The political sparring plays out in the media between Leo Varadkar and Mary Lou McDonald.

It's the highest ever result for Sinn Féin in an opinion poll in the Republic of Ireland.

Posh Cork's agony aunt: sorting out Cork people for ages.

I've no idea what Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar and Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin were trying to achieve at the start of their election campaigns, or even as the seats were being counted.

A bright green Ireland is on the cover of The Economist, with a zip illustrating the border: “A united Ireland — could it really happen?” Crikey. Could it?

The extraordinary spat between Micheál Martin and Mary Lou McDonald in the Dáil on Thursday night was highly significant in the context of a new government being formed.

Former Labour leader Joan Burton, who lost her seat in the election, has said that Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin is most likely to be Taoiseach in a government supported by Fine Gael and the Green Party.

Fans of reality television may be tempted to break out the popcorn and tune in today to the Oireachtas channel to watch live parliamentary shenanigans, as the 33rd Dáil convenes.

After days of ridiculous claims that a left-wing coalition was possible, Sinn Féin has finally re-entered the real world, writes Political Editor Daniel McConnell.

As the dust settled on the final counts for the 33rd Dáil, there was 'radio silence' from Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and his party is not due to gather until Monday.

Mr Doherty said he welcomed the fact that Fianna Fáil leader Micheal Martin has apparently softened his stance towards coalition with Sinn Féin

Mr Boyd Barrett said he believed there would be discussions between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil about a possible coalition and also Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin and the Greens.

This has been a seismic and groundbreaking election that has changed the face of Irish politics, writes David Davin-Power

As the cost of a campaign that misfit the public mood was counted today he recalibrated, slightly. He spoke of electoral ‘volatility’ and the ‘continuing fragmentation’ of national politics.

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire, Sinn Féin’s bright young hope, beamed as his cheering supporters hoisted him aboard their shoulders like a rock star after securing 14,057 votes in Cork South Central.

Sinn Féin are the main beneficiaries and drivers of this winnowing.

Across the Atlantic, we have witnessed some very odd behaviour by two senior politicians, in the form of petulance in the US House of Congress.

Nobody from Sinn Féin has contacted Paul Quinn’s family, according to the murdered 21-year-old’s mother.

The mother of an IRA murder victim has demanded that Sinn Féin sack one of its Stormont ministers for accusing her son of being a criminal.

There was a whiff of desperation about the abuse heaped on Sinn Féin and its economic plan by Simon Coveney and Paschal Donohoe, their denunciations echoing around the City Assembly rooms yesterday morning.

Each of the three party leaders were falling over themselves to present the face of change last night, writes Michael Clifford

At last this dullest of elections has caught fire. Now it threatens to be a bonfire.

We take a sideways look at the election.

Alison O'Connor joins the canvass.

Getting hacks out of their beds at 4am to cover a Fine Gael campaign event at Dublin Port will never win you favours among the media.

There is a lingering suspicion that everybody in Thursday’s TV leaders debate was administered a high dose of adrenaline as they entered the studio. All were out of the blocks as if they’d been pumped up on something, and none more so than co-presenter Ivan Yates.

Another debate, another ninety minutes wired for sound and on guard for a slip or stray word.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has found her mojo. But even she, in private, must be surprised at how well her party appears to be doing in this general election campaign, writes Alison O’Connor

It was, McDonald declared, “game on for reunification”, insisting that there has to be a referendum on Irish unity within five years.

Get up to speed on today's #GE20 news.

Ógra Shinn Féin took a, possibly ill-advised, skewed stance on leader Mary Lou McDonald’s strong debate performance

The Meath West TD left the party in 2018 following a row over the abortion referendum.

The Sinn Féin leader will be part of a seven-person debate the following week.

Sinn Féin found itself in hot water yesterday, while Fianna Fáil left reporters yawning, writes David Davin-Power.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has decided not to sanction a party councillor who said he would like to see “someone who knows what it’s like to have kids” running the country as opposed to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.

Mary Lou McDonald failed in her first major political test as party leader last May. Now, she has weeks to save her job, writes political editor Daniel McConnell.

II has been quite the week in politics, filled with expectation, nerves, and dollops of anxiety and crankiness. And that is just in Leinster House. The public are not the only ones who want rid of Brexit.

So that’s nearly Monday wrapped up. Here’s some of the stories we published on irishexaminer.com today which we hope will help you make sense of it all this evening.

It will be a pity if Mary Lou McDonald does not pull Sinn Féin together, or if her effort to do so is hampered by those in the party who think they know better than she does.

After its poor showing in the recent elections, Sinn Féin faces a tough task to make up ground before the next general election, writes Political Editor Daniel McConnell.

A Sinn Féin MEP candidate has warned the party will be in "trouble" at the next general election unless it learns lessons "very, very quickly" from its local and European elections slump.

You don’t need much self-awareness to realise that if you’re making the DUP leader, Arlene Foster, sound reasonable, you’re in trouble.

Goethe wrote in 1832, “I hate all bungling like sin. but most of all bungling in state affairs, which produce nothing but mischief to thousands and millions”.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald had a good abortion referendum campaign, but a bad presidential election, writes Alison O'Connor