Life in Varadkar’s Ireland will be a bright new dawn, Leo informed us outside Government Buildings, writes Daniel McConnell

The Independent Alliance is demanding more free votes within Government if Leo Varadkar is to secure its members’ votes to become taoiseach next Tuesday.

Simon Coveney has warned against dropping Health Minister Simon Harris from Cabinet.

Speculation is continuing that incoming taoiseach Leo Varadkar may ask close supporter Paschal Donohoe to take over as Finance Minister in addition to his Public Expenditure role.

They were all singing for their supper, but now the meals are coming who will be left hungry? Fiachra Ó Cionnaith assesses the likely winners and losers in incoming Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s new cabinet.

Incoming Taoiseach Leo Varadkar may ultimately appoint his leadership rival Simon Coveney as Tánaiste as part of a peace offering to ease party divisions.

“Prejudice has no hold in this Republic”, Fine Gael’s new leader Leo Varadkar has said after sweeping to an historic election victory.

JUST for a minute, Leo the Unflappable let down the guard which he had so carefully kept in place throughout the last two and half tumultuous, hectic weeks under the white-hot scrutiny of party members and the media. He had stuff to say which he had left unsaid throughout the contest, things he felt deeply about, writes Lise Hand.

Bertie had his kitchen cabinet. Enda had ‘Big’ Phil Hogan and a silent but deadly Michael Noonan. And, if comments from Kate O’Connell are to be believed, Leo has an entire choir, writes Fiachra Ó Cionnaith.

A defeated Simon Coveney last night said his dogged determination to stay in the race to become Taoiseach forced his party to “look itself in the mirror” and address serious issues affecting the public.

Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar has said his election proves that “every proud parent in Ireland today can dream big dreams for their children”.

There will be nothing very revolutionary about the makeup of the new cabinet, writes Elaine Loughlin.

When Leo Varadkar got to his feet in the Dáil taking Leaders Questions in April, filling in for Enda Kenny, some of his closest allies realised this very well could be the next Taoiseach, writes Juno McEnroe.

WHEN British Prime Minister Theresa May cast aside her assurances that she would not call an election, her opponents, and a growing number who are happy to be numbered in their ranks, accused her of trying to stage a coup.

INTENTIONAL or not, the Fine Gael leadership contest has been a PR masterstroke, writes, Political Reporter Elaine Loughlin.

Latest: The Labour Party leader, Brendan Howlin, has said Leo Varadkar must unite everyone in the country if he is to be elected as Taoiseach.

Leo Varadkar has never been shy about his ambitions.

Latest: New Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar has denied there is a split in the party following the leadership campaign.

The leader of Fine Gael is expected to be declared before 6pm this evening after a 16-day campaign.

Whoever wins, Simon Coveney or Leo Varadkar, Cormac expects a call from Ireland’s next Taoiseach tomorrow.

As the voting gets underway to decide the leadership of Fine Gael, the Environment Minister says he won't be returning to the party.

The likelihood of a snap election in the months after the Fine Gael leadership race has increased sharply after the Government party surged ahead of Fianna Fáil in the latest public support poll

Leo Varadkar and Simon Coveney faced off in the final Fine Gael leadership debate last night.

The Fine Gael leadership contest has risked causing a damaging party rift, after Leo Varadkar accused Simon Coveney of “divisive and dishonest” politics, with his rival claiming that Mr Varadkar is “spending money we don’t have”.

The hustings would be ‘like playing Galatasaray,’ reckoned Kerry TD Brendan Griffin. But the two leadership candidates addressed the fiery final meeting in Cork with low-key, measured addresses, writes Lise Hand

The likelihood of a snap election in the months after the Fine Gael leadership race has increased sharply after the Government party surged ahead of Fianna Fáil in the latest public support poll.

Not everyone may agree with frontrunner’s move away from a liberal agenda, but we have a sense of where he stands, writes Daniel McConnell

Defiant supporters of Housing Minister Simon Coveney have insisted he can still pull it out of the fire as Fine Gael members start casting their votes today for a new leader.

Spurred on by support from Fine Gael grassroots members, Simon Coveney tells Juno McEnroe he believes he can still steal the crown from firm favourite Leo Varadkar

Unlike his first hustings, Leo didn’t read straight from his script, addressing the audience directly and lobbing in a few sly jabs at Simon, writes Lisa Hand

Those who jump out of bed with the first bleep of the alarm clock emit a sort of nauseating righteousness that is hard to take. Let’s not allow them to get away with thinking they are the hardest-working ones too, writes Clodagh Finn.

Latest: Simon Coveney has insisted only his party can be trusted to steer the economy going forward, at the opening of the second night of the Fine Gael leadership debates in Carlow.

Latest: Simon Coveney and Leo Varadkar have clashed sharply during a lively debate during their first head-to-head hustings in Dublin this evening

Despite sunshine, a few storm clouds rolled in from the south for Leo, writes Lise Hand.

Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary said he’s strongly backing Leo Varadkar and not fellow Corkman Simon Coveney to become the new Fine Gael leader because he believes that the country needs a fresh change.

The race to be the next taoiseach will heat up this evening as rivals Leo Varadkar and Simon Coveney go head-to-head in the first of four nights of hustings for the Fine Gael leadership contest.

Leo Varadkar has attacked Sinn Féin claiming the party are "the greatest threat to our democracy", writes Elaine Loughlin of the Irish Examiner.

Simon Coveney says he can win the fight to be the next Fine Gael leader and Taoiseach by just 2% if he can reverse just six votes for his rival and win the support of most members and councillors.

The Housing Minister believes he is the right person to take over from Enda Kenny.

Leo Varadkar’s supporters are defying overtures from Simon Coveney’s camp to change their position with one TD declaring he would not “commit political suicide” and reverse his stance.

“She’s 100% committed. He’ll just have to target someone else.” It may still officially be a polite, cordial oh-so-Fine Gael leadership race, but there is no mistaking the fact the gloves are slowly coming off in the fight to become taoiseach.

Fianna Fáil will demand a renegotiation of the confidence and supply agreement if the new Fine Gael leader attempts to introduce policies into the programme for government.

One minute, you’re at your first-ever concert wearing kitten-ears, waving a pink balloon and singing your little heart out. The next, you’re screaming, your innocence shattered, your bones broken, your secure and happy world fallen apart.

Fine Gael leadership contender Simon Coveney has insisted he can win the support of seven TDs and MEPs who have not declared — turning the election into a ‘knife-edge’ contest.