The protracted process of sorting and counting votes in Ireland’s General Election has begun, after an exit poll put the three main parties virtually neck and neck.
Sinn Fein held 21.1% of first-preference votes, narrowly ahead of current coalition partners Fine Gael and Fianna Fail at 21% and 19.5% respectively, according to the Ipsos B&A Exit Poll commissioned by RTE, The Irish Times, TG4 and Trinity College Dublin.
