Historically bad turnout yesterday
Counting in the four by-elections gets under way at 9am this morning.
Voters in Dublin Fingal, Dublin Midwest, Cork North Central and Wexford had their say on who should be their new TDs yesterday.
With historically bad turnout figures yesterday those opening ballot boxes in the four count centres are quietly optimistic they might get done sooner than expected.
Results are likely to come in around mid to late afternoon, though there will be a clear picture by lunchtime of who the contenders are.
Fianna Fáil are favoured to take two seats - in Cork North Central and Wexford.
Though all eyes will be on the performance of controversial Fine Gael candidate Verona Murphy in the model county.
Things are harder to call in the Dublin constituencies.
Fine Gael's Emer Higgins is in contention to replace her party colleague Frances Fitzgerald in Dublin Midwest.
But former Green TD and now Independent Paul Gogarty is also tipped.
Though with a crowded field a shock is possible.
Dublin Fingal is likely to be a battle between the Green Party's Joe O'Brien and Labour's Duncan Smith, with Fianna Fáil Senator Lorraine Clifford Lee also in with a chance of taking the seat.
