Two important links in the local government chain in Co Offaly will end at the polls this time out when the State's oldest councillor will opt out and the county council will no longer have a TD in its ranks.
Mr Jim Flanagan, who is almost 90 years old, has decided not to seek public office again. He has been an elected representative since 1945 in Edenderry, where he maintained an independent seat on the local town council and, later, on the county council.
Mr Tom Enright, the Fine Gael TD, has also decided not to seek re-election, having completed 22 years on the council. His daughter, Alwyn, is seeking his seat.
However, the real talking point in Co Offaly is that two-long serving members of Fine Gael, Mrs Molly Buckley and Mr Padraig Horan, have fallen out with their party and are running as independents. Mrs Buckley failed to be nominated by her party.
This must surely come as a blow to Fine Gael, which had been hoping to wrest control of the council from Fianna Fail, which has 10 of the 21 seats and has held control with the help of the independent member from Clara, Mr Tommy Dolan.
The current line-up in the county is: Fianna Fail, 10, Fine Gael six, Labour one, PDs one and three independents.
There is a belief in the county that Fine Gael may well gain the seat in Edenderry, which will become vacant because of the retirement of Mr Jim Flanagan, but that it may lose out in the Tullamore electoral area.
The number of voters in that area has increased by 5,000 over the last eight years and, in the recent redrawing of boundaries, it has gained a seat at the expense of Ferbane.
Voters are looking at the prospect of eight sitting members seeking seven seats, so that at least one will not be returning.
The Labour Party challenge in the county is being led by Senator Pat Gallagher, who is currently chairman of Tullamore Urban District Council. He is confident of retaining his own seat and increasing Labour's overall representation.
Fianna Fail, under the guidance of one of the most experienced politicians in the area, Mr Johnny Flanagan, will be seeking an overall majority and has targeted the two seats the party lost last time out.
As in most of the Midlands, the question of healthcare and the status of the local hospital are high on the priority list for most voters.
There is a question of jobs, too, in a county which feels that it has not got its fair share of the good things which have been happening elsewhere.
The upkeep and maintenance of roads is also an important and controversial issue in the county.