Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- Twentieth Century (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
Paper, ink. 62.5 x 43.5 cm
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Archival history
03/08/2011
Content and structure area
Scope and content
John Gormley election poster for the Green Party. Has the text 'Others promise the moon only we guarantee the earth!' in black and green. Shows a black and white picture of the view of earth from the moon and one of John Gormley.
The Irish Green Party was founded in 1981 as the Ecology Party, changing its name to the Green Party in 1987. This poster is from the 1989 general election, the first time that the party used pictures of the candidates; they had been wary of the ‘cult of personality’ in politics. That’s why the picture of the earth is the same size as the picture of the candidate. The Greens did much better than anyone expected in the election, but no one in the party had much political acumen, so they only won one seat. John Gormley was eventually elected to Dublin City Council in 1991, served as Lord Mayor from 1994-95, and later led the party in a coalition with Fianna Fáil.