Longford local and European election fever cranks up a notch
Now that the Easter break is over it's full steam ahead for the local and European election campaigns.
Most candidates and parties have already been out on the canvass trail, but the campaign now goes into a higher gear as the final lead in to the elections gets underway.
Over the coming weeks there will be much jostling and grappling in a crowded local field of 39 candidates, and that's the figure to date.
When you consider that there are 18 Council seats to play for, it gives an indication of how keen the competition has the potential to be.
The local elections are of course something of a barometer for the national scene and political parties of all hues will be quick to point to the victories and gains, while playing down any notable losses.
However, because of their inherent nature they are a different beast to national elections in that most candidates are known in many cases on a personal basis by those they are asking to vote for them.
That can of course make defeat very hard to take for the incumbents and putative councillors.
That aside, it's an opportunity to air local issues. Five years ago water charges took centre stage with an angry public decrying them to all and sundry.
This time around, the climate facing politicians seem a little more temperate. Much has indeed changed since the last time the country went to the polls to vote locally in 2014.
Economically things have improved but that is not to say there aren't any inherent problems and issues. For many, the upturn has been unevenly spread.
In Longford, for example, many face the rigours of a daily commute out of the county for work. Broadband is a continuous bug bear, the sparsity of which continues to hold many areas back.
A good election campaign should air and discuss these issues.