Michael Marsh

How Ireland Voted 2020: putting the poll under the microscope

A FF-FG-Green coalition symbolised end of an era but does SF rise mean radical change?

How might a government be formed?

Along with many other things inherited from Britain, we have been used to seeing government in terms of a majority, often comprised of one, but occasionally two, or more parties.

Has there really been a swing to the left?

There have been a lot of false dawns for those hoping for politics in Ireland move away from its civil war based structure to a left right pattern of competition along typical European lines.

'Exit poll suggests much work ahead for party leaders'

We are only too aware of how we can be misled sometimes by exit polls, but the big picture this poll gives is the best we have to go on at the moment.

Will turnout be affected by Saturday vote?

The coming General Election is likely to be remembered for a seismic change in the party system but it is also remarkable as it will take place on a Saturday.

Poll of Polls: SF up, FF & FG down

The latest Ipsos/MRBI poll for The Irish Times confirms the trends we have seen in this campaign with Sinn Féin rising, and Fianna Fáil - and even more so Fine Gael - falling.

Poll of polls: No clear result in sight

Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil's predicted combined seat total could still be short of the 80 seats needed for a majority, writes Michael Marsh

How does the campaign matter?

More recent wisdom is that campaigns do matter. They do help people to decide, but that is not to say that those decisions are unexpected.

Poll of polls suggests lead for FF over FG

The three polls taken this month, the last two since the election was called, provides the basis for this update. All three agreed in suggesting a decline in Fine Gael support, leaving it clearly...

Poll of polls: Fluctuation but little real change