Ireland's two large centre-right parties looked on course to be returned to power after an election on Friday, but they will likely need at least one junior partner to reach a majority, raising questions about the stability of the next government.

Fianna Fáil has won the most seats in the Dáil (lower house of parliament) following the Republic of Ireland's general election. It won 48 seats while Sinn Féin - the main opposition party in the last Dáil - won 39. Fine Gael, which has been in coalition with Fianna Fáil since 2020, was third with 38 seats.

The Irish General Election 2024 will be held this Friday, November 29 - here, an overview of the major political parties running candidates. What parties are running in the Irish General Election 2024?

Ireland's two large centre-right parties looked set to be returned to power after an election on Friday, but will likely need at least one smaller partner to secure a majority, raising questions over the stability of the next government.

As the complex counting continues, unpredictability has given way to clarity in Ireland’s election. It looks like the country has bucked the trend across the world, in a year of numerous elections, by putting the outgoing centrist government parties in prime position to go back into power.