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.
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
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.
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 ‘
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.
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.
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!’
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.
Paul Kane was one of the 38 prisoners that escaped the Maze Prision in 1983.Extradition was a big issue in the Republic all throughout the troubles. Despite the quotes from Charles Haughey and Gerry Collins on the back of the leaflet, Paul Kane was extradited in 1989. The Quotes from Haughey and Collins also illustrate how throughout the Troubles Fianna Fails policies shifted to populist Republican ones most often when in opposition.
Others mentioned as awaiting extradition in the leaflet include Dermote Finucance, brother of the late Pat Finucane and former MP and election agent for Bobby Sands, Owen Carron.
A Labour Party Leaflet urging a Yes vote for the Good Friday Agreement.
Many of the implications of the ‘Yes’ vote came through.
“A Yes Vote will mean more jobs and prosperity” The Good Friday Agreement is rarely cited when talking of the Celtic Tiger. It must have had a large impact. Ireland in the glare of the worlds media at the centre of a global good news story. American and other investment must have seen us through green tinted glasses. Of course it wasn’t the only reason for investment, but it shone a positive global light on our country.
The booklet produced by the Referendum Commission for The Good Friday Agreement Referendum in 1998
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 proposal from the Workers Party to organise a Democratic Convention against Terror.
Its an interesting read.
Irish Election Literature 
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