When it came to picking an alternative government, it felt to many like there was little real choice in the election just held. Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil always looked likely to return to government, with only the details to be ironed out. And so it proved.

So where does that leave Irish politics? Is there any prospect of a change in the landscape before the next general election that presents voters with another option?

Theresa Reidy and Gerard Howlin join Hugh and Pat to discuss this question and others thrown up by the election.

Dr Theresa Reidy is a political scientist at University College Cork. Gerard Howlin is a public affairs consultant, political commentator and former senior government adviser who writes a regular politics column for The Irish Times.

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Jack Horgan-Jones, Jennifer Bray and Pat Leahy join Hugh to talk about a dramatic day in count centres across the country.

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Jack Horgan-Jones joins Hugh Linehan to analyse the latest news from count centres across the country.

• First count results are starting to trickle in with Fine Gael’s Jennifer Carroll MacNeill the first TD to be elected after meeting the quota in Dún Laoghaire.

• Tallies indicate that Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty will romp home in Donegal.

• Controversial Senator John McGahon unlikely to win a seat in Louth

• With 8,820 first preference votes, first time candidate Brian Brennan, a hotelier, has topped the poll as Fine Gael’s sole candidate in this new, three-seat constituency.

• A year ago, it looked like immigration was going to be a defining issue for this election – but it’s not looking hopeful for a slew of candidates who ran primarily on that issue, including Philip Dwyer who has bombed in Wicklow, securing less than 1 per cent of the vote.

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INSIDE POLITICS LIVE SHOW WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 11TH - DUBLIN. TICKETS HERE

Pat Leahy joins Hugh Linehan to share the results of The Irish Times exit poll for the 2024 general election.

The three largest parties of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Sinn Féin are on course for a tight finish in their share of the vote in general election 2024, according to the results of an exit poll tonight.

The results of the poll, conducted by Ipsos B&A today for The Irish Times/RTÉ/TG4/TCD, and released just after polls closed, are as follows: Sinn Féin 21.1 per cent, Fianna Fáil 19.5 per cent, Fine Gael 21 per cent, the Green Party 4 per cent, Labour 5 per cent, the Social Democrats 5.8 per cent, Solidarity-People Before Profit 3.1 per cent, Aontú 3.6 per cent, Independents/others 14.6 per cent and Independent Ireland 2.2 per cent.

If the findings of the exit poll are borne out when the votes are counted tomorrow, it suggests that a return of a coalition based around Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael is likely.

If the results of the counts taking place around the country tomorrow bear out the exit poll findings, it will be the second time in a row that Sinn Fein has won the largest share of the vote – but is left without an obvious path to government.

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INSIDE POLITICS LIVE SHOW WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 11TH - DUBLIN. TICKETS HERE!

Pat Leahy, Jennifer Bray and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh to discuss today on trail of the 2024 general election:

It's the last day of campaigning and the leaders of the three largest parties have been communicating their final messages to the electorate:

• Mary Lou McDonald seemed at ease as she asked voters to give their second preferences to parties like the Social Democrats, People Before Profit and Labour.

• Together with his frequent wingman Paschal Donohoe, Simon Harris sounded the alarm for Ireland's economic and political stability and borrowed Sinn Féin's language of asking voters to 'lend' Fine Gael their support.

• Micheal Martin was asked again and insisted again that Fianna Fáil would not go into government with Sinn Féin.

Pat, Jen, Cormac and Hugh discuss all that, and then pick their favourite, most pivotal and most consequential moments of the campaign. Finally Hugh answers some listener questions.

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