Irish Election Literature

… what you maybe meant to keep…

Peter Robinson -DUP -East Belfast 2010 UK Election May 7, 2010


From the 2010 UK Election, the standard leaflet from DUP Leader Peter Robinson. Peter Robinson sensationally lost his seat to Naomi Long of the Alliance Party.
He is here pictured with Obama, with British soldiers serving in the Middle East, in the House of Commons but most strikingly hes pictured hard hat on a building site.
If one didn’t know better you’d think he it was with a group of smiling developers.
The Picture beside it is in my view foolish also as it pictures him beside a £ sign!

In fact that page has him in the House of commons first, then with developers and then beside the pound sign. Underneath we have the arrow!
So it could be seen as…. expenses + land deals = cash

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Uk Election… Lyle Cubitt -Independent Unionist -North Antrim 2010


From the 2010 UK Election in North Antrim, a leaflet from Independent Unionist Lyle Cubitt.
Lyle wants the Assembly dropped and accuses Jim Allisters TUV and the Ian Paisleys DUP of telling lies to the Northern Electorate.
He polled 606 votes.

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Bobby Sands -“Anti H-Block / Armagh Political Prisoner” – 1981 Fermanagh South Tyrone by election


Poster and Leaflet for Hunger Striker, Bobby Sands who stood in the Fermanagh South Tyrone by-election held on the 9 April 1981. He won by 30,493 votes to 29,046 for the Unionist candidate Harry West.

The Hunger Strike centred around the “Five Demands”:
1. the right not to wear a prison uniform;
2. the right not to do prison work;
3. the right of free association with other prisoners, and to organise educational and recreational pursuits;
4. the right to one visit, one letter and one parcel per week;
5. full restoration of remission lost through the protest

Bobby Sands died on the 5th of May 1981.

many thanks to the donor.

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Hugh Smyth -Progressive Unionist Party -1998 Assembly Elections West Belfast

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From the 1998 Assembly Elections, the Shankill Road based Hugh Smyth running in West Belfast for the Progressive Unionist Party. At the time Hugh Smyth was the leader of the party. He failed to win a seat.
Smyth was elected in 1973 to the Assembly as an Independent Unionist and was one of the founders of the PUP.

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Ulster Democratic Party (UDP) – ‘Saying No means NO FUTURE’ -Good Friday Agreement May 4, 2010


A leaflet from the UDP in favour of the Good Friday Agreement.
The Ulster Democratic Party (UDP) were a small Loyalist party allied to UDA. They disbanded in 2001.
The UDP were formed in 1989 from the Ulster Loyalist Democratic Party (UDLP) which had been set up by the UDA in 1981. In this leaflet the leader of the party is Gary McMichael whose father John McMichael, had previously been leader of the UDLP. John McMichael was killed in 1987.
From the 1996 Forum elections the party were alloted 2 seats, taken by Gary McMichael and John White. These seats entitled them to a place in the all-party talks that led to the Good Friday Agreement.
In the 1998 Assembly elections the party failed to win any seats. They held a number of council seats until their demise in 2001.

many thanks to the donor

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Connolly Association and Irish Self-Determination League -Membership Form May 3, 2010


Donor writes….
The membership form for the Connolly Association, the Irish communist grouping in Britain. no date, but 1960s I think.”


 

Gerry Adams letter to Belfast voters- Sinn Fein -1998 Assembly Elections May 2, 2010


From the 1998 Assembly elections, a letter from Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams to Belfast voters.

 

Out of The Ashes Arose The Provisionals -Republican Christmas Card April 30, 2010


A christmas card produced, I assume by the Republican movement or Sinn Fein. I think its from the 70s or early 80s.
Aside from the  traditional ‘Nollaig faoi shean is faoi mhaise duit’ in the card there is also a quote from Marie Drumm.
‘We must take no steps backwards, our steps must be forward, for if we don’t our martyrs who died for you, for me, for this country, will haunt us for eternity’
Marie Drumm was a former vice president of Sinn Féin who was assinated whilst in hospital by Loyalists in 1976. She was also a commander in Cumann na mBan.
many thanks to the donor

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Gerry Adams -West Belfast 2010 Westminister Elections April 26, 2010


From the 2010 Westminster Elections, An election leaflet for Sinn Fein Leader Gerry Adams. There is a profile of Gerry Adams as well as a message from himself. The achievements of Sinn Fein in government are listed, as well as those by each Sinn Fein Minister.
Martin McGuinness has overseen capital expenditure projects like the new hospital in Enniskillen…
Conor Murphy has moved to increase investment in public transport….
Michelle Gildernew has bought in 7 million investment for small family farms…
Cairriona Ruane has done what others for decades spoke about doing-ending the 11 plus ….
Gerry Kelly has taken the lead in ensuring an advocate for elderly people….

Many thanks to the sender.

 

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Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition – Yes to the Good Friday Agreement Flyer


From the 1998 Good Friday Agreement Referendum , a flyer urging a Yes vote from the Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition (NIWC).
Founded in 1996 by Monica McWilliams and Pearl Sagar, the NIWC won 2 seats in the 1996 Northern Ireland Forum Elections. The Party then won 2 seats in the 1998 Assembly elections through Monica McWilliams and Jane Morrice. In the 2003 Assembly elections both seats were lost and in 2006 the party wound down.

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Yes to the Good Friday Agreement flyer- Progressive Unionist Party (PUP) 1998 April 24, 2010


A Yes to the Good Friday Agreement flyer produced by The Progressive Unionist Party (PUP) in 1998. The PUP were seen as the political wing of the UVF so their approval (along with that of the UDP) was seen as vital for the passing of the Referendum in May 1998. Many thanks to the donor.

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‘Support the Hunger Strike Demands’ Sticker – National H-Block Armagh Committee 1981 April 22, 2010


A sticker issued by The National H-Block Armagh Committee during the 1981 Hunger Strike urging people to ‘Support The Hunger Strike Demands’. These stickers, black flags, posters of the Hunger Strikers and black armbands were commonplace at the time.

These demands were
1. The right to wear their own clothes.
2. The right to refrain from compulsory do prison work, use the time for education in vocational, craft or culture fields.
3. Free association with other political prisoners
4. One letter, one parcel and one visit per week.
5. Restoration of remission of sentence lost through the protest.

Many thanks to the donor

 

Manchester Connolly Association- 1965 Poster for Easter Commemoration Meeting and Parade April 13, 2010


From 1965 a Poster from The Manchester Connolly Association advertising an Easter Commemoration, Meeting and Parade.
The Connolly Association, were the Irish Communist grouping in Britain. Originally called The Connolly Club.
This article on Manchester’s Radical History provides good background. Both Danny Kilcommins and Tommy Watters , speakers at the event are mentioned.
I’m not sure if the Tom Redmond mentioned is the Tom Redmond who was a member of the Irish Workers League and editor of Socialist Voice.

 

Ulster’s Solemn League and Covenant 1912 March 15, 2010


From 1912 an original copy of ‘Ulster’s Solemn League and Covenant’ sent in by a kind donor who writes…..
This is not election literature but very political nevertheless and probably one of the most important documents of the 20th century.
In fact, it’s probably the Unionist equivalent of the Proclamation.
It’s ‘Ulster’s Solemn League and Covenant’ known as ‘The Covenant’ from 1912. Many of the most ardent opponents of Home Rule were said to have signed it in their own blood, not the only blood spilled over that bill.

The text of the Covenant  is
‘Ulster’s Solemn League and Covenant
Being convinced in our consciences that Home Rule would be disastrous to the material well-being of Ulster as well as of the whole of Ireland, subversive of our civil and religious freedom, destructive of our citizenship and perilous to the unity of the Empire, we, whose names are underwritten, men of Ulster, loyal subjects of his Gracious Majesty King George V, humbly relying on the God whom our fathers in days of stress and trial confidently trusted, do hereby pledge ourselves in solemn Covenant throughout this our time of threatened calamity to stand by one another in defending for ourselves and our children our cherished position of equal citizenship in the United Kingdom and in using all means which may be found necessary to defeat the present conspiracy to set up a Home Rule Parliament in Ireland. And in the event of such a Parliament being forced upon us we further solemnly and mutually pledge ourselves to refuse to recognise its authority. In sure confidence that God will defend the right we hereto subscribe our names. And further, we individually declare that we have not already signed this Covenant.

The above was signed by me at ____________

Ulster Day, Saturday 28th, September, 1912.

God Save the King ‘

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Kieran Doherty -H-Block Candidate -1981 GE Cavan-Monaghan February 22, 2010


Many thanks to the donor.
The H-Block campiagn fielded 9 candidates in the 1981 General Election. Two were elected. Kieran Doherty was Elected in Cavan-Monaghan and Paddy Agnew was elected in Louth.
The other candidates were Joe McDonnell in Sligo/Leitrim, Martin Hurson in Longford-Westmeath, Kevin Lynch in Waterford, Tony O’Hara (Brother of Patsy O’Hara) in Dublin West, Joe McDonnell in Sligo/Leitrim , Mairéad Farrell (one of the Gibraltar 3) in Cork North Central, Sean McKenna in Kerry North and Tom McAllister in Clare.
Between them they got over 3% of the national vote.
Three other candidates stood on an Anti H-Block ticket. These were Sean Kelleher in Cork South West, Vincent Doherty (of Peoples Democracy) in Dublin North Central
and Paddy Healy in Dublin North-East.

On the second of August 1981 ,Hunger striker Kieran Doherty TD died.

 

Pat McHugh and John Coulthard posters- Northern Ireland Labour Party- 1970 Westminister February 16, 2010


Thanks to the donor for sending these.
Pictures of two posters from Pat McHugh and John Coulthard of the Northern Ireland Labour Party from the 1970 Westminister Elections. (apologies for poor quality).
Pat McHugh stood in North Antrim where Ian Paisley won the seat. It was the first time Paisley was elected to Westminister.
John Coulthard stood in South Belfast where the Unionist candidate Rafton Pounder easily won the seat.

Wikipedia entry for the NILP

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March 1973- Northern Ireland- ‘Border Poll’- Ballot,Envelope, Polling card etc December 24, 2009


What a Christmas present to be sent by a kind reader…..
March the 9th 1973 a poll took place on the future of Northern Ireland.
The Ballot below shows the choices.
591,280 people voted to stay part of the UK.
6,463 voted in favour of a United Ireland….
The donor writes…
Nationalists were encouraged to boycott the poll, I can remember the graffiti for years after, ‘NO VOTE’ painted everywhere from derelict houses to trees…..
The images include the voting slip itself, the return envelope and declaration of identity which was a farcical document in the days of ‘vote early and vote often’.
The Nationalist Eddie McAteer once commented on the number of deceased Catholics who had managed to vote because their names were still on the election register;
‘The fools, the fools, they have left us our Fenian dead!’

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Benny (Benedict) McElwee -Sinn Fein- 1982 Stormont Elections December 21, 2009


This Poster was sent in by a kind reader , who writes …..

It is about as early as you will find from modern day Sinn Féin. It’s from one of the initiatives I think it’s 1982 but it’s definitely the Jim Prior organised one for a Stormont Assembley/Forum which SF fought on an abstenion policy. I think the SDLP ended up the same too.
The candidate is Benny (Benedict) Mcelwee from Bellaghy, the brother of Hunger Striker, Thomas and cousin of Francis Hughes. Second on the paper is Danny Morrison of Ballot box and Armalite fame.

It was for the mid-ulster constituency and this one was the South Derry version. Up until this election, most full on Republicans had stood on a H-Blocks ticket and for the short lived Irish Independence Party so it’s as early a PSF poster as you’ll find.
Ironic indeed the ‘Smash Stormont’ legend at the top, I think the DUP ran with ‘Smash Sinn Féin’ in the same campaign.