Irish Election Literature

… what you maybe meant to keep…

1997- Bertie- “A Young Leader for a Young Country” ‘..in politics only to serve the people’ October 25, 2009

Filed under: Bertie,Fianna Fail — irishelectionliterature @ 5:50 pm
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“A Young Leader for a Young Country” who on the inside of this doc is  “A New Leader for a New Century”. The profile of Bertie “.. he is in politics only to serve the people” and other plaudits that in hindsight ring hollow.

This was one of a series of leaflets for the 1997 election produced by Fianna Fail. Some were on Crime, some on Drugs, some on Job creation and so on. The fact that there was a whole leaflet dedicated to their leader shows how much they played on ordinary Bertie who is in touch with the people. He was that important to them.

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Berties Newsletter 1993 October 23, 2009

Filed under: Bertie,Dublin Central,Fianna Fail — irishelectionliterature @ 4:52 pm
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Berties Newsletter from around 1993 I think. Its some production and really illustrates the image on the ground as the person who gets jobs done. Literally every road in the area has had a problem addressed at Berties behest.

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Mairead Duchon- Tax Reform League- Dublin South 1987

Filed under: Dublin South,Tax Reform League — irishelectionliterature @ 9:16 am
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1987 and the tax burden on the PAYE worker was massive. The tax rates for PAYE workers were 40% and 65%.
Even after the tax marches of the 70s and 80s there was still a major issue in that sectors of society such as the self-emplyed/farmers and the super rich were able to avoid paying tax. In hindsight, we also know now of the non resident accounts, Ansbacher and so on.
As far as I’m aware, The Tax Reform League only fielded candidates in one general election and may not have been registered as a party at the time.
Their call to arms failed to excite the electorate with none of their candidates being elected. Mairead Duchon polled 1,253 votes.
From the records I have a second TRL candidate, Padraig O’Neill, may have stood in the constituency also, without much success either.

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Catherine Murphy , Michael Enright -Workers Party- Leinster 1989 Euro Elections October 21, 2009

Filed under: Euro Elections,Workers Party — irishelectionliterature @ 3:31 pm
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There were high hopes that both Michael Enright and Catherine Murphy could put down a marker for future Dail progress. A General election was held on the same day and it was hoped that their candidacy in the Euro Elections would give them a boost.
Although the Workers Party vote increased from 1984s Euro Election, both candidates lost their deposits with a combined 4.38% of the vote.
In the General election Enrights vote actually fell, whilst Murphys 1,520 vote was decent enough in the circumstances (An ‘Army Wives’ candidate, Carol Tiernan also stood in Kildare polling 2,690 votes, some of which would have gone to Murphy).

The thorny issue of party policy towards Farmers must have also had an impact on the vote. “Reorganisation of Agricultural production…”
wasn’t the policy to have rural voters flocking to the party. Also we had another new party ‘Logo’.

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Royston Brady Fianna Fail – Dublin 2004 -‘Missing- Can you help?’

Filed under: Euro Elections,Fianna Fail — irishelectionliterature @ 2:04 pm
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The 2004 European Elections and Fianna Fail have high hopes that Berties boy Royston Brady may help win a second seat for the party.
A popular Lord Mayor Brady was seen as having a great chance and opinion polls early in the campaign had him winning a seat……..

…then came a series of gaffes in interviews.. among them, being unable on a number of occasions to name the new countries joining the EU and also a claim that his fathers Taxi was stolen and used as a getaway car by the loyalists who bombed Dublin in 1974.
From hogging the limelight he suddenly went off the airwaves with a number of weeks left in the campaign. … This poster was seen around Dublin at the time.

Royston Brady Missing Poster

 

Labour Party 1969 GE- ‘Instructions to drivers on polling day’ October 19, 2009

Filed under: Labour Party — irishelectionliterature @ 10:20 pm
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This is fantastic, gives a glimpse of domestic life in the late 60s as well as warning the many many pitfalls that may arise.
At the time too not that many had cars, so the Driver was a very important figure at election time, especuially in rural areas.

Yet You’d think that giving lifts to voters was a simple enough matter…….
Its full of handy tips
“Try to have your car as clean as possible….. do not take any alcohol while polling is in progress”
“…Encourage the women to vote early as this will leave the men free in the evening… ”
and of course “Don’t forget to vote yourself!”

ILP1969
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Michael Quinn -‘Independent For Life ‘-Dun Laoghaire 1992 October 16, 2009

Filed under: Dun Laoghaire,Independent,Right Wing Catholic — irishelectionliterature @ 10:49 am
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Michael Quinn was a pro- life Independent who later ran for the National Party. He polled over 1700 first preferences in the Dun Laoghaire 92 election.
He later became involved with the Democratic Right Movement.

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Alan Shatter – ‘Star Trek’ 2007 October 14, 2009

Filed under: Dublin South,Fine Gael — irishelectionliterature @ 9:24 pm
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From 2007, one of the most bizarre leaflets I’ve seen. Alan Shatter dressed up (or photoshoped) in Star Trek gear.
Comparing himself to William Shatner and lots more besides…. Shatter regained the seat he had lost in 2002. (his record at electionsireland.org)

Funnily enough William Shatners middle name is Alan, William Alan Shatner.
Alan Shatter ….Alan Shatner … Its a pity Alan Shatters not younger , otherwise there would be a chance that he was named Alan as a tribute to the Star Trek Actor!
I’ve pared down the size but given the amount of colour involved the images are still big.

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Vision, With Purpose -Fine Gael 2002 October 12, 2009

Filed under: Fine Gael — irishelectionliterature @ 9:42 pm
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Saw this and it bought back memories of the 2002 election, when Fine Gael were decimated.  Each house would have got this in the run up to the election. I can visualize Michael Noonan saying ‘I want to see our public services become the envy of Europe’…..
… and wasn’t “Vision, With Purpose” one of the worst slogans ever.
So whilst Fine Gael had Michael Noonan witha shocking slogan, Fianna Fail had the blue eyed Bertie with ‘A lot done, more to do’

noonan2002

 

Alan Shatter -Dublin South 1987 October 11, 2009

Filed under: Dublin South,Fine Gael — irishelectionliterature @ 3:41 pm
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Not quite the fancy stuff he produces now!  At least it was a proper ‘Sorry I missed you’ rather than the pre printed ones we get now.

shatter87

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Thank You – Conor Lenihan 2002 October 10, 2009

Filed under: Fianna Fail — irishelectionliterature @ 3:42 pm
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A  ‘Thank You’ card arrives on the doorstep…. you open it to see who is thanking you…. Conor Lenihans mug pops out.

len02taa

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Support Palestine Demo for Ireland vs Israel game in 2005 October 9, 2009

Filed under: Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign,protest — irishelectionliterature @ 11:03 pm
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4th of June 2005 and Ireland take on Israel at soccer, a two all draw which costs us dearly in our qualification hopes for the World Cup. This leaflet was to advertise a protest and ways to protest at the game.
The leaflet was issued by the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign.

paldemoa

paldemob

 

Eric Byrnes Lotto -Local Elections 2004 October 8, 2009

Filed under: Dublin South Central,Labour Party — irishelectionliterature @ 9:41 am
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Eye catching leaflet from Eric Byrne on house prices and the money being made by developers . It made a lot of sense at the time . Although what those houses are worth now is anyones guess.

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Frank Dobbs -Progressive Democrat Sligo-Leitrim 1987 October 7, 2009

Filed under: Progressive Democrat,Sligo/Leitrim Independent Socialist Organisation — irishelectionliterature @ 3:42 pm
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Frank Dobbs flyer from 1987 in Sligo Leitrim.  The text is as corny as you’ll get.
What’s unusual is that four years later in the 1991 Local elections Frank Dobbs stood for Declan Brees Sligo-Leitrim Independent Socialist Organisation.
Some conversion….

 

Frank Aiken- Progressive Democrats- Louth 1989 October 2, 2009

Filed under: Progressive Democrat — irishelectionliterature @ 7:27 am
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In the 1987 General Election aside from the TDs, Senators and councillors with a Fianna Fail background the PDs also had a number of candidates whos fathers were ex Fianna Fail Ministers. Amongst them Anne Colley and Martin Gibbons were both elected.
One who stood but wasn’t elected was Frank Aiken in Louth. This is his 1989 manifesto.
FrankAik

 

Two Leaflets from Martin MacFeorais -Independent -1987 Dublin South October 1, 2009

Filed under: Dublin South,Independent — irishelectionliterature @ 2:45 pm
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“….we are assailed from many quarters, and by determined individuals advancing their own sectional interest to our detriment…”
Ring a bell? a good deal of this could be applied to today.
I just like the design of these two leaflets, the mother carrying her shopping with a boy and girl either side, the warm greeting ‘Dia bhur mbeatha’ and even the colurs are unusual for election flyers.
Martin MacFeorais polled 107 votes.

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Fianna Fail February 1982 – ‘Nail the Lies’ leaflet September 23, 2009

Filed under: Fianna Fail — irishelectionliterature @ 5:41 pm
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A Nail the Lies leaflet from the Fianna Fail Feb 1982 campaign.Hitting out at Fine Gaels 1981 promises. Mentions the famous Vat on clothing and footwear that brought down that government.
Mention too of ‘housewives’… you wouldn’t get that today.
(click on image to make it larger)

 

Michael Lynch- Fianna Fail Meath 1987 September 22, 2009

Filed under: Fianna Fail — irishelectionliterature @ 9:55 am
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With Jim Fitzsimons staying in Europe. Colm Hilliard was the only sitting Fianna Fail TD to contest the 1987 General Election in Meath.
Hilliard, Former TD Michael Lynch and newcomers Mary Wallace and Noel Dempsey were on the Fianna Fail ticket.
Lynch topped the poll as Fianna Fail won three of the five seats with Colm Hilliard and Noel Dempsey joining him in the Dail.
In 1989 Lynch lost his seat pipped on the final count by party colleague Dempsey.
In that 1989 election on the first count just 723 votes separated the four Fianna Fail candidates.
Lynch was unlucky that the two Dail terms he served were short, one period was from February to November 1982 and the other from 1987 to 1989.