Its a 'very good day' for Sinn Féin - Lynn Boylan

Sinn Féin MEP Lynn Boylan has said that today has been "a very good day" for her party.

She said that her party's campaign message had been one of hope and positivity, which, she said, tried to create an alternative to Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael's "monopoly on power".

In terms of the number of candidates being run by her party, she said that they seemed to have "finally got it right".

"I think we've certainly learned the lessons of the campaigns and we reflect very carefully on election results and listening to the membership on the ground and I think that that's certainly played out now in terms of this candidates' election," she said.