Irish general election: 25 February 2011

[Silent Hunter]

Is it possible that Labour voters are leaving for FG in fear of a 'Guns and Roses' scenario?

That would be an FF-Labour coalition, correct? The "Guns" being FF.

Good one Taoisigh; hopefully the media will pick that one up.

[Silent Hunter]

Best to ask this now rather than later...

How do we watch the results when they come in?

[Silent Hunter]

BBC Parliament are showing the RTE debate from 6.00pm tonight.

[Silent Hunter]

BBC Parliament are showing the RTE debate from 6.00pm tonight.

Actually it was 7.00pm; it might be on iPlayer.

My take on the debate.

Comments are welcome, especially from those who have more experience of Ireland than one holiday.

[Silent Hunter]

I see the exit poll is being announced at 8am. Is there a particular reason why Ireland doesn't make people stay up into the wee hours to learn who's going to govern the country? I know NI used to do it.

[Silent Hunter]

I see the exit poll is being announced at 8am. Is there a particular reason why Ireland doesn't make people stay up into the wee hours to learn who's going to govern the country? I know NI used to do it.

Counting transfers in an STV system takes too long. If they did it overnight, they wouldn't have any results until 4 am or so anyway.

So there is no point in watching television coverage of election night?

There is; it's just election results day instead; you can stay in on Saturday and watch the Irish election results.

[Silent Hunter]

I see the exit poll is being announced at 8am. Is there a particular reason why Ireland doesn't make people stay up into the wee hours to learn who's going to govern the country? I know NI used to do it.

Counting transfers in an STV system takes too long. If they did it overnight, they wouldn't have any results until 4 am or so anyway.

So there is no point in watching television coverage of election night?

I think last time they announced the first count and then went to bed (might be remembering that wrong), but I think all counting is happening the next morning this time.

In 2002, a test with electronic voting in 3 constituencies was done - those counts were done pretty much immediately after polls closed.

Other than that, we've always stuck with counting the day after (and the day after that).

Counts will begin at 9a.m. It'll probably be a couple of hours before a reasonable idea of what's going on emerges.

Personally, I used to think the NI reason was to avoid drunken sectarian fights...

[Silent Hunter]

Could we get a results thread set up, please, Al?

[Silent Hunter]

I don't know of any election count in this country that would go to a commercial break, even on ITV1.

(I'm watching the simulcast on BBC Parliament).