Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
A RENUA TD’S general election posters are already up on lampposts in parts of north Dublin in violation of strict rules that they cannot be erected until the election is called.
Terence Flanangan has erected dozens of posters around the constituency of Dublin Bay North with a small advertisement for a public meeting this Wednesday in Howth.
While such posters are permitted, the adverse weather in recent days has in some cases washed off stickers with details of the meeting.
This has revealed that these are actually official election posters, urging people to ‘Vote No. 1′ for Terence Flanagan:
The erection of such posters is strictly forbidden until the polling order has been signed by the Minister for the Environment and the general election campaign officially gets under way.
A Renua spokesperson said that the Flanagan had permission to erect posters for the political meeting and said the former Fine Gael TD is “double-checking” in case there are any posters that do not comply with regulations.
“He is currently investigating posters that do not comply with the regulations,” the spokesperson said.
Flanagan did not respond to a request for comment. Some of his other posters have been almost completely blown away by the heavy winds:
Candidates can face fines of between €100 and €150 from the local authority for illegally erecting posters outside the official election period.
Dublin Bay North-based Labour councillor Brian McDonagh said the fact stickers had washed off was “no big deal” but said it was the “the danger of cheekily using election posters for meeting announcements”.
In view of Renua’s pronouncements some people might expect a different behaviour. The rules are there and vote no 1 posters shouldn’t really go up until the Dáil gets dissolved, not even if they have a meeting announcement over the vote message.
With the general election expected to be announced as early as tomorrow, candidates up and down the country have been tweeting pictures of posters being readied for erection:
Others have already put their posters up but stayed inside the rules by using constituents’ gardens and frontyards:
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
what “strict rules” ? you mean the ones with the MAAAAAAAAAAASIIVE loopholes in them that say if it’s a private ad in a bus shelter you can do what you want? and can put election posters up if you are calling for a “PUBLIC MEETING” (wink….WIIIIIINK). Please.
We should just get rid of these posters totally. Have the advertising limited to one infomercial on tv that explains the parties policies. What an eyesore and huge waste of money they are.
Agreed 100% During the last presidential election one of the few things Sean Gallagher got right was a poster-less campaign. I was hoping it would start a new trend but alas our potential TDs still want to make it look like Facebook got sick all over our towns and cities.
Seen these so called meeting posters with their stickers off today idiot terrance has problems with authority and rules why fine gael got rid of him why would any one else trust him if fine gael who are austerity incompent cronies dont want him
That Terence Flanagan can get nothing right. Between plagiarising speeches, not being interviewed well on TV, and now this. He should consider a change of career.
After this election Aoife, I don’t he’ll have any choice lol
Yep another one I won’t be voting for.
Poor auld Terence is wasting his time and money ,he was well insulated in FG but now is on his own and will get gobbled by 19 other candidates in DBN .
Hope by now after his radio interview crash he will have a better knowledge of what that new Bible Belt party is all about .
They need posters to remind us who they are because you don’t see them for years after they get elected.
I can’t remember the last time a TD rather than a lacky called to my door and then it was because they were looking for my vote NOT my opinion or need.
Agree @Aoife. The sooner the better.
Love how the Journal have no problems contacting politicians for comments on every trivial matter going such as a few posters, but won’t put any serious questions to them.
On Saturday I saw FG candidate posters up along the (Dublin) Navan Rd. Seems that the race has already begun to secure position on the lampposts, whatever about the Dail.
I wonder what percentage of the electorate are swayed by these eysores
Almost all unfortunately Jimmy. Can guarantee you that over 95% of the TDs who get elected will have erected multiple posters. It won’t be the reason they get elected, but very, very few if any will get in having rub a poster less campaign.
I guess premature erection is better than premature ejaculation.
One is a lot harder than the other
And with that he is a wan*er
Ah cum on down with that sort of thing. Poor auld FG agent Hugh cant hold back.
These posters should just be banned the big boys with the money can afford them if they put more time and effort into canvassing and working hard people might have some respect for them
I agree, I hate election time, and mostly for that reason. They are such an eye sore, and do not sway me in my decision of who to vote for.
There are Photoshopped Joe Costello ones all over Stonybatter Dublin 7 for some “meeting”. He ain’t that skinny, and his wrinkles have been airbrushed out… Otherwise it’s a picture from 15 years ago
Same with Joanna Tuffy her picture I ex at least 15 years old, she looks nothing like her election posters in the flesh.
Tuffy’s posters are hilarious – it’s like a totally different person.
Jeez lads you’re all on fire….its like reading a Carry On script…
O Matron!
With a bit of luck the wind will keep up for the next few weeks and take all these posters away
You wouldn’t say that if you were hit by one, they are lethally sharp plastic.
I remain mystified as to the point of election posters that say nothing about policies.
Facial recognition. Undecided voters on election day will often vote for a familiar face over an unknown one.
Would you vote for a guy that cannot get this basic requirement right?
Being forced to see LUCINDA CRETlNOUS face staring at you where ever you go in your locality…
That’s got to be a human rights violation of some kind… Where’s the ECHR when you actually need them?
These posters ruin the countryside and can be a danger because the interfere with line of sight at crossroads etc…
f@ck off renua.
Premature erection haha wont be the last time he will have one
I’ll just do a sarcastic smile now…
Enda is taking the piss out of us with this election announcement. The people are being led up the garden path. He should not be allowed to do this, the date should have been announced weeks ago
It was Ron. 26th Feb.
Don’t worry Terry…
It’s common amongst most men, so she tells me anyway.
Seen a Murphy and fae poster this morning!!!
Paul Murphy just does what he wants
He’s always at that. Didn’t he get fined for it last time out?
Kiss my behind
Kiss my behind dodo
All fine should go to a charity. Simple take a picture and claim the money for the charity from the council or the person on the picture.
Get Flanagan on the radio again that interview he done a while back was fookin gas!!!
Here it is :) https://youtu.be/TZqRZ8D800A
Instead of these eyesores could they not just have a constitutional fund paid into by the candidates (the larger the Party the more they pay) which is used for billboard or bus stop ad space in the 2 weeks leading up to the election. One poster with all the candidates listed on it in alphabetical order. A photo of the candidates, their party, a short mission statement and their social media or website url.
And what do they intend on renewing? 18th century Catholic Ireland maybe.
8th century more like.
I wouldn’t vote for that holly and Ivey party can’t stand that Luciea one
Pretty sure I seen posters up in Mayo too from reneua
Saw a labour billboard today. Whilst it didnt say vote labour it was definitely an election poster. Had a few names on it.
A false start!
Did you mentioned STRICT LAWS ?
And the thing is that it’s us the taxpayers that pay for these “meetings” posters, I’d love that for myself, free advertising for my business and all you guys can foot the bill.
Terence Flanagan- I’m lost for words!
I just got a canvasser for Billy Timmins, Renua at the door. Is that also illegal since an election hasn’t been called yet?
I got one too last week in the post to “vote no 1″ for Marc McSharry, was wondering same thing?
Tina .Marc Mc Sharry is especially appealing for the women’s vote !!!
I want one for my bedroom lol.
Sure look at the publicity they’re getting now with this article. Well worth a €150 slap on the wrist I’d imagine.
Unfortunately, posters will be around for a long time to come. Simple reason being the venerable poster war is endemic of the mindset of local politicians in this country. Lets just say, one of the big political party’s made a decision way up top that they wouldn’t be providing posters for any of their candidates. for a start, there would be absolute uproar among the backbenchers, especially those who are more rurally based. Put simply, if your average rural Fianna Fail TD had posters, it would be unconscionable for the average rural Fine Gael TD in the same constituency to not have their own posters in the exact same places.
Posters are representative of the worst side of Irish politics. A good example would be Deirdre Clune’s posters in the 2014 European Election. She promoted herself as the “Cork Candidate” although the constituency was “Ireland South” spanning from Wicklow to Killarney. However Deirdre Clunes posters in Cork were the FG style but had red and white as the background colours as opposed to the usual FG blue and white. That kind of arrogance and focusing on the local is plain disgusting and symbolic of the worst of Irish politics
Surely in this day and age a dedicated website would give the electorate all the information they need on each candidate and the lies they wish to tell us. Thes posters are eyesores and in some cases an obstruction when coming out of junctions. That said if you are into growing veg, they make great winter covers for your raised beds. I asked my local TD John Perry for some a number of years back, old ones that could not be refused and I was given a positive answer but never any posters, seems they favour landfill sites over recycling.
Don’t worry Jho Harris, John Perry lies to everybody, not just you.
Renuad sense of audacity
Kathleen Lynch had posters up last week in Mayfield Cork . You can bet that no action will be taken against them .
Is erection the right word to be used?
Yes it is….it’s in relation to a knob.
At least they won’t get many up in this wind lol.
I see no problem with this at all, people just want to kick up a fuss, to complain for the sake of it.
Grow up.
Must be hard for you when your not even old enough to vote or by the tone of ur trolling still not even have hit puberty yet…..be brave
Peter Burke fine gael, his posters up round mullingar.
Fine Gael have been out canvassing in my area since last week..! #ge2016
TDs. No apostrophe. ?
It’s a possessive. The premature election poster belongs to the TD.
Derek Nolan of Labour has them up in Galway for last 3 weeks but methinks he’ll need more than posters!
I vote in order of candidates with the least posters
There’s a reason why he has the moniker Terry F**kwit. Or so I’m told, allegedly
Nothing compared to FF Senator Darragh O’Brien who has billboard sized posters on every main road in North County Dublin for the last week blatantly urging people to “vote no 1″
Going around with premature erections…Not the best way to run a campaign.
Posters advertising a public meeting are permitted but can not be erected on poles, trees, windows etc. They can only be erected on an advertising structure . It is up to each individual local authority to enforce these rules. Some do but the majority do not.
have your say