NI Election 2022: Sinn Fein makes history after taking majority of seats
Last updated 7th May 2022
Sinn Fein made history tonight (Saturday) after picking up more seats than any other party in the Stormont Elections.
In doing so, it became the first nationalist or republican party to take the largest share of seats in a Northern Ireland Assembly.
Sinn Fein reached a total of 27 seats pushing the DUP into second place.
Significantly, it means the party's vice-president Michelle O'Neill, is now entitled to the post of First Minister.
In her declaration speech, earlier in the day, Ms O'Neill hailed her party's performance as 'ushering in a new era.'
Whether that happens any time soon is debateable.
That is because the DUP's current position is that while Protocol issue remain it will not re-enter government.
After topping the poll in Mid Ulster, Ms O'Neill said: "Today represents a very significant moment of change.
"Today ushers in a new era which I believer presents us all with an opportunity to reimagine relationships in this society on the basis of fairness, on the basis of equality and the basis of social justice.
"Irrespective of religious, political or social backgrounds my commitment is to make politics work."
And she promised to "lead my team to Stormont on Monday."
"The people have told us during the course of this election that they expect us to work together. The people are right," she added.
And party president Mary Lou McDonald said the Stormont powersharing Executive needed to be re-established.
She said: "We look forward to an Executive being established, I look forward to Michelle O'Neill being nominated as first minister and to have politics that delivers for people.
"We would appeal to everybody to take stock, take breaths and really assess the huge responsibility that all of us carry.
Asked what her message to unionists was, Mrs McDonald said: "Don't be scared."
And she added: "It has been a very successful campaign and we look forward to getting back to work and for Michelle to lead our team on Monday.
"We are here to do business. We need a functioning Executive. People are struggling and struggling badly now.
"They need relief, they need breathing space. We need the £300 million that has lain dormant, to get that into people's pockets.
"Above all else we want to do politics by partnership. I don't think there is any appetite for political posturing or gamesmanship at this point.
"We need good government and the kind of leadership that my friend and colleague Michelle O'Neill will bring."
The Alliance Party has also enjoyed a successful election and emerged as the third biggest party at Stormont, while the UUP and SDLP have had disappointing results.
Alliance leader Naomi Long said: She said: "We went to the electorate based on a record of strong delivery in the last two-and-a-half years.
"We need to get in there (Stormont) on Monday because without government we can't deliver anything in Northern Ireland.
"I think given all the challenges that we face, if we squander this opportunity people will not forgive us, so we need to get in there."
Meanwhile, the DUP collapsed Northern Ireland's power-sharing Executive earlier this year as part of its protest against the Northern Ireland Protocol, and has vowed not to re-enter government until their concerns are met.
The DUP, led by Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, comfortably retained its position as the largest unionist party despite a drop in its overall share of the vote.
Speaking at the count at the Titanic Exhibition Centre, Sir Jeffrey said unionism "has held its ground".
"The unionist vote remains strong, we are the largest designation in the Assembly, I think there is a lot of spin around results and I'm very pleased with how the DUP has done in our constituencies," he said.
"We've held a remarkable number of seats where people were predicting all kinds of negative things, so we have strong foundations, we continue to build on them."
Asked whether Northern Ireland will have devolved government in 2022, Sir Jeffrey said: "Let's cross all the bridges when we get to them."
He also said he will make it clear next week whether he will return to Stormont or remain at Westminster.
Sir Jeffrey was elected on the first count in Lagan Valley.