The president has officially dissolved the 31st Dail.
Enda Kenny made his way to Aras an Uachtarain with a garda escort after announcing the election in the Dail this morning.
People will go to the polls on Friday, February 26th as Clare FM's XXX reports:
In a speech lasting less than two minutes, Enda Kenny announced that he was requesting the dissolution of the 31st Dail.
Later, on Twitter, he confirmed that polling day will be on the widely-anticipated date of February 26th, while President Higgins subsequently signed the warrant of dissolution – firing the starting gun for the campaign.
Posing for photographs on the steps of Government Buildings, Tánaiste Joan Burton told reporters she's confident of being back.
But the Fianna Fail Leader says the current Government is arrogant and out of touch.
Michael Martin says his party will be fielding 70 candidates in 40 constituencies and says the Party will maximise all its resources for this campaign.
Voting in the general election will take place on Friday 26th February between 7am and 10pm.
Nominations will be accepted until 11 February at 12 noon, and 3.2 million people will be eligible to vote.
There's still time for people to add their names to the register, including the over 1,600 people in Clare who have turned 18 in the past year.
However, James Doorley of the National Youth Council of Ireland says the yand others will need to act fast to get onto the supplementary register.