He has been described as "Labour's last hope" in Tipperary South, but the responsibility rests easily on the shoulders of Denis Landy.
For many observers, the death of Mr Michael Ferris TD last year marked the end of Labour as a significant political force in the constituency in which it was founded. It had lost three of its four seats on Tipperary South County Council in the 1999 local elections and, in the by-election following Mr Ferris's death, Mr Seamus Healy and his colleagues in the Workers' and Unemployed Action Group confirmed its position as the dominant left-wing organisation in the constituency.
The only silver lining for Labour in the last few years has been Mr Landy's poll-topping performances in both county council and Carrick-on-Suir UDC elections. Yet he insists the party is strong constituency-wide and points out that it also holds Urban District Council seats in Tipperary town and Cashel.
He admits, however, that if Labour is to reassert itself in Tipperary South, it will have to regain lost ground in Clonmel, where Mr Healy easily won last year's by-election. "We do need to do well in Clonmel to get me over the line, and I am getting strong indications that the Labour vote in Clonmel is coming back."
Being seen as the man to rescue his party from oblivion in the constituency does not bother the 39-year-old former Eircom sales representative. "I don't see it as a responsibility. I see it as an honour to run for the Labour Party." Acknowledged as an articulate performer, he handles awkward questions effortlessly. Was he not bitter, for example, at being passed over for nomination for last year's by-election in favour of Mr Ferris's widow, Ellen?
"I didn't seek the nomination the last time," he replies. "I supported Ellen Ferris and she was unanimously selected.
"But my opportunity is now and I intend to grasp this opportunity as strongly as I can to ensure that Denis Landy will be a member of the Dail in the next few weeks." Like all the candidates, he says the state of the health service is a major issue in the campaign. Care of the elderly is another major concern.
"Elderly people themselves who don't need nursing home beds at the moment, but will need them, are particularly worried that when their time comes there won't be any bed for them or they won't be able to afford it.
"We seem to have moved from a situation where, when we weren't as wealthy as we are, the State was prepared to provide nursing home care by way of large geriatric hospitals, to one where we're extremely wealthy and services for the elderly have been completely forgotten." Considered the outsider of the candidates, he backed himself to win the election at "very good odds" of 12-1, but says "the odds are tightening on Denis Landy as this campaign continues".
In reality, though, would he not be satisfied with less than outright victory if he increased Labour's vote and gave himself a solid base from which to contest the next general election? He smiles before replying: "Denis Landy is the next TD for Labour in South Tipperary. The people of South Tipperary will decide when that will be. I believe it can be on the 1st of July. "This is the birthplace of Labour and I'm very proud of that fact. But I'm also very conscious that we haven't got a Dail deputy in the constituency for the first time in a long time and I intend to put that right."
The by-election, to fill the vacancy caused by the death last year of Fine Gael deputy Ms Theresa Ahearn, takes place on Saturday, June 30th. The candidates are Mr Denis Landy (Lab), Mr Michael Maguire (FF), Mr Tom Hayes (FG) and Ms Phil Prendergast (Ind).