The Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil leaders will both fail to be elected Taoiseach when the Dáil meets this afternoon.
It might be 40 days since the election, and seem like we've been without a fully functioning Government for ages, but in fact we've waited longer before.
In 1992 and 1993 when the 27th Dáil met they failed to elect a Taoiseach for 29 days and it was only on the 4th attempt that they succeeded – today is 27 days since the 32nd Dáil made a first attempt.
Enda Kenny, Micheál Martin, Gerry Adams and Ruth Coppinger – the first woman to be nominated for Taoiseach – will all be voted on, but none will secure a majority.
The Fine Gael leader will make one final bid to woo Independents at a meeting at 11am today, but none will nail their colours to the mast when they don't know what the two big parties will agree to.
The result will be a formal meeting between Micheál Martin and Enda Kenny this evening to begin discussions on just how a stable Government of some sort can be put together.
