The state of the parties: From Sinn Féin’s disaster to Greens saving face to Independents’ surge

How the various players stand after the early stages of counting in the local and European elections

The party leaders have much to digest after the elections

Senan Molony

Simon Harris has sensationally turned around the long-running story of a Fine Gael malaise – exemplified by a dozen party mainstays choosing not to stand at the next general election, as if they sniffed something on the wind.

Well, the wind has changed direction and the Blueshirts are back – remarkably much improving their vote on recent polls to avoid a mid-term kicking from the electorate.