Local area profileBuoyed by a strong result in Westmeath in the last general election, and further encouraged by anti-Government sentiment in opinion polls, both Fine Gael and Labour are bullish about their prospects of ending Fianna Fáil control of the County Council for the first time in almost 20 years.
In 1999, it was just 64 votes in Athlone that swung the balance of power on the local authority as Fianna Fáil's Egbert Moran edged out Fine Gael's Joe Whelan in a cliff-hanger finish. The result gave the larger party a majority of just one in the chamber, and activists from all parties say the margin will be just as tight this time.
Athlone, where Fianna Fáil holds five of the seven seats and Fine Gael has two, will again be a key battleground. All the sitting councillors are seeking re-election.
But Fianna Fáil has also added to the ticket Frankie Keena, a strongly tipped town councillor who has been canvassing for two years.
Fine Gael expects to make a gain through Whelan, whose loss in 1999 was put down to poor vote management and the placing of an extra party candidate in the field, most likely at the expense of Tom Allen (FF), better known as "T.R. Dallas".
The Labour Party, which took 25.8 per cent of votes in the county in 1999, is eyeing a seat for Denis Rohan, an Athlone-based trade union official. Like Fine Gael, Labour is hoping that the fading influence Mary O'Rourke will benefit the party in the town.
Even the smallest swing against Fianna Fáil could leave the party's P.J. Coghill, Kieran Molloy, Kevin "Boxer" Moran and Egbert Moran (no relation) battling hard for three seats.
The other key battleground is Mullingar West, where the departure of three Oireachtas members due to the dual mandate ban and the retirement of Tom Bourke (FF),has generated uncertainty.
Labour's poll-topper Willie Penrose TD has his brother, Johnny, running in his place, Fianna Fáil Senator Camillus Glynn has handed his seat to his son, Ken, while Fine Gael TD Paul McGrath has co-opted party colleague Shay Boyhan. All three are expected to be returned, leaving two seats - one belonging to Labour and one to Fianna Fáil - up for grabs.
Labour is putting on a major push to hold onto the second seat of Betty Doran and to pull a third in Detty Cornally, president of the Mullingar Shamrocks GAA Club. Public anger over the Government's failure to complete the second phase of the Longford Westmeath Hospital in Mullingar is expected to work in Labour's favour, as is dissatisfaction over the provision of local sporting and recreational facilities.
Fianna Fáil believes that any gains by Labour over the Government's unpopularity will be eroded by the loss of Willie Penrose's personal vote, leaving the breakdown of seats as they are.
Fine Gael is also targeting a seat in Mullingar West through Fintan Cooney, a brother of former MEP Paddy Cooney, and Peter Burke (21), a student from a well-known local farming family.
Labour is running a record 12 candidates in the county - one more than Fine Gael - and is hoping to make a gain in Coole where Adrian Murray, a prominent GAA administrator and retired psychiatric nurse, has strong credentials.
The sitting combination of Paddy Hill (FF), Patrick O'Shaughnessy (FF) and Frank McDermott (FG) are favourites to maintain the status quo, however.
Kilbeggan has not seen an election since 1991 after its four councillors were elected unopposed last time round. Few surprises are expected on June 11th.
Mullingar East - with two Labour seats and one each for Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael - is expected to remain unchanged in terms of party share. However, there could be a new face or two on the Council with Denis Leonard, a schoolteacher who was prominent in a campaign to stop the development of a landfill in Killucan, challenging the poll-topping Labour councillor Mick Dollard, and party colleague Dan McCarthy. Fianna Fáil has Denis Coyne, a publican and GAA administrator who is credited by Donie Cassidy TD (FF) with "bringing Páidí Ó Sé to Westmeath", searching for a second seat with Cllr Jim Bourke.
Fine Gael is confident Pat McLoughlin will be re-elected. The smaller parties are expected to be shut out of the council.