It is the curious case of the shrinking Fianna Fáil name and logo.

An analysis of various Fianna Fáil election posters down through the years, on display at the National Library and elsewhere, reveals just how small the logo, and the party's name, has been reduced in some cases during the current campaign.

One poster, thought to date from the late 1950s or early 1960s, proudly proclaims to young people that "Fianna Fáil has plans for you!"

It goes on to state the name Fianna Fáil no less than three times.

"We gave you New Houses, New Schools, Employment in Industry, Better Conditions," it states. "Fianna Fáil is going ahead."

Similarly, a poster from the late 1980s states simply "Callely Green Haughey", with the name Fianna Fáil emblazoned twice.

Last time around, Cllr Mary Fitzpatrick's election poster for Dublin Central included Fianna Fáil in large bold print at the bottom.

Her current poster, however, has a much smaller logo, with smaller print used to spell the Fianna Fáil name.

She is by no means alone among Fianna Fáil candidates, with reports of local councillors in particular seeking to appear as if they are almost independent election candidates.

The suggestion is that they wish to distance themselves from a hugely unpopular party, for fear of the impact on their election hopes.

A spokeswoman for Fianna Fáil acknowledges that "anecdotal evidence" suggests that some candidates are not abiding by a set of style guidelines issued to them in advance of the current campaign.

"There are nearly 800 candidates running for us, and they were all sent a style manual. We gave them a template which they could bring to the printer. The vast majority have used that style guide," she said. "It is really convenient and saves on the cost of design.

"The local-election candidates we have selected, and sitting councillors, would be very well known locally, so people know who they are and which party they represent."

She added that she could not say whether some candidates have been asked to explain the size of their logos to party HQ.