform are listed as Raymond Crotty and Anthony Coughlan. It was a court case taken by Raymond Crotty that led to us having a Referendum to ratify each European Treaty.
Given the proximity of LIsbon 2, I figured I’d post stuff from previous European Referendums (or is it Referendi?).
Heres Enda asking us to Vote YES to Nice….
As you can see its roughly the same arguements for each European Referendum…
Election 87 after five years in Government Fine Gael play on the highly popular (and important) slogan of
the time ‘Guaranteed Irish’. They had inherited a country in bits and some of the text such as “You’ve worked hard- don’t throw it all away” gives an idea of the sacrifices the public (or the PAYE sector) were making. Mind you there was still an awful long way to go….
We have the front page, the middle pages which are “What Fine Gael have done” and “What Fine Gael will do”
Amongst what they had done was… “Started the first ever reform of the Public Service”,”The Anglo-Irish Agreement”,
“Biggest road building programme ever” and so on.
Amongst what they would do was “Build regional sports centres”. Also with regard to creating jobs- “get fares down further and increase tourism”. There were no low budget airlines back then. The low budget was the supabus to London, which many had taken but not come back.
1987 was also the Progressive Democrats first General Election.
The Roscommon Hospital Action Committee (H.A.C.) was founded in 1977 and still has a number of councillors (Paula McNamara and Valerie Byrne) in Roscommon today. Eithne Quinn stood for the HAC in the 1987 General Election but failed to be elected. However in 1989 Tom Foxe stood for the HAC and was elected. Below some of his literature from that election. (I have some of his later literature also). He was re-elected for the new constituency on Longford-Roscommon in 1992, however lost his seat in 1997.
Aside from the Hospital issue the Leaflet illustrates some of the issues in the West at the time.
This is a Richard Bruton Leaflet and a letter to constituents from the 1992 General Election.
In the Middle part of the first leaflet we see ‘reforming Fas’, tax benefits on third level fees and so on. Would the job creation ideas of 17 years ago work again?
Found this Nessa Childers leaflet from 2004s Local Elections and thought it worth posting…..
Nessa, daughter of former President Erskine Childers won a seat for the Green Party here. She later resigned the seat and bowed out of politics only to reappear as Labour candidate for Ireland East in the 2009 Euro elections.
In Ireland we often have people leaving parties going Independent or founding their own party/group, often they are welcomed back to the party which they had left.
Not too many elected representatives switch between the main parties, so as a collector I like the fact that I have both the Green and Labour leaflets for Nessa Childers….
‘We must grasp the opportunities offered by new technologies…‘ she writes in the Labour Leaflet
The 1997 General Election was the first time the SWP put forward candidates to contest an Irish election. It fielded four candidates- Ritchie Browne, Peadar O’Grady, Brid Smith in Dublin constituencies and Jimmy Kelly in Waterford.
Peadar O’Grady ran in Dublin South East. They use being Anti Corruption to try and attract voters rather than advertising that they are a ‘revolutionary socialist group’.
Fianna Fail November 1982. This was the second election in the year and also the shortest serving Government. It was the GUBU government that did the ‘Gregory Deal’ and was to an extent dependent on support from Sinn Fein The Workers Party who later withdrew their support. That doesn’t get a mention in Haugheys message. Instead he refers to the death of Bill Loughnane and the illness of the late Jim Gibbons for this ‘unwanted and unneccessary General Election’. Yet it was a motion of confidence proposed by Mr Haughey upon which the government fell.
We have a stern Haughey trying to look Statesmanlike on the front …… a friendly but menacing looking Charlie on the inside….
The Pro-life Amendment is now an issue. The usual stuff about stability (give me an overall majority please) is there too.
The part regarding “a sovereign Independent Nation with own policy on international issues …..settlement of international disputes by peaceful means” is a reference to the Falklands war. Haughey whilst initially not supportive of Britain towed the EEC line, He broke ranks after the sinking of the Belgrano, much to Britain’s displeasure.
The 1987 General Election- Dublin South West. This is the Leaflet of Chris Flood and the late Sean Walsh.
Colm McGrath, recently charged with corruption is pictured as one of the Support Team on the back of the leaflet.
(Tony Fox leaflet : http://wp.me/pDoVn-31b and Don Lydon leaflet http://wp.me/pDoVn-FX)
Sean Walsh ‘who has a long record of dedicated public service” and “is totally committed to the needs of his constituency through his council involvement, his Dail experience and his local knowledge” came to the attention of the Planning Tribunals. ….. “his council involvement ……. and his local knowledge” served him well in certain quarters. The Park opposite ‘The Square’ is named after him.
Chris Flood who had his name mentioned in the Tribunals also, “worked unstintingly in the interests of residents…..” etc etc
One or two of the “Support Team” pictured, of John Hannon, Jim Barry, Padraig Lynch, Colm McGrath, Seamus McGowan and Sean Ardagh, have also got a mention at the Tribunals.
Former Leader of the Labour Party Frank Cluskeys literature from the 1984 Euro Elections. In 1991 after losing his Dail seat (and the leadership of Labour) Frank had been co-opted to the European Parliament, to replace Michael O’Leary (who replaced him as leader of the Labour Party) . O’Leary resigned as Party Leader just over a year later (and joined Fine Gael) and was replaced by Dick Spring. Cluskey resigned from government in 1983 over a point of principle regarding Dublin Gas.
It is Spring who gives the leaders message on the main leaflet. That Leaflet (which is hard to read in its original, never mind scanned- but worth the effort) gives an idea of the European issues of the time and Labour dont appear to keen on the European Community in it. The ‘ A Realistic View of Europe” part of the document was quite an eye opener. “..Labour warned the people in 1972 of the harsh realities of Community membership…..” etc
6th of June 2004 outside Croke Park… Westmeath are playing Dublin and Kildare play Wexford. Seamus Kirk and his team give out mock programmes. The Kildare and Westmeath lineups are listed as well as a message from Seamus in the middle, with a play on a slogan used by the Bank Of Ireland in its GAA themed ads.
Seamus uses the leaflet to copy an article from the Sunday Independent which tells the reader of his political career, his triumph over adversity and his GAA pedigree both on and off the field. You would do well to have something more tailored to your potential audience.
It’s very clever too as it covers a team from both matches and may well be looked at for the afternoon. Given that Westmeath beat Dublin that day (on their way to their first ever Leinster title), it may well have been held on to by a few Westmeath fans. Sport is theme used by many politicians to try to get the voter interested. (more on that another day).
You may also notice that the leaflet is printed by BCR press. (On the List of TDs expenses at http://thestory.ie/2009/08/31/donation-to-tds-1997-2008/ BCR contribute over €10,000 to Fianna Fail Meath TDs Noel Dempsey and Johnny Brady).
After Neil T. Blaney’s brother, Harry Blaneys defeat in the 1996 by-Election, Independent Fianna Fail easily won back the seat the following year with Harry Blaney again as candidate.
Harry retired in 2002 and it was his son Niall Blaney who successfully stood for Independent Fianna Fail. The third generation of Blaneys to be elected to the Dail.
After negotiations, Independent Fianna Fail rejoined the Fianna Fail mothership in 2006. So this would be some of the last General Election literature produced by the party. The party literature I have always uses orange as the background. (I’ve more that I will post in due course)
Neil Blaney was originally elected as a Fianna Fail TD in 1948 (a by-election caused by the death of his Father Neal Blaney). After a successful Ministerial career, he was sacked from cabinet over what led to the ‘Arms Trial’. It wasn’t though until 1972 that he was expelled from Fianna Fail for ‘conduct unbecoming’.
Neil Blaney then set about the foundation of the Independent Fianna Fail organisation in Donegal. He was returned 8 times to the Dail and twice to the European Parliment. After his Death in 1995 the subsequent by-election was won not by his Brother Harry, but by Cecilia Keaveney, daughter of former Independent Fianna Fail TD Paddy Keaveney….
These are from the 1989 Euro Elections. I have three different leaflets with the same picture but different slogans. The back of each leaflet was different and where you will get an idea of the policies and the experience of the man. His ‘Record’ reads like a historical document of the 50s, 60s,70s and 80s.
In an age where most politicians were members of GAA clubs, Blaney continued the tradition of soccer in Donegal as he had a spell as President of the FAI. You will also see the ‘Troops Out’ heading, Blaney was unashamedly Republican.
Two Leaflets from the 1992 General Election. Taxes were still very high. By referencing the introduction of Free Travel, Free fuel etc they were showing that they were on the side of the ordinary person. A far cry from their image today.
The price of drink was important back then. Fianna Fail had only put 1p on the pint in five years whilst the Coalition had put 11p on the pint!
For the Maastricht Treaty the Democratic Left were dead set against it …….. They were in the Rainbow government for the Amsterdam Treaty and sure it was a great Treaty altogether.
If it was celebrity endorsements you were after then this is the leaflet for you.
“John Stafford has done a lot of work for the people of Dublin already. I cannot think of anyone else that I would prefer to represent me in Europe. That is why I am giving John Stafford my number 1 on June 9th. I urge you to do the same.”Says Dickie Rock
Whilst Barney McKenna (of the Dubliners) says “As a real Dub I am supporting John Stafford. He will look after The Town I love so well”
Also pictured though are a host of celebrities John met during his time as Lord Mayor. Is that Linda Martin on the front page?
We certainly have John meeting Dickie Rock. John having his picture taken with Paul Harrington and Charle McGettigan of Eurovision fame. John having a chinwag with Packie Bonnar. Is John attempting a sly thumbs up sign with Paul McGrath?
Then there is John smiling with Kevin Moran and John selling fruit on Moore Street. We have John posing with Sean Haughey as they pull each others chains.
Last but not least we have Mother Theresa who was lucky enough to be greeted by John ……. and of course John with the cardboard cutouts of himself.
Aside from all the pictures, John is a great Family man and thats why hes against the Residential Property Tax……
*John, Despite his connections wasn’t elected.
Irish Election Literature 
Recent Comments