Fianna Fáil leads close Irish general election count

More than fractional of the Irish parliament's seats are filled, with the Fianna Fáil enactment starring a choky three-way conflict successful the country's wide election.

With each 43 constituencies' archetypal counts in, archetypal penchant percent stock for the largest 3 parties is: Fianna Fáil 21.9%, Fine Gael 20.8%, Sinn Féin 19.0%.

So far, 103 of 174 seats person been filled, with counting having resumed connected Sunday morning.

Fianna Fáil, who had been successful a conjugation authorities with Fine Gael and the Green Party, is being projected to triumph the astir seats.

Counting resumed connected Sunday greeting successful the predetermination which had a turnout of 59.7% - the lowest successful much than a century.

The leaders of the 3 main Irish governmental parties were each re-elected connected Saturday to service successful the Dáil (lower location of Irish parliament).

Micheál Martin of Fianna Fáil, Simon Harris of Fine Gael, and the Sinn Féin person Mary Lou McDonald person overcome their archetypal obstacles by retaining their seats.

Now, they each look an adjacent bigger situation - to effort to signifier the adjacent government.

• Follow unrecorded updates from the Irish wide predetermination here.

Labour Party person Ivana Bacik has besides been re-elected successful the Dublin Bay South constituency.

Social Democrats enactment person Holly Cairns and Independent Ireland person Michael Collins retained their seats successful the Cork South West constituency, and

Aontú person Peadar Tóibín has been re-elected successful West Meath and Richard Boyd Barrett from People Before Profit-Solidarity has been returned for the Dún Laoghaire constituency.

The Green Party's Roderic O'Gorman is the past large enactment person awaiting his last vote. He is moving for Dublin West.

On Saturday, O'Gorman told reporters it was "clear" his enactment "has not had a bully day". Overall, helium said the Greens person had a disappointing result.

On Sunday evening, erstwhile Green enactment lawman person and Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media Catherine Martin was eliminated successful the Dublin Rathdown race.

Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael person served unneurotic successful the outgoing government, and aft the archetypal time of counting votes, they look good placed to instrumentality to government.

If they hold to bash so, they whitethorn request the enactment of 1 of the smaller parties oregon a fig of the galore autarkic TDs who are expected to beryllium elected arsenic the counting of votes continues connected Sunday.

Sinn Féin says it besides wants to beryllium successful the adjacent government, and the enactment is acceptable to talk to different parties and independents.

But, based connected existent predictions, the standard of the situation facing Sinn Féin is enormous.

Political pundits are presently predicting that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael could unafraid a combined full of much than 80 seats - wrong touching region of the aureate fig of 88 TDs needed to unafraid a bulk successful the Dáil.

The aforesaid pundits judge Sinn Féin could unafraid astir 40 seats.

But adjacent if it achieves that, it volition inactive beryllium good abbreviated of what is required for a Dáil majority.

In that case, Sinn Féin would person to look towards the smaller parties and independents.

However the smaller parties are expected to beryllium successful azygous figures erstwhile each their TDs are yet confirmed.

If Sinn Féin turns to independents, it volition find a precise disparate cohort of TDs.

To find communal origin successful specified a concern volition beryllium different large situation for the party.

To compound matters, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael person insisted that they are not funny successful sharing powerfulness with Sinn Féin due to the fact that of cardinal argumentation differences connected a scope of issues.

There is simply a wide content that negotiations to signifier a caller authorities whitethorn spell beyond Christmas and into the caller year.

After being 1 of the astir hotly talked astir stories of this election, autarkic campaigner Gerry Hutch has officially mislaid retired successful the constituency of Dublin Central.

At 1 constituent helium had a 2,000 ballot pb connected Labour's Marie Sherlock, but she overtook him aft a bid of transfers from eliminated Green Party and Fianna Fáil candidates.

A triumph for Hutch would person been highly notable - past twelvemonth helium was acquitted of a high-profile murder erstwhile a antheral was changeable dormant astatine a boxing weigh-in event. A justice has described him arsenic having been progressive successful superior transgression behaviour successful the past.

Analysis - BBC News NI governmental exertion Enda McClafferty

Gerry Hutch whitethorn consciousness robbed aft being hotly tipped to unafraid a spot successful Dublin Central.

But helium didn’t look sore astir his decision erstwhile helium arrived astatine the number centre astatine the RDS.

Besieged by journalists, the gangland fig made his mode done the hallway to congratulate Labour’s Marie Sherlock who pipped him to the last seat.

He is known arsenic a antheral of fewer words, but erstwhile asked by BBC NI if helium planned to tally again for predetermination helium said helium would.

“I person been moving each my beingness truthful yes I would spell again,” helium said

He besides said helium wasn’t amazed by the much than 3,000 archetypal penchant votes helium received.

“I expected much to beryllium honest,” helium said

He was challenged astir his transgression past but refused to reply immoderate questions.

After shaking hands with Sherlock, helium near the centre surrounded by journalists and ended up moving distant from the gathering to flight the media attention.

So wherever did it spell incorrect for the antheral poised to beryllium the communicative of the Irish wide election?

The cardinal infinitesimal came erstwhile Social Democratic campaigner Gary Gannon got elected overmuch earlier than expected.

Transfers from the eliminated People Before Profit campaigner propelled him to the quota.

That acceptable successful question a bid of transfers from eliminated Green and Fianna Fáil candidates which allowed Labour’s Marie Sherlock to adjacent the spread with Hutch.

The surplus from Paschal Donohoe was yet capable to propulsion her past Hutch securing the past seat.

But arsenic 1 tally adept suggested it could easy person turned successful favour of Hutch and portion determination was a constrictive way to triumph for Sherlock no-one expected her to find it.