SubSubseries 2 - Labour Party 1980s

12 files

Material in this subsubseries relates to the Labour party in the 1980s and Mary Robinson (MR)'s membership of the party until November 1985. It consists of 12 files, the first four of which cover general correspondence in chronological order (P143/2/1/2/1-4). Subsequent folders include material relating to the general election in 1981 (P143/2/1/2/5); The Labour Party Lawyers Group (P143/2/1/2/6); The Labour Party Environment Committee (P143/2/1/2/7); The Labour Party Economic Policy Committee (P143/2/1/2/8); Labour Women's Council Conference (P143/2/1/2/9); Labour party conferences 1982-1985 (P143/2/1/2/10); policy papers, conference programmes and reports (P143/2/1/2/11); newspaper cuttings including in relation to MR's decision to resign from the Labour party in 1985 (P143/2/1/2/12).

MR successfully ran as a Labour candidate in 1981, following her defeat in the General Election, in 1982 (where she topped the poll) and in 1983, all on the Dublin University Panel (see P143/2/2/1). In November 1985, she resigned from the Labour party as a matter of principle because of how she felt the Unionist community in Northern Ireland was treated and excluded during the Anglo-Irish Agreement consultations and negotiations [see P143/2/3/8].

[Archivist's note: A Seanad election takes place up to 90 days after Dáil Éireann [lower house of Irish parliament] has dissolved. This means that the new Dáil has assembled before the Seanad election takes place. Often candidates who were unsuccessful in the general election who were eligible to run for the Seanad, would do so, or would get nominated as part of the Taoiseach's nominees. (Forty-nine of the Seanad’s 60 members are elected and 11 are nominated by the Taoiseach.) Of the 49 elected members, 43 are elected from panels of candidates representing specified vocational interests. The remaining 6 members are elected by university graduates of certain universities. MR was elected through the Dublin University [Trinity College Dublin] panel to one of 3 panel seats.]

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11/02/2025
11/02/2025