Fianna Fáil’s electoral meltdown is being most keenly felt in Dublin, where the party’s vote has imploded.
Former minister for finance Brian Lenihan looks to be the only one of the party's 13 TDs in the capital who are contesting the election to retain their seat.
His brother, former Fianna Fáil junior minister Conor Lenihan, accepted the party has taken a pasting. “Unfortunately we are going to lose both seats here,” he told RTÉ television as he conceded in Dublin South West, where he and fellow Fianna Fáil incumbent Charlie O’Connor were standing. “It’s not entirely a dishonourable place to be. Clearly the tide is out for Fianna Fáil in Dublin and naturally 15 per cent is not a party that’s going places."
In Dublin West, Labour's Joan Burton was elected on the first count. She was followed by Fine Gael's Leo Varadkar, who was elected on the second count and the ULA's Joe Higgins, who made it on the fourth.
Brian Lenihan took the fourth seat without reaching the quota, becoming the first Fianna Fáil TD to be elected today. "It was a difficult day for the party," he said.
In Dublin South West, Labour's Pat Rabbitte also stormed to victory, being elected on the first count. Fine Gael's Brian Hayes took the second seat and will joined in the Dáil by Seán Crowe of Sinn Féin, who was elected on the sixth count. Labour and Fine Gael are in a battle for the fourth seat.
Independent senator Shane Ross topped the poll in the five-seater Dublin South. He was elected on the first count, having exceeded the 12,108 quota by almost 5,000 votes. Fine Gael is in a strong position to challenge for three seats, with returning TDs Olivia Mitchell and Alan Shatter polling strongly. Their transfers may bring in running mate Peter Matthews. Labour's Senator Alex White will probably take a seat, meaning Fianna Fáil's Senator Maria Corrigan and former Green Party minister Eamon Ryan will lose out.
In the four seat Dún Laoghaire constituency, former Fianna Fáil ministers Mary Hanafin and Barry Andrews have conceded defeat. Labour leader Eamon Gilmore was elected on the first count. Fine Gael's Sean Barrett was elected on the eighth count. Fine Gael's Mary Mitchell O'Connor is the frontrunners to take the next two , ahead of the ULA's Richard Boyd Barrett and Labour's Ivan Bacik. Outgoing Green Party TD Ciaran Cuffe has conceded defeat. The count has been suspended for tonight after a full recount was called.
In the four-seater Dublin Central, Fine Gael's Paschal Donohue was elected on the second count. He topped the poll, followed by Labour's Joe Costello, Independent Maureen O'Sullivan and Sinn Féin's Mary Lou McDonald. Labour's Aine Clancy may pick up enough transfers to squeeze in, but Fianna Fáil's Mary Fitzpatrick and her running mate Cyprian Brady appear to be out of the race.
In Dublin South East, Green Party leader and former minister for the environment John Gormley has been eliminated. Outgoing Fine Gael TD Lucinda Creighton was elected on the sixth count, while Labour's Ruairí Quinn and Fine Gael's Eoghan Murphy appear poised to take the next two seats. Labour's Kevin Humphries is ahead of Fianna Fáil's Chris Andrews in the race for the final seat.
In Dublin Mid West, Labour Party's Joanna Tuffy topped the poll, ahead of Fine Gael's Frances Fitzgerald. The third and fourth seats were won by Labour's Robert Dowds and Derek Keating of Fine Gael. Two outgoing TDs - Fianna Fail's John Curran, the former Government chief whip, and the Green Party's Paul Gogarty - lost their seats.
Labour looks set to take two seats in Dublin North West, with Roisín Shortall being elected and her running mate John Lyons polling third behind behind Sinn Féin's Dessie Ellis. Former Fianna Fáil minister Pat Carey has conceded.
In Dublin North, Labour's Brendan Ryan is in a fight with Fine Gael's James Reilly to be elected first. The ULA's Clare Daly polled strongly and should take the third seat, leaving the Green Party's Trevor Sargent in a fight for the last seat with Fianna Fail's two sitting TDs, Michael Kennedy and Darragh O'Brien and Fine Gael challenger Alan Farrell.
In Dublin North Central, Fianna Fáil's Sean Haughey looks like he will not be returning to the Dáil. Fine Gael's Richard Bruton has topped the poll, with Labour's Aodhan O'Riordan looking good for a second seat and Independent Finian McGrath in position to take the third.
Labour are confident of getting two seats in the three-seat Dublin North East constituency, where Fine Gael's Terrence Flanagan was elected on the first count. Labour's Tommy Broughan will take the second seat, with the third a toss-up between Labour's Sean Kenny, Sinn Féin's Larry O'Toole and Fianna Fáil's Averil Power.
In Dublin South Central, Labour's Eric Byrne, Sinn Féin's Aengus Ó Snodaigh and United Left Alliance candidate Joan Collins look certain to be elected. Incumbent Fine Gael TD Catherine Byrne will probably retain her seat, but Fianna Fáil's Michael Mulcahy looks certain to lose his to Labour's Michael Conaghan.