Fianna Fail will be the largest party in Ireland’s parliament following last weekend’s general election, but the big winner is Sinn Fein which saw a massive upswing in support.
Fianna Fail finished with 38 seats, one ahead of Sinn Fein on 39, with Fine Gael, the party of Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar in third on , having entered the election as the largest party on .
Despite a strong economy and a personal reputation abroad boosted by his part in the Brexit negotiations, Mr Varadkar seems to have been punished by voters over a severe housing crisis and a floundering health care system.
Sinn Fein’s success has, for now at least, put an end to the two party dominance of Irish politics, with leader Mary Lou McDonald saying she could be the next taoiseach ( Ireland’s prime minister).
She said: “I think it would be a mighty thing to have a Sinn Fein taoiseach and also a woman perhaps in the job but you might say ‘she would say that wouldn’t she?”‘
However, with no party getting the 80 seats needed for a majority, Sinn Fein’s place in the next government is not guaranteed.
Mr Varadkar has always ruled out any Fine Gael-Sinn Fein coalition, while Fianna Fail’s leader Micheal Martin had adopted a similar stance.
However on Sunday, he declined to repeat his pre-election pledge never to do business with Sinn Fein and some of his senior colleagues have indicated a willingness to work with Ms McDonald.
Such back-tracking could see a coalition between Fianna Fail, Sinn Fein and the Green Party, which has 35 seats.
Ms McDonald’s preference is for a coalition of left-wing parties and independents, without any input from the center-right Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, but that might fall short of producing a working majority.
A third, but increasingly unlikely option is a so-called grand coalition between Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and a third, smaller party, with Sinn Fein excluded altogether.
Mr Varadkar’s last government, a minority Fine Gael-led administration that included several independent TDs (MPs), was sustained in power through a historic confidence and supply arrangement with Fianna Fail.
However it looks unlikely that either party will countenance a similar arrangement this time round. The details of the last administration took 160 days to negotiate and the formation of a new government could be just as torturous.
The final breakdown of the (seats is Fianna Fail) , Sinn Fein , Fine Gael 38, Greens 20, Labor 6, Social Democrats 6, Solidarity / People Before Profit 5, Aontu 1, Independents4Change 1 and independents . 
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