Forecasts mixed as voters go to the polls in Ireland

Nearly 2 million voters cast ballots Thursday in Ireland's second general election in eight months.

Conflicting last-minute opinion polls Thursday afternoon forecast victory for both Prime Minister Garret FitzGerald's coalition government of Fine Gael and Labor Parties and for Charles Haughey's Fianna Fail Party.

Mr. Haughey is being opposed in his own Dublin constituency by Bernadette Devlin McAliskey, the former member of Parliament, who has fully recovered from an assasination attempt a year ago. She was not expected to win a seat. Provisional Sinn Fein, the political wing of the outlawed Irish Republican Army, had seven candidates, including two prisoners.

It seemed likely the result will be in doubt until Saturday.