The first counts in the general election are expected in the coming hour and will confirm voters have rejected the re-election of the coaliton.
There are major gains in the offing for Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin and Independents after exit polls suggested less than a third of people had backed the Government parties.
eats of Alex White in Dublin Rathdown, Joanna Tuffy in Dublin Mid West and Joe Costello in Dublin Central are gone, as is Willie Penrose's in longford Westmeath and Emmet STagg in Kildare North looks in real trouble, but Tánaiste and leader Joan Burton looks safe in Dublin West.
Fine Gael will suffer too – Deputy leader James Reilly has a mountain to climb in Dublin Fingal in a fight for the final seat, Aine Collins looks set to lose her one in Cork North West, and it looks like Jimmy Deenihan could lose in Kerry.
The senior coalition partner has bucked the trend in some constituencies – it looks like they'll take two of the three seats in Dun Laoghaire and prevent the return of former Fianna Fáil Minister MAry Hanafin, they'll take two of three in Dublin Rathdown and look like having ultimate revenge on Renua leader Lucinda Creighton in Dublin Bay Siuth.
It's Fianna Fáil's day – the party's making gains up and down the country – Micheál Martin and Michael McGrath storming ahead in Cork South Central, they could take three of the five seats in Carlow Kilkenny and make gains in Dublin Fingal, Meath West and Meath East to name but a few.
Sinn Féin's making gains – Gerry Adams running mate Imelda Munster will take a seat in Louth, they could see the first TD for the party in over 90 years in Limerick City, but trouble's also brewing for Padraig McLochlainn in Donegal
It's also a big day for the Independents and smaller parties – with many making gains across the country – Roscommon Galway for example will see Denis Naughten and Michael Fitzmaurice elected, and the Healy Rae brothers look set to take two of the five seats in Kerry.
