#GE16: Early Tallies Suggest Catastrophe For Coalition

Early tallies appear to support two exit polls suggesting bad news for the coalition.  As votes continue to be counted across the country, it's clear Fine Gael and Labour have suffered serious losses, while Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin and Independents are on the up.

.@RTE exit poll indicates bad news for Govt parties & gains for FF, SF, IND and Others https://t.co/u1RTldzSyv #ge16 pic.twitter.com/k2SxE0eMHl

— RTÉ (@rte) February 27, 2016

According to the Irish Independent, Children's minister James Reilly and Junior Health Minister Kathleen Lynch are in danger of losing their seats, with the Healy-Rae brothers set for victory with 40 per cent of the vote in Kerry and Fine Gael backbencher Jerry Buttimer struggling in Cork South Central. Other TDs who are likely to lose their seats are Derek Nolan in Galway West and Emmet Stagg in Kildare North. Meanwhile Gerry Adams is topping the polls in Louth and Clare Daly in Dublin Fingal while it's looking like good news for Katherine Zappone in Dublin South West. The official count commenced this morning in Dublin's RDS and is expected to continue until tomorrow. Meanwhile, in other #GE16 news:

Good news! Count centre staff in #wicklow find Arklow woman's ring after it fell into ballot box yesterday #GE16 pic.twitter.com/24FeWCvonq — carlobrien (@carlobrien) February 27, 2016

Was asked last night was I not presenting #rtept. "No, the moratorium is on". "Oh, who presents that, then?" #GE16

— David McCullagh (@mcculld) February 26, 2016

Elderly friend from very leafy part of Donnybrook voted #SF no1 because "that Chris Andrews is a nice boy & I know his mother". #GE16 — Flor Mac Carthy (@florNEWS) February 27, 2016

Mary Catherine Conroy voting on her wedding day in An Cheathrú Rua in Co Galway #GE16 pic.twitter.com/sypT2ZsJXL

— RTÉ News (@rtenews) February 26, 2016

Classic election poster vandalism in Galway #GE16 pic.twitter.com/GCdy6hIgto — Aidan Ellis (@ellisaidan) February 25, 2016

More as we have it...