The 1989 General Election where Geraldine Kennedy loses her seat. The profile of her on the reverse is interesting in that she was the PD spokesperson on Foreign Affairs and Northern Ireland. She was also their chief whip and has a number of other plaudits there too.
Geraldine Kennedy -PD -Dun Laoghaire 1987
A sorry I Missed you card from a ‘stylish’, now Irish Times Editor, Geraldine Kennedy in 1987. Madams profession is listed as a Journalist, Larry Lohans as a Teacher and Helen Keogh as ‘Housewife’.
Kennedy served one Dail term and lost her seat in 1989.
Mary Hanafin -“A legislator for the 21st century” – 1997 October 30, 2009
The 1997 General Election and Mary Hanafin advertises herself as ‘A legislator for the 21st century’. She was first elected to the Dail in this election. She has a few words here for ‘The Elderly’…

Fine Gael ‘Yes’ to Bail Referendum 1996.
1996 and the Rainbow government were getting tough on crime. A number of cases had arisen where the culprits had been out on bail. So the bail laws had to be changed, which in turn needed a referendum.
Win £10 – ‘Dun Laoghaire People’ – Eamon Gilmore -Workers Party 1986 October 29, 2009
A couple of nice things in this from Summer 1986. A number of Workers Party ‘papers’ had the ‘People’ title. A ‘Dublin People’ was produced for the 1994 European elections and of course the Workers Party weekly paper was ‘Tomorrows People’.
This was produced in part as a reaction to the proposed introduction of Water Rates. There’s a great competition to win £10. I wonder how many entries B Maguire had through the door and indeed who won?
So on the front they were giving away money , however on the reverse they were looking for money! … Whilst others had big business and Unions to fund them, The Workers Party relied ‘entirely on contributions from our members, supporters and friends’.
874 houses in Dun Laoghaire didn’t have bathrooms, yet there were over 1000 on the dole. Why not get them to repair the housing stock?
Sinn Fein -‘Empowering Communities against Drugs’
Not sure exactly when this was produced but propably around 2002. Its one of the most practical and relevant leaflets I’ve found, especially compared with other stuff such as spoting fixture giudes you get from politicians and parties.
PD ‘A Nation That Works’ pre 87 election. October 27, 2009
This is a policy doc sent out by the PDs to their members in late 86 I think. Very relevant regarding Seanad Abolition

Bertie Ahern, George Colley, Tom Leonard- Fianna Fail-Dublin Central November 1982 October 26, 2009
From the November 1982 General Election, a flyer for Fianna Fail candidates in Dublin Central. A young Bertie, George Colley months before his passing and Tom Leonard who would win the by election caused by Colleys death.
Ahern topped the poll with 10,542 votes with Colley also elected polling 5,622 votes, Leonard missed out polling 2,396 votes.

Paul Gogarty -Green Party- 1992 Dublin West October 25, 2009
Paul Gogarty in 1992. Nice little history of the Greens in Dublin West as well as some catchy slogans…”Other Parties try to steal our clothes but they dont fit” .
Nothing about Deputy Stagg in this either….
1997- Bertie- “A Young Leader for a Young Country” ‘..in politics only to serve the people’
“A Young Leader for a Young Country” who on the inside of this doc is “A New Leader for a New Century”. The profile of Bertie “.. he is in politics only to serve the people” and other plaudits that in hindsight ring hollow.
This was one of a series of leaflets for the 1997 election produced by Fianna Fail. Some were on Crime, some on Drugs, some on Job creation and so on. The fact that there was a whole leaflet dedicated to their leader shows how much they played on ordinary Bertie who is in touch with the people. He was that important to them.

Des Geraghty -Workers Party 1984 Euro Elections
Union official (and since President of SIPTU) Geraghty stood for the Workers Party in the 1984 Euro elections getting 19,590 votes, almost 7%.

Tim O’Malley – Progressive Democrat -1998 Limerick East By-election October 24, 2009
Tim O’Malley’s first Dail attempt in the 1998 Limerick East By-Election , caused by the death of Jim Kemmy. In a constituency where a year earlier they had held two seats, O’Malley polled 4,287 (10%) votes.
Tom Stafford “He’s a true blue” – Fianna Fail 1985 LE October 23, 2009
This is a tiny card from Tom Stafford in the 1985 local elections campaign. Its not often Candidates write their message in verse.

‘Get Up Stand Up’ ICTU Letter Oct 2009
Got this in the door. First time I’ve ever got a leaflet from a Union with the pizza menus and Jackie Skelly offers. Shows theres a battle ahead.

Mairead Duchon- Tax Reform League- Dublin South 1987
1987 and the tax burden on the PAYE worker was massive. The tax rates for PAYE workers were 40% and 65%.
Even after the tax marches of the 70s and 80s there was still a major issue in that sectors of society such as the self-emplyed/farmers and the super rich were able to avoid paying tax. In hindsight, we also know now of the non resident accounts, Ansbacher and so on.
As far as I’m aware, The Tax Reform League only fielded candidates in one general election and may not have been registered as a party at the time.
Their call to arms failed to excite the electorate with none of their candidates being elected. Mairead Duchon polled 1,253 votes.
From the records I have a second TRL candidate, Padraig O’Neill, may have stood in the constituency also, without much success either.
Stephen Riney, Damien Fee, Ann Ormonde – Rathfarnham 1991 Local Elections
Stephen Riney ran Orchard Estate agents in Rathfarnham (its now the Remax office) and was also a keen local historian. ( Another leaflet produced by him was a heritage map of the area which I’ll post in due course). Theres still no sign of the Comminity Centre/ Swimmong pool proposed by hime either.
Ann Ormonde ran a number of times without success in General elections however has served a number of terms in the Seanad. Damien Fee is/was a school principal. Ann Ormonde was elected.











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