SINN Féin have dropped to a narrow fourth place in preferred European election candidates, according to a poll of voters in the Republic.
The poll from The Journal and Ireland Thinks of 1,161 people ahead of the June 7 vote showed that independent candidates (23%) were the most popular choice followed by Fine Gael (18%), Fianna Fail (17.7%) and Sinn Féin (17.4%) with a drop of 4.6%.
Smaller parties accounted for the rest with the Green Party (7.2%), Social Democrats (5.3%), Aontú and others (5%), Labour (3.5%) and Solidarity-People Before Profit (2.8%).
Sinn Féin remain popular among younger voters, however, with 22% of those aged 18-34 picking them as their top party.
Most (30%) in this age category still said they would pick independents and others, while more picked the Green Party (13%) and Social Democrats (10%) than Fine Gael and Fianna Fail who both had 9%.
This was broadly reflected with 35-64-year-olds – who picked independents (32%), Fine Gael and Sinn Féin (both 18%) and Fianna Fail (15%).
For the over 65s, there was a more traditional picture with Fianna Fail (32%) ahead, followed by Fine Gael (26%), independents (18%) and Sinn Féin (12%).
By gender, men and women equally backed independent parties at 28%.
Women also picked Fine Gael (22%) as the second most popular option followed by Sinn Féin (16%) and Fianna Fail (14%).
Men picked Fianna Fail second at (21%), with Sinn Féin third (18%) and Fine Gael (15%).
The poll also suggests a hight turnout, with 90% stating they were “very likely” to vote, contrasting with 2019 when just under half of eligible voters turned up at the polls.
