Voting has finished in the General Election with polling stations across the country closing at 10pm.

Voters went to the polls to fill 159 of the 160 seats in the 33rd Dáil.

The outgoing Ceann Comhairle, Seán Ó Fearghaíl, is automatically returned in Kildare South.

There are 515 candidates running in 39 constituencies while 3.4 million citizens are eligible to vote.

President Michael D Higgins and his wife Sabina cast their votes at St Mary's Hospital in Dublin.

Mr Higgins greeted the assembled count staff and press and said he was glad the weather had remained sunny, despite reports of a storm.

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Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin and his family cast their votes at St Anthony's NS in Ballinlough shortly before 10am.

There has been a steady flow of voters at the polling station in Cork South Central this morning, with many saying they were voting early in order to get to the Irish rugby match in Dublin this afternoon.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald cast her ballot at St Joseph's School on the Navan Road in Cabra at around midday.

Shortly afterwards Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar voted at Scoil Thomáis in Castleknock.

Labour Party leader Brendan Howlin voted at Kennedy Park NS in Wexford town earlier this morning.

At around the same time, Róisín Shortall, co-leader of the Social Democrats, was casting her ballot at St Aidan's CBS on Collins Avenue in north Dublin.

Green Party leader Eamon Ryan voted at the Muslim National School in Clonskeagh in south Dublin early this morning, while Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín voted in Navan, Co Meath at around 11am.