Despite having spent the last four years in Government, the Green Party is potentially facing a total wipeout in the current election.

The two Civil War parties are in pole position to once again form the core of the next coalition. Tallies suggest that Fianna Fáil could return with the highest share of first-preference votes, followed by Fine Gael in second and Sinn Féin in third, in a reversal of Friday night’s exit poll.

The protracted process of counting votes in Ireland’s General Election will begin as an exit poll put the three main parties virtually tied.

How do you go from jumping down each other’s throats to jumping back into bed together in the space of days? And how do you expect voters to trust you?

Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil seem poised to return to power with an exit poll last night indicating that support for the Coalition has held firm. The exit poll – conducted by RTÉ, TG4, The Irish Times and Trinity College Dublin – released last night showed that Sinn Féin are on 21.