Jim Fitzsimons is seeking a fourth successive European elections victory, despite having a relatively low public profile in Ireland.
Born in Navan, he was elected to Meath County Council in 1974 and to the Dail three years later. He held his seat for 10 years before stepping down in 1987, and was Minister of State at the Department of Energy and Industry during the short-lived Fianna Fail government of 1982.
A former captain of the Meath football team, he is married and has one son and three daughters.
He came closest to losing his European seat in 1989 when, after an 11-hour recount, he held off Labour's Michael Bell by 125 votes. He is a member of the public health, consumer protection and petitions committees of the Parliament.
He enjoys huge personal support in Meath and surrounding areas, and has been most vocal on environmental issues like Sellafield, tabling numerous motions on issues such as shipments of radioactive substances and safety of nuclear reactors.
His father, Patrick Fitzsimons, was a member of the Seanad from 1948 to 1973. Mr Fitzsimons is 63.