The local government elections to Westmeath County Council have thrown up a "first" this year, with four of its members having already been elected.
For the first time there will be no contest in one of the local electoral areas, Kilbeggan, which returns four members to the council.
That is because no one came forward to contest the seats held by the four candidates, Joe Flanagan of Fine Gael, Michael Ryan and Tom Crowley of Fianna Fail and Labour's Mark Nugent.
The four sitting members were automatically returned when there were no other candidates, but far from being delighted they have mixed emotions about what has happened.
Joe Flanagan says he is bitterly disappointed, while Mark Nugent says he would prefer to have been beaten than to have no contest at all.
The fact that the men would not have to contest the election only emerged on May 22nd when nominations closed for the contest. By that time the four had been out canvassing for over a month.
All of the members were concerned that there did not appear to be any interest, especially among young people, in going forward in local politics.
The Westmeath contest has seen yet another TD, Fianna Fail's Henry Abbott, announce his resignation from the council. He said the pressure of business had meant he would not be going forward.
And while Westmeath County Council is the only one in the State to have a woman manager, only one woman is seeking a seat on the council.
She is Betty Doran and she wants to rectify the situation whereby there was no woman on the outgoing council following the resignation of Helena Ennis in 1990.
The issue of an accident and emergency unit for St Vincent's Hospital in Athlone is a major issue in the southern end of the county, where 13 candidates are seeking seven seats.
One of the candidates running here is local solicitor Mark Cooney, a son of the former minister and MEP Mr Paddy Cooney.
Running for Fianna Fail is entertainer Tom Allen, who is better known to the public as "T.R. Dallas". The Moate-based performer and promoter is expected to do well at the polls.
In all, a total of 46 candidates will be putting their names forward, 39 of them seeking county council seats; 14 of them will be seeking nine seats on Mullingar Town Commissioners.
In the new Mullingar East electoral area will be former Progressive Democrat member and current town commissioner, Pat Whelan, who is standing for Fine Gael.
Two brothers, Labour TD Willie Penrose and his brother John, a Ballynacargy-based publican, are seeking council seats in an attempt to solidify Labour's base in the area.
Other representatives from the Oireachtas seeking local approval from the electorate are Deputy Paul McGrath of Fine Gael and Senator Camillus Glynn.