Sinn Fein joint winners in Irish general election, says exit poll

The republican party has scored 22% of the first preference votes according to the Ipsos MRBI survey.

That puts them on a level with Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, the exit poll concludes.

The survey, carried out for RTÉ, The Irish Times, TG4 and UCD, has Fine Gael on 22.4%, Sinn Fein on 22.3% and Fianna Fail on 22.2%.

The Green Party is on 7.9% of the first preference votes, and the Labour Party on 4.6%.

If the findings are reflected in the actual results tomorrow (Sunday), after counting begins at 9am, it will be a sensational breakthrough for Sinn Fein and will make it harder for the traditionally two bigger parties to form a government. Between them, they will not even have half of the vote.

Fine Gael and Fianna Fail will be hoping that transfers tend towards centrist parties, and so work against Sinn Fein, giving them a lower number of TDs.

It is almost certain that all parties will fall well short of the 80-seat threshold in the Dail to enable it to govern on its own, and a coalition administration of some complexion will be necessary if a government can be formed at all.

The results of the poll, described as a “statistical tie”, were announced after voting finished at 10pm.

Sampling took place on Saturday across the country among 5,000 respondents.

Earlier, Ireland’s President and the main political leaders cast their votes in one of the most unpredictable Irish general elections for years.

The country had its first Saturday parliamentary poll in more than a century.

There were conflicting reports by early Saturday evening, with many areas reporting a brisk voting pace through the day — but Taoiseach Leo Varadkar claiming the numbers going to the polls were actually low.

Sinn Fein could be poised to challenge the 90-year duopoly of the state’s two main parties, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, and the process of forming a coalition government could be challenging, opinion polls suggest.

President Michael D Higgins was accompanied by his wife Sabina at a Dublin polling station.

Micheal Martin, the leader of main opposition party Fianna Fail, voted with his wife, daughter and two sons early on Saturday morning in Co Cork in the south.

Fine Gael leader Mr Varadkar brought a box of Roses sweets for count staff at his polling station in west Dublin.

Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald also cast her vote in the capital on an “important” day.

firsShe said: “Today is the day that people are in charge and every single vote counts.

“People have told us throughout this campaign that they want change, that they want a change in our presentation and they want a change in government, so I am saying to people please come out today and vote for a change.

“Bring your family, your neighbours and friends and come down and use your vote - today is your day.”