From the 2004 European Elections Independent candidate Marian Harkin running in the North West constituency where she topped the poll. She is pictured with Pat Cox. She was a TD at the time and notice how her substitutes were Paudge Connolly and James Breen.
From the 1999 Local Elections in the Pembroke ward, Labour Party candidate Dermot Lacey. Dermot Lacey was elected.
He served as Lord Mayor of Dublin from July 2002 until July 2003. He has expressed an interest in being the Labour candidate for the directly elected Lord Mayor of Dublin, should the contest ever happen.
From the 2009 Local Elections in Kerry. Poll topper in Killorglin LEA, Michael Healy-Rae, son of the sitting TD Jackie Healy-Rae.
‘I earnestly ask for your NO 1 VOTE Please -or you next highest preference’ writes Michael.
The thing that also strikes me about the leaflet is that when reading it I can hear Michael Healy-Raes voice saying most of the text.
I also see that Michael is a member of the HSE.
A Discussion Paper on Dail Reform from the 1985 Fine Gael Ard Fheis.
It is sparse enough in detail, but still indicates how the Dail has changed in the last 25 years.
Things like being Televised, Private Members Bills, The Oireachtas Committee system being established and so on.
A discussion paper on Energy from the 1985 Fine Gael Ard Fheis .
Not the most riveting of material but interesting nonetheless.
Part of it is taken up with the then flowing new Natural Gas from Kinsale. A few memories are jogged in the fact that the UK government rejected plans to ‘supply Northern Ireland.
Details are also given regarding the level and nature of oil/gas exploration of our coast.
There is no mention of giving it all away for free.
From the 2009 Local Elections in Mulhuddart, Fianna Fail candidate Idowu Olafimihan. Originally from Nigeria Idowu Olafimihan
was one of a number of ‘New Irish’ candidates running in the 2009 Local Elections. He polled a respectable 611 votes.
Idowu Olafimihan runs a security company, Empire Security Services.
I was sent this by a kind reader who notes…
‘…. information leaflet from 1961. It’s a No to the Common Market leaflet, and it was produced by the Irish Workers League, which was the Southern communist organisation at that time – the other grouping being the Communist Party of Northern Ireland. both merged in 1970 to form the CPI.’
It is an interesting enough read telling what would come to pass were we to join the then ‘Common Market’ and giving an Alternative Irish Economy. The EU of today which has no restriction on the flow of capital, goods or labour between member countries’ has come to pass. The effect of Ireland joining as spelt out also came true in areas such as ‘A serious weakening of the position of State industries’, ‘The wiping out of a large section of Irish Industry’ and emigration flourished for 25 years after our initial membership.
From the 1985 Fine Gael Ard Fheis held in Cork. Which was located in Cork to complement the Cork 800 celebrations.
This is the booklet delegates were sent prior to the event (or indeed at the event). I also have a copy of the pack on Motions and policies debated at the Ard Fheis but it is rather large.
In 1985 Fine Gael were in Government.
Some lovely things here. The Neptune Stadium is ‘at most a 20 minute walk’ from City Hall is a bit like all these new estates that were described on the blurb as ’20 minutes from Dublin’.
Extra Pay Phones were installed for the event. The ‘Bed Bureau for delegates’ run by the Cork Kerry Tourism Organisation almost sound dirty.
We have a map of Cork with the one way system marked by arrows and looking very confusing. The Social events included a fashion of the time a ‘Chicken supper’.
The now deceased delegate who gave me this, had ticked off the events they wanted to attend. There were then lists of the panels for election to The National Executive. With the last pages being taken up by amendments to Fine Gael Constitution and Rules.
From the 2009 Local Elections in Blessington, Fine Gael candidate Lorcan McMahon. Despite polling well Lorcan McMahon failed to get in.
From the 1987 General Election in Dublin South the Green candidate Roger Garland. Garland later became a Ireland’s first Green TD in the 1989 General Election, before losing his seat in 1992.
He had also stood in the Ecology party’s initial electoral outing in November 1982 getting 950 votes in Dublin South.
In 1987 the Green Alliance policies were very much left of centre. There was no mention of such thing as Global Warming or depleting ozone layers. From memory of the times Acid Rain was what we were really scared of. The European Greens got a far bigger mention then in Green Literature, than they do now.
Reposting this leaflet as earlier Garland post had leaflets from 2 different elections.
Click on the images to make them more readable
Firstly many thanks to the donor.
From the 1981 General Election Tony O’Hara (also refered to as Anthony),running on a H Block ticket in Dublin West.
Tony O’Hara was the brother of deceased hunger striker Patsy O’Hara. He recieved 3,034 votes.
For those like myself who lived through the time of the Hunger Strike this leaflet brings back memories. Memories of the posters of the Hunger Strikers,the posters of Maggie Thatcher Wanted for murder, people wearing Black armbands, black flags on lampposts and the other protest marches in Dublin at the time.
In the leaflet, amongst others things are a biography of Tony O’Hara and The Hunger Strikers Five Demands
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.
From the 1994 European Elections, Labour candidate Bernie Malone. Bernie Malone , a Malahide based councillor was co-opted to replace sitting MEP Barry Desmond in 1992. She was chosen as the Labour candidate at the selection convention only for Orla Guerin to be added to the ticket. Bernie Malone wasn’t happy and the two candidates developed a ‘rivralry’.
In the end it was Bernie Malone who won a seat.
From the 1992 General Election in Dublin Central. A letter from Bertie Ahern to constituents. ‘Dear Friend’ it begins with…..
Amongst other things, Bertie writes that he has “one simple aim in life as a public representative: to work with the community of Dublin-Central in improving the quality of life for as many constituents as possible.”
From 2005 a flyer for an Irish Anti War Movement event. A protest march and Peace concert as part of the ‘US Military Out of Shannon’ campaign. Artists advertised for the day included The Revs, Jimi Cullen, The Chapters, Pete Courtney, Cypher, Dermot Byrne, 22, Idle Hands and Mark O’Connor.
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 ‘
Something that reflects one of the changes in Ireland in the last twenty years.
A Fine Gael membership form in Lithuanian.
My Lituanian wouldn’t be great so I’m at a loss as to what it says. (I guess Endas not fluent either so it could be saying anything about him)
In other words…
Tai, kas atspindi vienas iš Airijos pokyčiai per pastaruosius dvidešimt metų. Fine Gael “narystė formą lietuvių kalba.
Mano Lietuviški neturėtų būti didelis, kad aš ne kaip į praradimą, ką ji sako. (I guess Endas negali laisvai arba kad ji galėtų būti pasakyti nieko apie jį)
From the 1997 Presidential Election, Fine Gael candidate Mary Banotti. Mary Banotti polled almost 30% of the vote in a contest won by Mary McAleese. In the wake of Mary Robinsons success, of the five candidate (an unprecedented number) four were women, Dana, Mary McAleese, Adi Roche and Mary Banotti with Derek Nally the sole male candidate.
Mary Banotti had both tradition, being in the Michael Collins bloodline and a career of caring to do well. Also even in 1997 it was unusual for a politician to announce they were separated.
A selection of posters from the Irish Anti Apartheid Movement. The address on the posters is that of Kader Asmal , co founder of the IAAM, who later became a minister in South Africas first post apartheid government. The IAAM were founded in 1963 and continued until the early 1990s.
(the following is from a speech made by Louise Asmal about the Irish Anti Apartheid Movement)
“We had very little funding that we did not raise ourselves – and here I should pay tribute to the many musicians who sang for us at concerts, and often turned down lucrative offers to tour South Africa as well. Poets like Seamus Heaney read for us, Sean O’Casey and Samuel Beckett were among the first signatories of a list of playwrights who refused to allow their plays to be performed in South Africa.
But of course it was the sports boycott which aroused the most passion and the most controversy. (1969-’70 Springbok rugby tour – 8000).
In 1984 Mary Manning, a young trade unionist working in a supermarket in Dublin, refused to register the sale of an Outspan grapefruit. She and 10 others who supported her were suspended, and went on strike for three and a half years. For those three and a half years we organized a Saturday picket outside the store, but management refused to respond to our letters and refused to meet us. In 1987 the Irish Government imposed sanctions on South African fruit and produce.”
You will see ‘Outspan’ and ‘Cape’ fruit refered to in one of the posters below.
Irish Election Literature 
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