Bruton: can he defy history?

Irish General Election

Mr Bruton's main rival is Bertie Ahern of Fianna Fail, but while backing for the Prime Minister's three-party coalition appears to be slipping, there are few indications in the opinion polls that Mr Ahern and his allies will be able to win an overall majority in Friday's vote.

Ahern makes one last push

To do so, a party or coalition would have to win 85 of the 166 seats in the Irish parliament, the Dail. The seats are contested through proportional representation in 41 constituencies. Counting does not start until Saturday and the result is unlikely until Sunday.

Though the opinion polls suggest that a hung parliament is likely, they also predict a big fall in support for the Labour Party of Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Dick Spring, who has played a major role in the Northern Ireland peace talks.

Labour currently holds 30 seats and has held the balance of power in the last two governments.