The Natural Law Party stood in Irish Elections (both North and South) during the 1990s. The attraction of solving the worlds issues via Yogic Flying never caught on with the electorate. This is Mary Dalys leaflet from the 1992 General Election (Mary Daly on ElectionsIreland.org)
Famously Paddy Seery of the NLP recieved 5 votes in the Birr Town Council elections of 1999, although had reached the grand total of 11 by the time he was eliminated.
A leaflet from Republican Sinn Fein opposing The Amsterdam Treaty and The Good Friday Agreement. Links the push to open Croke Park to the Agreement as well as offending Trinity College. It also gives RSFs federal Ireland proposal as well as much much more.
‘Why There is No Alternative to Reconstitution’ a letter to members from Prionsias De Rossa and Seamus Lynch prior to the split with the Democratic Left.
Prionsias De Rossa and Seamus Lynch outline their case for changing the Party from Democratic Centralism to that of being member driven.
It’s language is very much of the dogmatic variety and spells out the direction they want the Workers Party to move in. It also indirectly makes reference to the existence and activities of the Official IRA mentioning ‘unlawful activities in the North’.
The split occurred after the special conference with 6 of the 7 TDs as well as a majority of the parties other elected representatives going off to form a group initially called ‘New Agenda’ which became the ‘Democratic Left’. The Workers Party continued on.
The 1994 IRA Ceasefire (which lasted 17 months) after a while saw the launch of a new recruitment drive by Sinn Fein.
This leaflet is from that period where Sinn Fein saw the first of the ‘Peace Dividend’ in the Local Elections of 1995.
Monica Barnes, Sean Barrett and Liam Cosgrave running for Fine Gael in the November 1982 General Election in Dun Laoghaire. All three were elected as Fine Gael took 3 seats, Barry Desmond a seat for Labour and David Andrews a seat for Fianna Fail.
The candidates pictures haven’t changed since Feb either, indeed some candidates used the same pictures for the three elections that were in quick succession.That Barnes, Barrett, Cosgrave ticket ran for five successive elections for Fine Gael in Dun Laoghaire. They all stood in the 1981 General election too, but Aine Elliot was also on the ticket.
Click on the images to enlarge.
Alderman Sean, was elected to the Dail on just the one occassion in June 1981. Unluckily for him he lost his seat 8 months later at the Feb 82 election. He Stood in Dublin North Central.
This was just as the Tribunals had started and he is running on an ‘anti sleaze’ ticket. He makes some good observations in the manifesto.
For a period he was known as Sean Dublin Bay ‘Rockhall’ Loftus after a territorial dispute over Rockhall and its surrounding Waters.
From the 2002 General Election a leaflet for Green Party candidate Dan Boyle who was elected in Cork South Central. Boyle polled 4,952 votes.
From the 1987 General Election a Flyer and Specimen Ballot paper for Fianna Fail candidate Albert Reynolds running in Longford-Westmeath. He topped the poll and was elected on the first count.
The specimen Ballot paper lists the candidates with Reynolds highlighted. ( Result from electionsireland.org)
A Leaflet for President Mary McAleese from the 1997 Presidential Election. The Slogan and theme of the campaign being ‘Building Bridges’.
Interesting to note that she was a joint Fianna Fail /Progressive Democrat candidate.
Bertie had a reputation for electioneering with the ‘Drumcondra Mafia’ being part of a fantastic electoral machine.
Below I’ve posted samples of what a Dublin Central resident would have got through the door or personally from Bertie, the majority being from the 1980s….
Click on these to enlarge
Some Early Progressive Democrat Letters. The meeting at the Royal Marine mentioned in the first letter(which I was present) would have been their second public meeting in Dublin. Their first public meeting (which I was present) was in Sutton.
The second Letter here is to do with the inaugural branch meeting of the Deansgrange branch.
The the third one is towards the end of the campaign.
Of the three candidates, Geraldine Kennedy was Elected in 1987.
From the 1987 General Election a leaflet from Noel Ryan standing for Sinn Fein in Waterford. Ryan poled 758 votes and failed to win a seat. He also stood in the 1985 and 1991 Local Elections without success.
Sinn Fein used a generic manifesto for all candidates with just the Candidates picture and profile changing.
There would also be a reference to the area in the document too.
Note the ‘Make sure you can vote’ section. As far as I’m aware no other party carried that in 1987.
Apologies for the middle pages, but I dont think they had my scanner in mind when putting the document together all those years ago.
With the headline “Things cannot go on as they are; the economy must be got going again”, A Four page letter from Mr Haughey to businessmen circa 1987. With a form to donate attached (must have been small business if there was a form!).
I’m not sure if he would have signed it himself.
In the letter the state of the country is outlined as well as Fianna Fails vague plans. It s only at the end that the real purpose of the letter is mentioned.
‘A Woman voting for Divorce is like a Turkey voting for Christmas’ says Alice
We’ve moved on a bit since Alice, but this gives an idea of attitudes in the mid 80’s. Alice wasn’t a crackpot either as these views were fairly mainstream. She was a Fine Gael TD for Dublin Central at the time.
Well worth a read.
Fianna Fail Feb 1982, a lovely picture of Charlie with him claiming that FF Do a better job. His message is interesting also.
This special edition of ‘The Free Press’ was published for the Euro Elections of 1984. John De Courcy Ireland was the candidate. He polled 5,350 votes. John De Courcy Ireland had a long and varied career and is associated by many with the Maritime Museum in Dun Laoghaire.
Amongst those pictured with him are Bill McCamley, Sean Barrett and Manus O’Riordan. Both Bill McCamley and Manus O’Riordan have been involved with SIPTU since. Amongst other titles Manus O’Riordan has been SIPTUs Head of Research, whilst Bill McCamley has been a Worker Director at Dublin Bus.
The leaflet also contains some interesting facts regarding religion, age, gender of Dun Laoghaire as well as topics that may be of interest especially those in/from the Dun Laoghaire area.
Should you want to read it easily, Clicking on the image will increase its size.
1987 General election and Bernie Murphy, having been elected to the council two years previous to much ado, stands for the Dail. As you’ll read he was seen as a Joke candidate and his election caused uproar.The only manifesto I’ve ever bought.
Quite amusing and may bring back memories of the man to many Corkonians.
Christopher Fettes from the 1984 European Election Dublin Constituency.
Fettes is a hugely important figure in the Irish Green Party. Not alone was he a founding member of the now Green Party, It was Christopher Fettes who ‘called’ the initial meeting in 1981 that led to the foundation of The Ecology Party… which became the Green Alliance/An Comhaontas Glas and was renamed again as the Green Party/An Comhaontas Glas.
Irish Election Literature 
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