Fianna Fáil leads close Irish general election count
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More than half of the Irish parliament's seats are filled, with the Fianna Fáil party leading a tight three-way battle in the country's general election.
With all 43 constituencies' initial counts in, first preference percentage share for the largest three parties is: Fianna Fáil 21.9%, Fine Gael 20.8%, Sinn Féin 19.0%.
So far, 116 of 174 seats have been filled, with counting having resumed on Sunday morning.
Fianna Fáil, who had been in a coalition government with Fine Gael and the Green Party, is being projected to win the most seats.
Counting resumed on Sunday morning in the election which had a turnout of 59.7% - the lowest in more than a century.
The leaders of the three main Irish political parties were all re-elected on Saturday to serve in the Dáil (lower house of Irish parliament).
Micheál Martin of Fianna Fáil, Simon Harris of Fine Gael, and the Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald have overcome their first obstacles by retaining their seats.
Now, they all face an even bigger challenge - to try to form the next government.
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Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald (center) topped the poll and was re-elected in the Dublin Central constituencyLabour Party leader Ivana Bacik has also been re-elected in the Dublin Bay South constituency.
Social Democrats party leader Holly Cairns and Independent Ireland leader Michael Collins retained their seats in the Cork South West constituency, and
Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín has been re-elected in West Meath and Richard Boyd Barrett from People Before Profit-Solidarity has been returned for the Dún Laoghaire constituency.
The Green Party's Roderic O'Gorman was the last major party leader re-elected, for Dublin West.
He was the only one of the Greens' 12 sitting TDs to retain their seats.
O'Gorman said Green candidates got "very few transfers" from either Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael, the party's former coalition partners.
"I don't think they did us any favours, but I wasn't expecting them to do us favours," he said.
On Sunday evening, former Green party deputy leader and Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media Catherine Martin was eliminated in the Dublin Rathdown race.
The Green Party's Roderic O'Gorman was the last major leader to be re-elected
Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have served together in the outgoing government, and after the first day of counting votes, they seem well placed to return to government.
If they agree to do so, they may need the support of one of the smaller parties or a number of the many independent TDs who are expected to be elected as the counting of votes continues on Sunday.
Sinn Féin says it also wants to be in the next government, and the party is ready to speak to other parties and independents.
But, based on current predictions, the scale of the challenge facing Sinn Féin is enormous.
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin was the first party leader to be re-elected on Saturday
Political pundits are currently predicting that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael could secure a combined total of more than 80 seats - within touching distance of the golden figure of 88 TDs needed to secure a majority in the Dáil.
The same pundits believe Sinn Féin could secure around 40 seats.
But even if it achieves that, it will still be well short of what is required for a Dáil majority.
In that case, Sinn Féin would have to look towards the smaller parties and independents.
However the smaller parties are expected to be in single figures when all their TDs are finally confirmed.