From 2002 a pamphlet from the Socialist Workers Party entitled “Why Irish women must have the right to choose”.
Uploaded in pdf HERE
or click on the image to launch.
“Why Irish women must have the right to choose” -2002 Pamphlet from The Socialist Workers Party February 23, 2012
A 1989 Ad for ‘The Irish Times’ written by Dick Walsh February 22, 2012
Again something slightly away from the usual but something I found recently and that I thought might be of interest. A 1989 Ad for the Irish Times written by Dick Walsh.
Thirty years collecting election leaflets February 21, 2012
This month marks an anniversary of sorts for me, its 30 years since I started collecting election leaflets!
What began as a small pile of Dun Laoghaire Constituency leaflets from the February 1982 election has grown over time to seven plastic crates full of material in my attic and a few hundred leaflets in my office space downstairs and a few old posters too!
30 years later I’m also totally confident in my hobby. For years I felt embarrassed when asking people to keep stuff for me, I got strange looks and was asked umpteen times “What do you want to keep them for?”.
I was lucky too in that relatives and friends of my parents kept material for me and in school and college people kept stuff for me too. Over the years I also wrote letters to parties and candidates requesting material.
The advent of the internet and email really opened up a whole new world for me, not just being able to start this blog but also in the ability to communicate with candidates and parties requesting material.
It has also enabled people to get in contact with me and send me stuff, something which I am eternally grateful for.
I’ve also been able to supply leaflets to people for various needs. Be it leaflets from deceased relatives, museums, exhibitions, leaflets for books , magazines, newspapers, a thesis on women politicians fashion, or even recently leaflets for a TV show. Last week some old leaflets I’d posted were quoted in the Dail.
It has also opened the door for radio and television appearances, interviews, features in newspapers and magazines.
Aside from the physical material I have also collected thousands of election/ political related images and pdf files which are all backed up regularly to an external disk.
Given I’m a one man band and this is only a hobby I still have thousands of leaflets unscanned and yet to be posted.
As ever if you’ve an old or new leaflet lying about , want to see a certain candidate, want some old leaflets to start a collection yourself , then get in touch. irishelectionliterature AT gmail.com is the email.
Anyway, instead of posting my favourites (of which there are way too many), Here’s some leaflets from that February 1982 election
Leaflet from James Lawless -Fianna Fail Committee of Twenty elections 2012 Ard-Fheis February 20, 2012
From the campaign for the Committee of Twenty elections at this year’s Fianna Fail Ard-Fheis a leaflet from candidate James Lawless. His Website
Many Thanks to the sender who notes…
“The committee is a long standing one and originated as 15 members elected from the ordinary membership. This was DeValera’s creation as he wanted ensure the cabinet / hierarchy remained in touch with the party faithful.
Over recent times the national executive grew extra layers and is now a much larger body and likely to be reformed in terms of composition and numbers over the new term. However it is likely the committee of 20/15 will be retained as it is unique in being the only component of the executive elected by open election across the national party.
The committee of 15 was increased to the committee of 20 with the introduction of gender quotas a few years back and now must contain 10 men and 10 women, all elected via a single ballot paper with a complex count/quota system.”
Eamon Gilmore leaflets mentioned by Joe Higgins in the Dail last week.
In a speech in the Dail the last week Joe Higgins referred to some old Eamon Gilmore Leaflets that I’d posted here previously.
Just reposting them again with some of the text from the speech.
Deputy Joe Higgins:   —–I refer to what does not lie, namely, the history of this issue. There was a fresh faced councillor in Dún Laoghaire in the 1980s—–
Deputy Emmet Stagg:   Deputy Boyd Barrett.
Deputy Joe Higgins:   —–who put out a statement that he was the first councillor in the country to propose and win the abolition of the water rates. The same councillor, in a new manifestation—–
An Ceann Comhairle:   The Deputy is supposed to be asking a supplementary question not giving a lecture on history.
Deputy Joe Higgins:   —–in Democratic Left in the late 1980s and early 1990s—–….
Deputy Joe Higgins:   His thwarted political ambitions have a lot more to do with his outbursts here than anything I can say.
An Ceann Comhairle:   Deputy Higgins, through the Chair please.
Deputy Joe Higgins:   He made your seat in 1987 in campaigns against the local rates.
An Ceann Comhairle:   I am going to call an end to this if the Deputy does not conclude.
Deputy Joe Higgins:   In a new reincarnation, Democratic Left—–
Deputy Brendan Howlin:   In 1872.
Deputy Joe Higgins:   —–he stated that the PAYE taxpayers whom his party represented had already paid enough tax for local services and should not have to pay again. …..
I’ve a section dedicated to Gilmore leaflets here
“A YES Vote Is The Best Vote For JOBS and WORKERS’ RIGHTS” – Fianna Fail Yes to Lisbon 2 leaflet
From the second Lisbon treaty Campaign a leaflet from Fianna Fail with the slogan “A YES Vote Is The Best Vote For JOBS and WORKERS’ RIGHTS”.
Leaflet from Ciarán MacAnnraoi, Christy Burke -Sinn Fein – Dublin North Inner City – 2004 Local Elections February 19, 2012
From the 2004 Local Elections a leaflet for Ciarán MacAnnraoi and Christy Burke of Sinn Fein who were running in the North Inner City ward for a seat on Dublin County Council. ‘Big Ciarán’ MacAnnraoi polled 585 votes and failed to win a seat whilst Christy Burke topped the poll with 1,869 votes and won a seat.
Many thanks to the sender.
“Household Tax ..Funding your local (and not so local) bondholder” Leaflet from the Campaign against Household & Water Taxes February 18, 2012
A “Household Tax ..Funding your local (and not so local) bondholder” Leaflet from the Campaign against Household & Water Taxes.
The Government information leaflet on the Household Charge
The Government information leaflet on the Household Charge (or Phil Hogans Household Tax), to be delivered to every house in the country.
Outlines what the tax is for, the penalties, the ways to pay, who is liable and more.
“Keeping in Touch” Leaflet from Dominic Hannigan -Labour Meath East February 17, 2012
A “Keeping in Touch with Ashbourne” Leaflet from Labour TD for Meath East Dominic Hannigan. It has a small piece about Labour in Government, congratulations to President Michael D and also a page ‘Dominic on Job Training’.
Many thanks to the sender.
From 2004 “Bin Charges … Don’t let the Council scrap the waiver” -Limerick Socialist Party February 16, 2012
From December 2004 an anti Bin tax leaflet from the limerick branch of The Socialist party advertising a protest on Tuesday 21st December that year.
Coir -“You are being Sold Out -Make the EU Listen to Irish Farmers” -Vote No To Lisbon February 15, 2012
From the Lisbon Treaty Referendum a leaflet from Coir focusing on Farmers and what they’d lose if Lisbon was passed.
“The Roll of Dishonour” and “A Hot Record”- Two 1932 Election posters from Cumann na nGaedheal February 14, 2012
Two great posters from the 1932 General Election produced by Cumann na nGaedheal. (via the National Library of Ireland’s Flickr Photostream)
The first one is
“…designed to counter Fianna Fáil protests at the amount of money being paid out as military pensions to ex-members of the National Army.
In response, the text of this poster roundly condemns Fianna Fáil for causing the Irish Civil War, a conflict that cost the Saorstát “Thirty-Five Million Pounds”.
This poster is incidentally a great source for the sums involved in the Damage to Property (Compensation) Act following the Irish Civil War. Obviously not all claimants are listed here. In fact, Cumann na nGaedheal make the point that a complete list “would require a score of Posters of this size”, but some of the sums were astronomical for the time:
The Gresham Hotel, O’Connell Street, Dublin: £102,905
The Freeman’s Journal, Townsend Street, Dublin: £49,390
Mitchelstown Castle, Cork: £46,475
Cork Examiner, Cork: £16,500
Bessborough House, Piltown, Kilkenny: £50,270
Condensed Milk Company, Tipperary: £59,290
Blacksod Whaling Company, Mayo: £4,950
The second one
“references popular culture in the form of records, implying that the chorus of all Fianna Fáil “songs” is the threat of war”
Other record related leaflets I’ve posted to date include this one from Alan Shatter in 2007
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“Remember When There Was No Housing Problem?” -Fianna Fail 1969 General Election February 13, 2012
“Remember When There Was No Housing Problem?” ask Fianna Fail from the 1969 General Election. The amount of houses built, the speed of house building and other feats that were the hallmark of our recent construction boom are all mentioned.
We also have the slogan “Let’s Back Jack”.
Leaflet from Frank Gallagher- Socialist Party – 2009 Local Elections Drogheda
From the 2009 Local Elections a leaflet from Socialist Party candidate for Drogheda Corporation Frank Gallagher. Gallagher was elected.
Fianna Fail “Organisational Reform Proposals” for the 2012 Ard Fheis February 11, 2012
These might be of interest to many of you, a booklet outlining “Organisational Reform Proposals” for Fianna Fail to be debated at the forthcoming 2012 Ard Fheis.
Uploaded in PDF form HERE or click on image to launch.
Irish Election Literature 
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