A surge in support for independents and fringe parties is leading to an increasingly fragmented Irish party system

The 2011 Irish general election is generally regarded as an ‘earthquake election’, with the governing Fianna Fáil party – traditionally the dominant force in Irish politics – suffering heavy losses and a Fine Gael-Labour Party coalition coming to power in its place. With the next general election due to be held within 18 months, Rory Costello assesses how party support has developed during the course of the current parliament. He writes that while Fianna Fáil has recovered some of its support, the real story has been a surge in the popularity of independents and fringe parties.