IrelandMorning Briefing

Your top stories on Monday: Local and European results leave Harris buoyant and Sinn Féin feeling glum

Here are the top stories you need to start your day, including how moderate Ireland seems to be bucking the trend to the extreme in some European countries

Fine Gael European election candidate in Dublin Regina Doherty listens as the returning officer reads the results at the RDS last night during the first count for the local and European elections. Photograph: Damien Storan/PA
Fine Gael European election candidate in Dublin Regina Doherty listens as the returning officer reads the results at the RDS last night during the first count for the local and European elections. Photograph: Damien Storan/PA

Local and European election results live: Counting to resume as Andrews set for Dublin seat

Welcome to day three of our live coverage of the election results. Here’s what we know so far. With more than 800 of the 949 local election seats filled, a better than expected performance for the Government parties - with Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil neck and neck on about 23 per cent of the vote - in the local elections has led to pressure on Taoiseach Simon Harris to call an early general election. The current Government term ends in March 2025.

It was a terrible day for Sinn Féin, which saw its vote slump to under 12 per cent – slightly ahead of where the party was in the 2019 election but far behind its general election result in 2020 and only a fraction of its opinion poll ratings in recent years, which reached the mid-30s for a long period.

The big winners were the diverse ranks of the Independents who won 28 per cent of the vote. There was no big breakthrough for the far-right, though some outright anti-migrant candidates did win seats. The first count in the Dublin constituency was announced late last night and showed Barry Andrews of Fianna Fáil and Regina Doherty of Fine Gael in a strong position to win the first two seats.

Conor Pope and then Harry McGee will keep you up-to-date with every twist and turn in our live coverage of the Local and European results, and in the counting in the Limerick mayoral election, which is due to get under way today.

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