Ireland's Election: Exit Polls Indicate Tight Three-Way Race

Counting has begun in the Irish general election, with exit polls indicating a tight race among Sinn Féin, Fine Gael, and Fianna Fáil. Sinn Féin leads slightly in first preference votes, but forming a government remains uncertain. The election sees a record 174 seats up for grabs, with the counting process expected to take several days. The current coalition partners, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, may have enough seats to return to power, while Sinn Féin seeks a path to government despite being ruled out as a coalition partner by the other major parties.