With the dust settled on the 2024 Irish general election, attention has turned to the negotiations which will lead to the formation of the next coalition government. Despite finishing in second place, with a seat tally of 39 (in a parliament of 174 seats), Sinn Féin will not be invited to those talks.

Instead, the party is destined for another stint on Dáil Éireann’s opposition benches. It will be tasked with holding some variant of a Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael-dominated administration to account.

Despite the efforts of some in Sinn Féin to spin the election in a positive light, the result represents a significant setback for the party – and will prompt much soul-searching within its ranks.

Sinn Féin’s vote share fell for the first time in 35 years, down 5.5 percentage points from its poll-topping 24.5% in 2020. That was the largest fall for any party. In a proportional representation voting system, it was also the only opposition party to register a loss in first preference vote share.

Given the relative unpopularity of the outgoing government – and the broader picture of incumbents being punished in most other elections in 2024 – Sinn Féin’s failure to make electoral hay will........

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