HISTORY MAKERS | SINN FEIN WINS ELECTION IN THE NORTH

Sinn Fein has secured a historic victory by becoming the largest single party in the Northern Ireland Assembly.

With 87 of the 90 Stormont seats declared by 7pm last night, the republican party had won 27, putting it ahead of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) which fell by three seats to 24.

It is the first time a party seeking a united Ireland has topped the poll in the elections for the Northern Ireland Assembly and its success is predicted to lead to further stalemate in the province and uncertainty over border arrangements.

Sinn Fein had received the largest share of first-preference votes in last Thursday’s elections, at just under 30 per cent, and its victory was confirmed when the counting of constituency seats under the transferable vote system was completed on Saturday evening.

The result is likely to continue the uncertainty over the power sharing arrangements in the partitioned part of Ireland, with the DUP warning that it may not return to government with Sinn Fein in Stormont.

It will also complicate talks on post-Brexit trade checks and the Northern Ireland protocol, which the DUP regards as “incompatible” with the peace agreement.

However the result will also release a burst of unbridled joy and celebration from pro Irish communities in the North. For many, this has been a long time coming, indeed it is a first for Catholics and indigenous Irish folks living in the partitioned part of the country. 

The calls for a referendum on Irish unity will now grow louder, with the Irish government expected to come under pressure to get their finger out and start acting like they care about people in the north.

We're not quite there yet, but the distinct sound of our children's laughter is not far off.