Support for Sinn Féin has reached record levels, a new poll for The Sunday Times/Behaviour & Attitudes has found. 

If a general election was held tomorrow 37% of Irish people would give the party their first preference - up 1% since the last time a poll was taken.

In addition, 52% of respondents approve of the job Mary Lou McDonald is doing. 

Support for the party is especially high among young people and blue collar votes - with 51% of these groups planning to vote for the party. 

However, it nosedives among the over 55s - only 26% say they would give it their first preference. 

In second place is Fine Gael on 23%, while their frenemies Fianna Fáil score 22%. 

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has an approval of rating of 50%, while Tánaiste Leo Varadkar gets the thumbs up from 44% of people.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheal Martin shakes hands with Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald as Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar looks on at the final TV leaders' debate at the RTE studios in Donnybrook, Dublin. PA Photo.

Speaking to Newstalk, Stephen O’Brien of The Sunday Times said that Sinn Féin would be quite happy with the poll: 

“While Mary Lou McDonald’s satisfaction rating as party leader hasn’t changed, she’s unchanged on 52%, those around her have either remained unchanged or slipped back,” he explained. 

“So Micheál Martin is down three points to 50, putting Mary Lou McDonald on top of the party leadership satisfaction table if you like.” 

The Green party would win the votes of 4% of people and Eamon Ryan’s job performance is positively viewed by 31% of people - up 3% since the last poll. 

Overall, Government satisfaction has dropped 2% to 44%. 

Independents would poll 8%, the Labour party 5% and Solidarity-People Before Profit and Aontú 1% each. 

The Social Democrats, who are meeting for their national conference this weekend, would score 0%. 

The poll has a margin of error of 3%.

Main image: Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald before she announced the makeup of Sinn Féin's new Dáil frontbench team at the Dail (Leinster House) Photo: Sam Boal/RollingNews.ie