Polling stations open in Ireland in unpredictable vote

Voters are going to the polls in Ireland today facing one of the most unpredictable outcomes in recent times.

An Taoiseach Enda Kenny casts his vote at a polling station at St Anthony's School in Castlebar Picture: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

As the electorate increasingly turns away from mainstream parties to smaller factions and Independents, a hung parliament is widely predicted.

Such is the voter schism it threatens to blow apart a duopoly enjoyed for more than 80 years by the currently ruling Fine Gael party and the main Opposition party Fianna Fail.

Bitter rivals since Ireland’s civil war - despite little significant difference in their conservative policies - the pair who swapped power for generations may be forced into a historic “grand coalition”.

An Taoiseach Enda Kenny meets Bridie McLoughlin on her 88th birthday after they both cast their votes at a polling station at St Anthony's School in Castlebar Picture: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

The coupling would have been unspeakable among their rank and file just years ago but is now hotly-tipped by pollsters and pundits as the odds-on favourite outcome.

The tectonic shift could also open a definitive right/left divide in Ireland’s parliament, the Dail, for the first time since the foundation of the State.

Opinion polls show little chance of the outgoing Fine Gael/Labour coalition being returned to power on their own.

After five years of bruising austerity, the junior partners Labour would need to defy predictions of decimation at the ballot box to help make up the numbers.

An Taoiseach Enda Kenny meets Bridie McLoughlin on her 88th birthday after they both cast their votes at a polling station at St Anthony's School in Castlebar Picture: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

Other possibilities include a minority Fine Gael government, supported by arch-enemies Fianna Fail, or a rainbow coalition of Fine Gael, Labour and some smaller parties.

Once a clear picture emerges from the weekend counting of votes, the parties will have until March 10 - when the Dail is scheduled to resume - to forge a power-sharing deal.

The spectre of a second election will loom over any uncertainty.

Despite being the shortest general election campaign in Irish political history, it was a drawn-out, lacklustre three weeks that generally failed to ignite the imagination of the population.

Almost 3.3 million voters are eligible to cast their ballots, among them more than 30,000 who registered in time to vote this month.

More than 550 candidates are fighting in 40 constituencies for just 158 Dail seats.

With eight fewer seats than last time around, the competition will be particularly intense in some constituencies who are down a representative.

Polling stations open at 7am.

Islanders off the coasts of Donegal, Mayo and Galway voted on Thursday to make sure their ballots were back in time for the count.

Scottish heritage: for stories on Scotland’s people, places and history >>