Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil are both predicting strong results for their parties, despite a 'grim' and ‘disappointing’ exit poll last night.
You can keep up to date with all the General Election results throughout the weekend through Newstalk’s live blog and video stream.
Last night’s poll showed Sinn Féin polling slightly ahead at 21.1%, with Fine Gael at 21% and Fianna Fáil just behind at 19.5%.
Taoiseach 'disappointed'
Tánaiste Micheál Martin told Newstalk he had been disappointed by this prediction, but felt ‘heartened’ by current results.
“I'll be honest with you, when I saw that exit poll last night, I was disappointed,” he said.
“I just said to myself, ‘What the hell’, you know?
“In the current modern-day scenario, one or two percent is massive now, particularly in a multiple party situation [with] a lot of independents and so on.
"So, it looks like now we will exceed the exit poll – we could be the largest party in the popular vote.”
However, the Tánaiste said it may be Monday before the results were called.
“It’s early days, but we do see a route to a very strong finish here in this election – but I will predict that we will go into the early hours of tomorrow morning,” he said.
“I think we could go to Monday before a lot of these final seats in many constituencies will be decided.”
The Tánaiste looks set to top the poll at his home constituency in Cork South-Central.
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Meanwhile, Justice Minister Helen McEntee also looks set to top the poll in Meath East, with her party seeming to have held its vote across the country.
Despite grim predictions in the run up to the vote and last night's exit poll, Minister McEntee told Newstalk she believed people were happy with the Government.
“That's the sentiment or the feeling that I got on the doors – whether it was in my own constituency or indeed many of the constituencies that I travelled to,” she said.
“I think there was a sense that people were relatively happy with the Government, they liked the way in which we were working and you can see that clearly in the outcome and the results so far.”
Minister McEntee said there’s still ‘a long way to go’ until we see a full picture.
Newstalk reporters will be at count centres around Ireland bringing you all the results as they come in.
We will also be running election specials throughout today and tomorrow, and you can follow all the action on our live blog and on our social channels.
