From the 1985 Local Elections a leaflet from Sinn Fein candidate Liam MacElhinney who was running in Letterkenny. He polled 1,321 votes and was elected.
Many thanks to the sender.
Leaflet for Liam MacElhinney -Sinn Fein -1985 Local Elections Letterkenny January 29, 2013
Leaflet from Dessie Larkin, Maureen McLaughlin-Independent Fianna Fail -Letterkenny -2004 Local Elections August 3, 2012
From the 2004 Local Elections a leaflet from Independent Fianna Fail candidates Dessie Larkin and Maureen McLaughlin running in Letterkenny. Larkin, now a Fianna Fail councillor, topped the poll with 1,736 votes whilst McLaughlin polled 573 votes and missed out on a seat.
Other IFF material
Sample Ballot paper from Independent Fianna Fail (Blaney) -1985 Local Elections Letterkenny UDC May 17, 2011
From the 1985 Local Elections a sample Ballot paper issued by Independent Fianna Fail for Letterkenny UDC. The candidates were Tadhg Culbert, James Larkin, Hugh Dorrian and Jim Lynch. (A leaflet from them with details of the candidates is posted here)
Of the other Non Party candidates Patrick J Blake, Charles Grant and Sean Maloney ran for The Community Party, whilst James Devenney ran for the Donegal Progressive Party which attracted a Protestant vote.
Sean Gallagher -Sinn Fein -Letterkenny UDC 1985 LE December 9, 2010
From the 1985 Local Elections a leaflet for Sinn Fein candidate Sean Gallagher running for Letterkenny UDC.
Unemployment, Emmigration and Housing are amongst the many issues covered in the Leaflet.
Click on Image to increase size
Dessie Larkin , Peter Patton -Independent Fianna Fail -2004 Letterkenny Town Council September 9, 2010
From the 2004 Local Elections a leaflet for Independent Fianna Fail candidates for Letterkenny Town Council Dessie Larkin and Peter Patton. Dessie Larkin was elected but Peter Patton missed out.
Dessie Larkin is the son of former Independent Fianna Fail Senator James Larkin (1985 Leaflet here).
The aims and objectives of the party are fairly good. There’s little or no mention of the British presence in the North which was a mainstay of their early policies until the peace process.
Liam MacElhinney – Sinn Fein Letterkenny 1985 October 21, 2009
In 1985, the troubles and their impact were still very much part of life.
Compare Liam MacElinneys profile here which is in effect his CV as a Republican volunteer to the Sinn Fein of today and its very different.
It is of course of its time. At roughly the same time in Dublin, candidates were emphasising their work in the community as well as giving a brief mention to their Republican CV.
‘Section 31’ gets a mention. Also prominent is the fact that Sinn Fein Councillors “.. play a full and active part in the work of their councils…” a nod to let the public know that they took their council seats ?, especially given that Gerry Adams had been elected an MP two years previous and continued the party policy of abstentionism from Westminister.
Tadhg Colbert, James Larkin, Hugh Dorrian, Jim Lynch- Independent Fianna Fail -Letterkenny UDC 1985 October 11, 2009
Tadhg Colbert, James Larkin, Hugh Dorrian and Jim Lynch. An Interesting bunch here. Unusual to see a candidates name have two different spellings. Tadhg Colbert on the front, Tadgh Culbert on the back. He later joined Fianna Fail and stood for them in the 1994 UDC elections.
James Larkin was Neil T Blaneys director of elections. He had also been a member of the Seanad, nominated as part of the deal for Independent Fianna Fail TD Neil T Blaney to support the 1982 Haughey government. Whilst not quite the headline grabber the Gregory deal was, this was the one and only time the Independent Fianna Fail party had a seat in the Seanad.
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The Community Party -Letterkenny UDC 1985 September 24, 2009
I know nothing about this Party or its policies. Sean Maloney later joined the Labour Party and then Fine Gael.
Letterkenny has another small party these days represented on the council “The Letterkenny Residents Party” which I have no literature for but would love to get some. I gather they may be a break away from The Socialist Party.
Irish Election Literature 
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