Michael Finneran on his first attempt for the Dail in 1992. It was in the new Longford-Roscommon constituency.
He was part of very strong Fianna Fail ticket with Sean Doherty, Terry Leydon and Albert Reynolds. He finished the fourth of the Fianna Fail ticket.
Not too many candidates these days would include beagling in their hobbies and interests as Catherine McGarry does.
This is fantastic, gives a glimpse of domestic life in the late 60s as well as warning the many many pitfalls that may arise.
At the time too not that many had cars, so the Driver was a very important figure at election time, especuially in rural areas.
Yet You’d think that giving lifts to voters was a simple enough matter…….
Its full of handy tips
“Try to have your car as clean as possible….. do not take any alcohol while polling is in progress”
“…Encourage the women to vote early as this will leave the men free in the evening… ”
and of course “Don’t forget to vote yourself!”
Liam O Gogain is amongst a group of Fathers rights campaigners that have stood for a number of elections to raise the profile of the issue.
This is his 2004 European Election -‘East’ – leaflet.
A young Mary Hanafin in her fisrt electoral outing in Rathmines 1985. Both Hanafin polling 890 votes and Donnelly polling 2133 votes were elected. Derek Mooney polled 534 votes and Gerry Kieran 849 votes and both missed out.
Anyone who lived through the 70’s and 80’s will know what an issue taxing farmers was, especially in urban areas. Farmers were seen as gettingall the grants from Europe and not paying tax either.
Meanwhile the PAYE worker was the one left carrying the burden. Here Fine Gael claim that they tax the farmers more than Fianna Fail. I think that its from 1982 or else 1987.
Pat O’Brien an anti Incinerator candidate in the 2002 general election in Meath. Having looked to have died out, The incinerator plans appear to be back. Pat stood for Fine Gael in the last local elections but failed to win a seat.
1997 General Election in Dun Laoghaire and Gerard Casey polls a respectable 2000 votes for the CSP. The Paul O’Donaghue case refered to was regarding education rights for the disabled. Oddly enough it was Justice Rory O’Hanlon who gave the ruling. ( Justice O’Hanlons nephew Paul O’Loughlin has stood a number of times for the CSP.)
In case people think ‘greedy developers’ are a recent phenomenon, Joan gives them a few mentions here. Also the photo with those glasses and lack of smile! Joan polled a couple of hundred votes and failed to be elected.
She shares a name with Cheryl Coles mother.
As often is the case,candidates of similar names put themselves before the electorate.
In February 1982 Independent Martin Donohoe and Fianna Fails Martin O’Donoughue both stood in Dun Laoghaire. There were no pictures on Ballot papers then, so I’m sure he hoped for some confusion.
The views here of the major parties was the publics perception.
Other things include, The proposed Oil Refinery in Dublin Bay, ‘wasteful day-to-day Government Squandering’ as well as he hope that it were a hung Dail.
The booklet produced by the Referendum Commission for The Good Friday Agreement Referendum in 1998
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 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, 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.
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
A Saoirse leaflet given out in Cork in 1995, a year or so after the first IRA Ceasefire. It contrasts the treatment of Lee Clegg with that of other prisoners such as Paul Norney and also gives ways in which you can help the campaign.
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.
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.
Irish Election Literature 
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