The coming year could decide the future of the 60-year-old Springpolitical dynasty in Kerry North, writes Michael O'Regan.
The Labour Party is working strenuously to regain its Kerry North Dáil seat.
"The Spring name is vital on the ticket at the next election," said a party source. "The name and the seat are political siamese twins."
Mr Dick Spring, former Labour leader and tánaiste, turned down an offer from the current party leader, Mr Pat Rabbitte, to run in Munster in the European elections.
He would, undoubtedly, have been a strong candidate, and his decision appears to underline his determination to finish with political life following his defeat in Kerry North in the last general election. Meanwhile, his sister, Ms Maeve Spring, a member of Kerry County Council and Tralee Urban Council, is to decide in January if she will contest next summer's local elections. Last time, she topped the poll with 3,174 first preference votes in the Tralee electoral area in the Kerry County Council election.
This poses a question mark over the future of a remarkable political dynasty stretching back to 1943 when their father, the late Dan Spring, won a Dáil seat. He held it, sometimes against formidable odds until 1981, when he was replaced by Mr Dick Spring. Mr Spring had a narrow escape in 1987 when he retained his seat by just four votes, despite being an outgoing tánaiste.
Ms Spring ran a highly-efficient constituency office during Mr Spring's years as a TD and minister. It was a professional political operation, with Ms Spring's attention to local detail matched by an equal level of interest by her brother, even in the days when he was the State's second most powerful politician.
Despite polling an impressive 8,773 first preferences in the last election, Mr Spring lost the seat to Sinn Féin's Mr Martin Ferris. The other two seats are held by Fianna Fáil's Mr Tom McEllistrim and Fine Gael's Mr Jimmy Deenihan.
Ms Spring, a widow with two children, has expressed a desire to stand down for personal reasons. However, there is likely to be strong pressure on her locally and from party headquarters to run again. Last time, she headed the poll in the Tralee electoral area with 3,174 votes in the election to Kerry Co Council.
If she runs in the local elections, she is assured of a massive vote and would be a very strong candidate in the next general election. Another possible candidate is Mr Arthur Spring jnr, son of their brother, Mr Arthur Spring, a medical doctor and golf course designer who is an accomplished amateur golfer. It is understood Mr Spring jnr, a Dublin-based bank executive, has been in talks with the party about contesting elections for the party in the future, if Ms Spring stands down.
The family may well feel that six decades of service to the Kerry North electorate are enough. But local sources believe the family will find it difficult to walk away from such a long dynasty.