Election rewind / A look back at 1973

Some things change, some things stay the same


Anton McNulty

Over the last number of years several changes have taken place with the way elections are run, but some time history has a habit of repeating itself in politics. The General Election in 1973 is an example of how things never change in Irish politics and the issues and arguments of the day are not too dissimilar to the current election.
After 16 years of uninterrupted power incorporating three Taoisigh, Eamon De Valera, SeΡn Lemass and Jack Lynch, the Fianna FΡil leader called a snap election after experiencing internal conflict in his party. The election was to take place on February 28, and in a bid to overthrow the government, Fine Gael and Labour joined forces with the promise of a National Government.
Fine Gael were led by Liam Cosgrove, who was leader since 1965, but his leadership was under threat by the younger more social democratic elements of the party led by Garret Fitzgerald.
Knowing their majority was at risk, Fianna FΡil knew their best chances of survival was to attack the coalition partners head on and try to undermine their policies. Sound familiar?
In the West Mayo constituency, Fianna FΡil took a out a full page ad in The Mayo News under the headline ‘What do they expect you to believe?’
They then posed several questions which would not look out of place in the upcoming election. These included: ‘- that Fine Gael, which fought its leader over the recent law and order legislation, is now united behind him?’; ‘- that Fine Gael/Labour can pull more than £70,000,000 out of the hat without drastic tax increases?’; and ‘- that either party, without experience in government for 16 years, can guide the country in these difficult and dangerous times?’
It concluded with ‘They can’t be serious. Show them what you think next Wednesday.’
Sadly for Fianna FΡil the people did ‘show them’ and their two sitting TDs, Michael Moran and Joe Leneghan lost their seats. Fine Gael’s Myles Staunton topped the poll and joined his party colleague Henry Kenny and Fianna FΡil’s Denis Gallagher in the DΡil.
Fine Gael’s Director of Elections, Frank Durcan said: “The result emphasises the fact that Fine Gael is giving the people the type of representation that Fianna FΡil has failed to give them over the years.”
Is history about to repeat itself?