And one political analyst has said the results significantly increase the chances of a referendum on the question of a united Ireland. In what is being talked about as a watershed moment for the country, Sinn Fein, the left-wing party historically associated with the IRA, emerged as the most popular party, winning the most first preference votes in Ireland’s proportional representation voting system. The party, led by Mary Lou McDonald, topped the polls in the vast majority of constituencies across Ireland, receiving 24.5 percent of the vote. Fianna Fail got 22.2 percent and Mr Varadkar’s Fine Gael just 20.9 percent.

Speaking in Cork yesterday, Fianna Fail’s Mr Martin refused to rule out working with Sinn Fein, despite having insisted he would not do so during the campaign.

Repeatedly asked to reiterate his opposition, he insisted even though there were “significant incompatibility” issues in terms of policy, he was not prepared to dismiss the possibility outright.

However, he added: “Our policies, our positions and principles haven’t changed overnight or in 24 hours.”

My view on this is exactly what I have said during the campaign and what I said during the campaign and what my party said during the campaign wasn’t a tactic or a strategy, it was what we honestly believed and for us coalition with Sinn Fein is not an op

Leo Varadkar

He said: “My view on this is exactly what I have said during the campaign and what I said during the campaign and what my party said during the campaign wasn’t a tactic or a strategy, it was what we honestly believed and for us coalition with Sinn Fein is not an option.”

Ms McDonald, who described the result as “something of a revolution”, said she was ready to talk to all leaders – but said she hoped to lead a left-wing coalition of smaller parties, without any input from with of Ireland’s two main parties, which have swapped power for decades.

She added: “It’s been an election about change.

“The extraordinary thing is that it seems that the political establishment, and by that I mean Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, are in a state of denial.

“They are still not listening to what the people have said.”

In contrast to the UK’s first-past-the-post system, the 160 members of Ireland’s Parliament, the Dail Eireann, are elected by a single transferable vote (STV) system in 39 constituencies, with each returning between three and five TDs (equivalent to MPs).

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Each ballot goes to its first-preference candidate but is transferred to the next available preference when the first choice is elected or eliminated.

Humiliatingly for Mr Varadkar, he was only elected on the fifth count in his Dublin West constituency, where Sinn Fein’s Paul Donnelly was elected with 12,456 first preference votes, compared with the Taoiseach’s 8,478.

The most recent seat projection, by University College Dublin for RTE, indicated Fianna Fail will be the largest party on 45 seats, with Sinn Fein on 37 and Fine Gael on 36.

Mr Varadkar’s last government, a minority Fine Gael-led administration which included several independent TDs, was propped up via a confidence and supply arrangement with Fianna Fail, and a similar, albeit reversed, arrangement, with Fianna Fail leading a minority government, remains a possibility.

In the previous election, in 2016, Fine Gael, then led by Enda Kenny, secured 25.5 percent of first preference votes, taking 50 seats, compared with Fianna Fail’s 24.3 percent and 44 seats respectively.

Sinn Fein, then led by Gerry Adams, took 13.8 percent and won 23 seats.

Speaking to Express.co.uk yesterday, Ray Bassett, former Irish Ambassador to Canada, Jamaica and the Bahamas, told Express.co.uk the result for “very poor” for Mr Varadkar, predicting he would find it extremely difficult to stay on as leader as a result.

He added: “The Sinn Fein vote represents a more nationalist shift and no doubt will increase pressure for a border poll.

“The Proportional Representation system tends to deliver a very fractured result.”

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