Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris’s Fine Gael party is locked in a virtual dead heat with Sinn Fein in the general election, suggesting his decision to go to the country early didn’t yield the advantage he predicted.

Ireland's two main governing parties looked on course to return to power as polls opened on Friday, thanks to a giveaway October budget and a loss of momentum by opposition Sinn Fein - a result that would buck a global trend of voters rejecting incumbents.

Sinn Fein has won Ireland’s election, according to exit polls on Friday night, but looks certain to be shut out of power by its rivals after failing to get enough votes to enter government for the first time.