Letters

Up with election posters

Cheap, colourful and democratic

Thu Aug 17 2023 - 00:10

Sir, – Kathy Sheridan is right (“Don’t bin election posters. They’re cheap, colourful and democratic”, Opinion & Analysis, August 16th).

An interesting point about election posters in referendum campaigns is their absence indicates when local parties aren’t following their own party position.

In Donegal South West in the 2015 marriage equality referendum, Sinn Féin had Yes posters everywhere and Fine Gael had them in their stronghold patches. Labour produced posters but didn’t have the resources to put them up, so donated them to us in the local action group, and I and others erected them in Dungloe and The Rosses.

Fianna Fáil in Donegal South West didn’t erect any, yet in the Dáil election the following year they had their candidate posters all up within a couple of days.

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Sometimes the absence of a poster tells a story too. – Yours, etc,

KENNETH HARPER,

Burtonport,

Co Donegal.

Sir, – I fully agree with Kathy Sheridan.

Growing up in Inchicore in the 1950s, election time was an exciting diversion from everyday life. I loved watching the posters being put up by the " ladder men”, one poster going higher than the other as the different parties and candidates fought for pole position. I remember waking one morning and seeing Eamon de Valera’s face staring at us from the top of the poles, having been elevated to prime position overnight. I enjoyed the “loudspeaker” cars cruising around the estates festooned with posters shouting out request for votes with promises of good times ahead if their candidate was elected. And then the lorries outside church on Sunday mornings after Mass when the pictures on the posters came to life as the candidates in person dressed to impress stood on the lorries, with megaphones in hand, surrounded by their supporters cheering every promise made. So for me it’s up with the posters and down with election technology. Remember the electronic voting machines. – Yours, etc,

BRENDAN WRIGHT,

Lucan,

Co Dublin.

A chara, – I agree with Kathy Sheridan. Since moving to Scotland, I have voted in two referendums, three UK general elections, Scottish parliament and council elections. In all that time, I have not seen a single election poster. They just don’t do them in Scotland. It’s not something I thought I’d miss, but I do – the posters, that is, maybe not all of the people on them! – Is mise,

JOE McLAUGHLIN,

Bonnyrigg,

Midlothian,

Scotland.

Sir, – Kathy Sheridan is quite correct in arguing for the importance of election posters, which are an important historic tradition and a key part of our political culture, which we should maintain.

One of the most famous, or infamous, election posters was that used by the nascent Sinn Féin party in the 1917 South Longford byelection which had the memorable slogan “Put him in to get him out”. This slogan helped elect Joe McGuinness, who at the time was in jail for his role in the Easter Rising, and hastened the demise of the Irish Parliamentary Party.

Well-designed election posters can also help spark an interest in politics by young people. The practice in some continental countries like France of having election posters on specific boards in town squares is anaemic and pedestrian, compared to the chaotic and exciting plastering of posters that we have here. – Yours, etc,

JOSEPH G O’HANLON,

Clontarf,

Dublin 3.