When counting is eventually complete, Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil remain the dominant parties in local government.
With a first count returned from all but one of the 166 local electoral areas around the country, both parties have 22.9% of first preference votes.
At midnight, with more than 700 seats filled nationwide, Fine Gael was in the lead with 199 councillors, ahead of 180 for Fianna Fáil
147 Independents have been elected so far, while Sinn Féin has 77 councillors returned as they pull well clear of Labour, with 47, to be the third largest party in local government.
The Social Democrats have seen 30 of their candidates elected, the bulk of which have won seats in the east of the country.
Nineteen members of Independent Ireland have been elected so far.
For the other Government party, the Green Party, it appears likely to hold relatively steady with 18 candidates elected.
Six local authorities have completed counting, including the largest one - Dublin City Council.
Clare, Leitrim, Monaghan and Tipperary County Councils and Waterford City and County Councils are all also finished.
Earlier, Taoiseach Simon Harris insisted that he will not be calling a snap election, despite favourable results.
Sinn Féin is poised to make gains on its 2019 result, however party leader Mary Lou McDonald told reporters today that it was a disappointing election overall for the party.
Several of its candidates have failed to be elected and Ms McDonald said that the party would "regroup" and "reflect".
She conceded that it has been a disappointing result for the party.
She told RTÉ News that it "hasn't been our day", adding that the party will "reflect" and "regroup" after the elections. Ms McDonald dismissed suggestions that her leadership is in question.
"I will lead this reflection and this process. When the going gets tough, that's the point at which leaders step forward, they don't step down", she said.
In Kilkenny, the country's longest-serving female councillor was re-elected, 50 years after her first election.
Fine Gael councillor Mary Hilda Cavanagh will be returning to Kilkenny County Council.
Asked about her electoral success, she said: "I think hard work, commitment, dedication, being available at all times to my constituents, and the kindness of my electorate. I'm really humbled by the size of my vote."
Meanwhile, in the capital, independent Malachy Steenson was elected to Dublin City Council, telling reporters that he wanted to take "our nation back".
He rejected claims of racism.
Independent candidate Gavin Pepper was also elected in the Ballymun/Finglas electoral area.
Separately, in the South County Dublin Count Centre at Weston Airport, a candidate was removed after an altercation with another politician.
The rise of independents continues to play out.
In Kerry, Maura Healy-Rae has been elected, the third member of the Healy-Rae family elected to local government. All three topped the poll in their respective areas.
A recount was called in Galway in the Athenry-Oranmore LEA after a request from Fine Gael's Eoghan Gallagher who missed out on a seat by 19 votes when Sinn Féin candidate Louis O'Hara and Fianna Fáil's Cillian Keane were deemed elected without reaching the quota on count ten.
In Galway City East, on the 14th count, a full recount was also called.
Another full recount was granted in Cavan, of the votes received by the two lowest candidates in the Bailieborough-Cootehill LEA.
Independent Ireland's Kristopher Shekelton and non-party Garry Cosgrove were both on 727. The recount was called in order to decide which candidate would be eliminated.
More:
How day one unfolded
10 things to watch out for on Day Two of election counts
Report flags issues of intimidation or violence toward candidates
The data: Who spent what on online ads to try to sway your vote?
EU polling stations closed, counting likely to take days
In the southwest, voters in Limerick city and county had the opportunity to directly elect a mayor with executive powers on long-term strategic planning.
Tallies show that Independent candidate John Moran, a former secretary general at the Department of Finance, is in the lead with Independent candidate Helen O'Donnell in second place.
