Voters head to the polls to have their say in unpredictable Irish election

Voters are heading to the polls in Ireland‘s general election today. 

The country is having its first Saturday General Election for more than a century.

Sinn Fein could be on course to challenge the 90-year duopoly of the state’s two main parties, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, if the polls are correct. 

Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar is facing a difficult battle to hang on to power.

Recent polls have put his party in third place.

In the last major survey of the electorate before polling day, Sinn Fein was leading the popularity stakes on 25 per cent.

Fianna Fail was on second on 23 per cent and Mr Varadkar’s party on 20 per cent.

If those levels of support are borne out when the counting of votes begins on Sunday, it would herald a major breakthrough for Sinn Fein south of the border.

However, the odds would still be stacked against party leader Mary Lou McDonald leading the next government as Taoiseach.

Its polling performance has far surpassed the expectations of party strategists who only fielded 42 candidates in the race for the Dail parliament’s 160 seats.

That means even if Sinn Fein had a perfect day and won all 42 seats it would still end up well short of a majority.

No party is expected to reach the 80-seat threshold to enable it to govern on its own.

A coalition administration of some complexion is almost inevitable.