So, is Fianna Fail really about to get into bed with its historic rival, Fine Gael? The Guardian’s Ireland correspondent, Henry McDonald, has some possible answers:



Fianna Fail is hostile to the idea of a ‘grand coalition’ with Fine Gael because they fear handing over the lead role in the opposition to Sinn Fein.

Party sources told The Guardian tonight that they would prefer to try and form a minority government working with a range non-party aligned independent deputies in the Dail.

Two leading figures re-elected on the Fianna Fail ticket, John McGuinness and Willie O’Dea, have already ruled out breaking the Irish Civil War divide and entering government with their old rival Fine Gael.

One possible alternative to that would be either try and cobble together a minority coalition or let Fine Gael try the same according to Fianna Fail sources. They believe the party could secure up to 46 seats and be within a whisker of matching Fine Gael’s overall result.

“It would be madness to hand over the mantle of opposition to Sinn Fein, “ one Fianna Fail source said pointing to fresh successes for the party on Saturday night including their candidate Jim O’Callaghan who is on course to win a seat in Dublin Bay South.

Such an administration would probably last less than a year but would postpone the possibility of a second general election within a matter of weeks.

Overall the Fianna Fail performance has been a stunning reversal of fortunes for a party that had only 21 seats in the last Dail. Aside from the heavy Fine Gael losses, the resurrection of Fianna Fail from its worst ever showing in 2011 is the story of this election.