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Retrospective

Three years on, here are the most memorable images of the 2011 election campaign

This time three years ago Ireland was in the middle of one of the most dramatic general elections the country has ever seen. Remember all these memorable moments from the campaign?
9.25am, 25 Feb 2014
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IT’S THREE YEARS since the country went to the polls in a historic general election that reshaped Irish politics in a way never seen before.

At the end of a gruelling campaign for all involved, Fianna Fáil was no longer the largest party in the country for the first time since the foundation of the State and Fine Gael and Labour were elected to government on the promise of a ‘democratic revolution’.

During the campaign itself, we had Fine Gaelpushing their 5 Point Plan in front of every camera they could find, Labour optimistically touting their ‘Gilmore for Taoiseach’ posters, Fianna Fáil trying to paper over the cracks in the party and a raft of Independents offering a ‘a real alternative’.

Take a look back at the best photographs of the campaign here and share your memories on Twitter using the #ge11memories hashtag:

Three years on, here are the most memorable images of the 2011 election campaign
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  • Enda on the campaign trail

    Source: Julien Behal/PA Wire

  • Getting the shoe leather ready

    Source: Julien Behal/PA Wire

  • The voting register

    Source: Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland

  • Watch the face

    Source: Julien Behal/PA Wire

  • It started there

    Source: Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland

  • The strangest protest you've ever seen

    Source: Julien Behal/PA Wire

  • THAT picture of Eoghan Murphy

    Source: Naoise Culhane/Maxwells

  • Who doesn't love brains?

    Source: Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland

  • Micheal Martin throws a few punches

    Source: Julien Behal/PA Wire

  • The first leaders' debate

    Source: Julien Behal/PA Wire

  • Stopped before they could get going

    Source: Gavan Reilly

  • Joe Higgins and his poster

    Source: Julien Behal/PA Wire

  • Facing the media

    Source: Julien Behal/PA

  • Enda Kenny with the big mo'

    Source: AP Photo/Peter Morrison

  • Who said you should never work with children?

    Source: Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland

  • On the home straight

    Source: Niall Carson/PA Wire

  • Down with the kids

    Source: Eamonn Farrell/Photocall Ireland

Note: this post was originally published on 19 February 2012, to mark the first anniversary of the general election.

FLASHBACK: “Paddy likes to know what the story is” – Ireland’s Taoiseach-in-waiting promises to tell the truth

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