A number of by-elections around the country brought Jackie into active Fianna Fail politics in the sixties. The first was in the winter of 1966 following the death of Kerry South FF Deputy Honor Crowley, of Killarney. After a barn-storming campaign, John O’Leary retained the seat for FF which he was to hold for 31 years. The late Neil Blaney, a leading FF director of elections at the time, soon spotted the Kilgarvan man’s flair and, as a result, Jackie was also involved in memorable by-elections in other parts of the country including counties Limerick, Galway and Cork. In those days, election campaigns were focussed on direct contact with people (rather than through the media as is now the case) and rallies attended by thousands of supporters were seen as essential to successful campaigns. Jackie became expert at the razzmatazz of the hustings and at organising rallies, bonfires and postering. Torch-lit parades that would light up a town on a bleak winter night were also an intrinsic part of such campaigns. "There would be massive crowds at these rallies a few days before an election," Jackie recalls. The torch-lit processions lifted the morale of the Fianna Fáil foot soldiers and showed power. The idea was to convey the message to voters was that Fianna Fáil was the strongest and best organised party.