As ever, these national issues were only part of the election campaign, with local issues deciding many seats up and down the country, a fact of which outgoing Kerry South TD John B Healy was obviously acutely aware. On 27 May 1944, Healy, a solicitor, placed an advert in The Kerryman newspaper, which purported to come from pensioner 'Sean Phaddy Sheamus'. It read:

"Just a few lines from a simple, plain countryman. I am only asking you to do what I am going to do myself next Tuesday and that is to walk six miles to the school and give my number one to John Healy. My story is not a long one. I am 76 and up to last August was only getting seven shillings old-age pension. All because I had the grass of four cows and six or seven sheep. Over five years, my case was taken up by two TDs, but I got nothing. John Healy was only six weeks in the Dail when I got my 10 shillings. He will do for any pensioner what he did for me.

And pensioners, don't forget him next Tuesday."

They didn't. Healy's vote increased from 5,323 votes one year earlier to 6,526 in 1944 and he was elected on the first count, no doubt thanks to his innovative campaign strategy. During his campaign speeches, Healy had reminded his constituents that Fine Gael, in its previous incarnation as Cumann na n Gaedheal, had taken a shilling off the old-age pension and that Fianna Fail had subsequently restored that shilling.

The world may have been at war, but in Ireland the politician who could deliver the extra shilling or three to the pensioner had a headstart come election time. Sixty years on, only the amounts have changed.