There's been a lot of commentary about the deepening rivalry between Sinn Féin on the left and Fine Gael on the right. Is this dynamic slowly replacing the old two-party struggle between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil? Some argue no, it's not, or not yet at least: Fianna Fáil are currently the biggest party in the Dáil. Fine Gael has not performed well in subsequent elections, while Sinn Fein's new-found support may yet turn out to be fleeting. But exit poll data from the last general election suggest that Sinn Féin and Fine Gael are indeed becoming the new poles of our political system. And interactions between the two parties - in the Dáil, on the airwaves and on social media - have become increasingly bitter. To discuss this phenomenon, Hugh and Pat are joined by Dr Theresa Reidy, a political scientist at University College Cork's Department of Government. Live event: Join Hugh, Jennifer Bray, Jennifer O’Connell, Fintan O'Toole and Pat Leahy as they look back on this remarkable year in a live Irish Times Inside Politics event at 7pm on Thursday, December 10th. Get tickets to ‘A Year Like No Other’ here: https://www.irishtimes.com/virtual-events/a-year-like-no-other