Emma Orr
BBC News NI in Dublin

As we've just seen in our last post, things are close in Dublin Central - Labour's Marie Sherlock says she's "quietly optimistic".

"It remains extremely tight, the whole thing feels very surreal but there is a clear path now."

She added: “I think if one thing we can learn from this election is just how important it is to go down the line for people you vaguely want.

“I actually slept like a log. I’ve had the most amount of sleep that I’ve had in weeks because I can’t do anything about it now.

“This is the great thing about democracy it’s all in there in the votes, you can’t change things."

Jennifer O'Leary
BBC News

Image source, Getty Images

The mood among Gerard Hutch’s team in the RDS has darkened.

The independent candidate’s team was confident from early this morning that their man was well in contention for a seat.

A win for Hutch would be highly notable - last year he was acquitted of a high-profile murder when a man was shot dead at a boxing weigh-in event. A judge has described him as having been involved in serious criminal conduct in the past.

However transfers to the Labour Party candidate Marie Sherlock have put her within grasp of taking the much coveted final seat in the Dublin Central constituency.

All that said, until the votes are counted it remains the case that Gerard Hutch could join the ranks of lawmakers in the next Dáil.

Daniel Logan
BBC News NI

Image source, Getty Images

Independent candidate Alan Shatter has been eliminated from the race in his constituency of Dublin Rathdown, on the fifth count, having received 1,925 votes in total, which will now be re-distributed.

Shatter ran in this race as an independent in 2016, losing to first-time Green Party TD, Catherine Martin.

The former Minister of Justice and Equality was first elected to the Dáil in 1981.

Shatter resigned from the post in 2014 for breaching data protection laws by disclosing personal information about independent TD Mick Wallace.

Currently Fine Gael's Neale Richmond is the only candidate elected in the constituency, at Count 7. As it stands he has 10,044 votes.

Barry O'Connor
BBC News NI

While we wait on more results coming in, let's take a look at the voter turnout.

Turnout was 59.7%, down 3.2 percentage points from the 62.9% in 2020.

This is continuing a trend since the 2011 election where turnout was 69.9%, since then it has been falling each election.

A former deputy leader of Fine Gael has said it will be a "very difficult proposition" for the party to re-enter a coalition with Fianna Fáil without a rotating Taoiseach.

Fianna Fáil is likely to increase its seat lead over Fine Gael when compared to the 2020 election, which saw the parties enter a coalition on the basis that the holder of the Irish premier position would be exchanged midway through the term.

Simon Coveney, who retired from politics at the end of the outgoing parliamentary term, said: "There are a number of ways that you can define numbers. There are the number of seats in the Dáil, but there's also the percentage vote that the parties have got nationally, and the percentage vote that the parties have got nationally is more or less the same - that's an important mandate that certainly Fine Gael will carry into any discussion.

Image source, PA Media

"I think it would be a very difficult proposition for Fine Gael to move into a coalition Government, having just come through a coalition Government where a rotating Taoiseach has worked very successfully and has contributed to stability in Government.

Speaking to reporters at a Cork count centre, the former Tánaiste added: "That'll be a matter, obviously, for the party leaders and for the parliamentary parties concerned.

"But I think from a Fine Gael perspective, it would be very difficult for them to consider going into Government without having a Taoiseach for part of that Government."

Image source, PA Media

The leader of the Labour Party Ivana Bacik has been elected to Dublin Bay South on the 9th count.

She has been a TD since 2021 having previously served as a Senator in the Seanad (upper house of Irish parliament).

She has been leader of her party since 2022.

Aoife Moore
BBC Dublin Reporter

Image source, PA Media

Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon has been elected to Dublin Central.The final two seats are likely to go to Fine Gael's Paschal Donohoe and Independent Gerry Hutch.

Daniel Logan
BBC News NI

Image source, PA Media

Independent candidate Brian Stanley has taken the third seat in Laois.

The Independent, who left Sinn Féin in a high-profile resignation in October, was elected on the eight count with 9,512 votes.

Electoral Officer Rory Hanniffy deemed Stanley elected on the final count, even though he fell short of the quota by 58 votes.

In his battle for the constituency he was up against Fine Gael's William Aird and Fianna Fáil's Seán Fleming.

On his way to election, Stanley beat Maria McCormack of Sinn Féin who replaced him following his resignation from the party.

We finally have all 43 first counts complete - half way through the second day of counting.

Cavan-Monaghan was the hold up, it looks like the scales we referred to earlier helped speed up the count.

Barry O'Connor
BBC News NI

Well, we are in for another long day so let's just have a look at where we are in terms of numbers.

So far, 51 of the Dáil's 174 seats have been filled.

7 of the 43 counts have been completed, they are:

• Cork North-West
• Cork South-West
• Dún Laoghaire
• Limerick County
• Laois
• Meath West
• Offlay

Fianna Fáil have 15 seats, Fine Gael have 12, Sinn Féin are on 10, Independent Ireland have 3, the Social Democrats are on 2 seats, People Before Profit-Solidary and Aontú are both sitting on 1, while 7 independent candidates have been elected to what will be the 34th Dáil.

Lili Busby
BBC News NI

More weighing scales have been brought to Cavan in an effort to speed up the process. This is the only constituency in the country that doesn't have its first count.

Chris Page
BBC News Ireland correspondent

As Ireland’s election weekend reached the mid-point, unpredictability began to give way to some clarity.

The most obvious route to a coalition looks to be a combination of the centre-right parties who have dominated Irish governments for a century, plus left-wing partners.

Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael grew more optimistic as the counting continued late into Saturday evening.

Following the exit poll, Sinn Féin had been hopeful that it would repeat its 2020 performance of winning the most first preference votes – and maybe secure the highest number of seats for the first time.

Neither of those feats are out of the question – but party figures seemed to be less keen to play up their chances as the declarations stacked up.

Read more here

Image source, PA Media

Lili Busby
BBC News NI

Image source, PA Media

Fianna Fáil's Jack Chambers has been re elected in Dublin West.

He was the youngest finance minister since Michael Collins in 1919.

Chambers was first elected to the Dáil in February 2016 and has also been Minister of State at the Department of Transport and the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications.

He studied medicine at the The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and holds an honours degree in Law and Political Science from Trinity College.

Born in Galway and raised in Dublin he has actively been involved with a range of local community groups and sports organisations. he is a keen runner and participates in park runs.

He came out as gay in 2024 saying "I want to share this today as part of who I am."

On X, he stated he was "honoured and incredibly proud," to be re-elected.

"At all times my focus will be to serve and represent our community and country. Thanks to everyone who voted for me and supported my campaign."

Barry O'Connor
BBC News NI

You may remember from our coverage yesterday, we posted about a count centre working wearing a t-shirt with a quote from Father Ted on it.

Well he is back today with another t-shirt.

Lili Busby
BBC News NI

Derek Mooney, a former government advisor for Fianna Fáil, doesn't think there is a possibility for Sinn Féin being in government.

"There's no possibility whatsoever," he said, "because the simple basic fact and no amount of spinning is going to change it.

"It looks like three out of every ten people who voted Sinn Féin in 2020 have not voted Sinn Féin this time. They've actually turned against Sinn Féin, they have gone to other parties and Sinn Féin cannot talk that away."

Looking at Sinn Féin's previous performances in elections from 2019, Mr Mooney believes the trend for Sinn Féin is going downwards.

"What I think I'd be more worried about if I was Sinn Féin is turn out is down, this isn't just localised, this isn't just in one area, this is right across the board."

Daniel Logan
BBC News NI

Image source, PA Media

All three of the leaders of Ireland's largest parties have been re-elected.

The Taoiseach (prime minister) Simon Harris, of Fine Gael, achieved 34.9% of 1st preference votes in his constituency of Wicklow.

Fianna Fáil leader Michéal Martin took 36.8% of the vote in his constituency of Cork South-Central.

Mary Lou McDonald has retained her seat in Dublin Central, obtaining 23.3% of the first preference votes in the constituency.

Speaking to BBC News NI's Political Editor Enda McClafferty, Elaine Loughlin the Political Editor for the Irish Examiner says "it does seem like Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are going to go into coalition," but she says it is all about the makeup of the coalition.

She questions on how it will work out when you go into programme for government negotiations if Fianna Fáil are the largest party and would Simon Harris be "willing to be demoted to Tánaiste for five years."

She does highlight how well the Social Democrats and Labour have done but does say if they go into coalition they need to just look at the Green Party.

"I do think the Green Party will be very disappointed, it is touch and go on whether they will have one seat in the Dáil."

Speaking on Sunday Politics, Sinn Féin's Caoimhe Archibald says "I think it is a good day".

She praises leader Mary Lou McDonald and stresses "there are a lot of seats to be filled, there will be a lot of them that come down to fine margins, to see who is going to end up on top in terms of numbers of seats."

"There will be negotiations to go into government," she says.

"It won't be straight forward for any party."

Enda McClafferty
BBC News NI political editor

Image source, Getty Images

The race to government has yet to reach the half way point but the final result is starting to take shape

Fianna Fáil is on course to finish as the largest party with Fine Gael favourite to fill the runners up spot just ahead of Sinn Fein

As it stands with just two of the 43 first counts to be completed Fianna Fáil has a vote share of 21.6% Fine Gael on 20.7% and Sinn Fein on 18.7%

If that order remains after the final count it will reverse the exit poll prediction which had Sinn Fein in front and Fianna Fáil in third

Although more than two thirds of seats have yet to be filled Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael look set to return to the government benches

Between them they could end up with 80 plus and be just shy of the 88 seat target to form an overall majority

If so they may look to the Labour Party or independent TDs to shore up the government

Sinn Fein is still talking up the prospect of leading a left leaning coalition but it will struggle to get the numbers needed on current predictions

Despite what Mary Lou McDonald described as an “incredible” performance by her party she could find herself back on the opposition benches

Click play at the top of this page to watch a special extended Sunday Politics Northern Ireland.

With counting well underway, presenter Mark Carruthers will have the latest from counts with analysis from our reporters and correspondents across Ireland.