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Political nostalgia
Maybe Labour should canvass with donkeys ... it worked in the 1940s
It couldn’t hurt the party’s popularity rating.
DONKEYS ARE GREAT.
Mary and Joseph knew it. Shrek knew it.
And James Tunney knew it. The former Labour politician was elected to the Dáil in 1943, following a successful campaign that featured a donkey named Pansey.
The below photo features Patrick Murphy (in the top hat) out canvassing for Tunney and his Labour running mates in Dublin.
The TD lost his seat the following year, but we’re sure it wasn’t Pansey’s fault.
Tunney also served in the Seanad for seven terms.
His son, Jim, was a Fianna Fáil TD for the Dublin North West constituency for 23 years, from 1969-1992. He also served as the capital’s Lord Mayor from 1984-1985.
We’ll leave the final word to another donkey, with a line that could easily have been uttered on the campaign trail:
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