Fergal Davis: Fianna Fáil and Sinn Fein will need voters to forgive and forget.

Politicians are doing a lot of pedalling these days. Australian pollies are literally pedalling their bikes from Adelaide to Geelong – for charity.

We’re also being pedalled – peddled –  a lot of lines about surpluses and deficits and funding of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

Colleagues with expertise in economics assure me that every time a politician explains the nation’s finances in terms of a household mortgage, an economics fairy loses its wings.

There’s been a fair bit of political pedalling going on back in Ireland as well. April began with the Fine Gael ard fheis (party conference) and ended with a gathering of the Fianna Fáil faithful.

In between Labour squirmed, a “left-wing” party in an austerity government. While Sinn Féin confidently strutted the stage – the modern party mask slipped slightly when “Sniper at Work” badges glorifying the IRA past were found on sale at the conference.

The State’s two “Republican” parties – Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin – are both showing remarkable electoral strength and with improving polling figures comes increased scrutiny. That presents a problem, the same problem, for both parties.

Few political parties have been as tainted as Fianna Fáil.

By 2011, the party founded by De Valera had become indelibly associated with corruption. It was plagued by scandals throughout the 80s, 90s and into the noughties. Frankly, their shenanigans make the Obeids look like choirboys.

To make matters worse Fianna Fáil oversaw the mismanagement of the Celtic Tiger. And when it all went to pot in the tumultuous days of the GFC, it was a coalition of Fianna Fáil and the Greens who decided to guarantee the debt of failing Irish banks.

The party’s brand was toxic. It was unelectable – about as popular as a Labor prime minister in Western Australia, or western Sydney come to that.

Fianna Fáil had been one of the most successful political parties in the world, from its inception in 1926 until its dramatic downfall. In the 2007 general election the party won 77 Dáil seats; in 2011 they were reduced to 20.

But despite the peann luaidhe (pencil) revolution – as James Downey of the Irish Independent dubbed it – the story did not end in 2011.

Yet Fianna Fáil is enjoying the most unlikely rebirth since Lazarus. For Sinn Féin the story is more complicated.

Many voters in Ireland are post-Belfast Agreement voters. They’ve only ever known the “post-conflict” Sinn Féin. That presents a real possibility for the party to project a new identity.

The anti-austerity, pro-public sector face of Sinn Féin is re-enforced by strong Dáil performances. Parliamentary performances are so strong that many see Gerry Adams as the weakest member of the Sinn Féin Parliamentary Party (although his tweets are surreally amusing).

The problem for Sinn Féin is that for too many it remains dogged by its association with the Troubles. Surprisingly, this is less of an issue in Stormont. That is probably because the political arrangements there entrench the Northern Irish conflict in the politics of the Assembly.

But in the Republic there remains a squeamishness – a hypocritical squeamishness – about the prospect of having Sinn Féin in government. After all, if we insist on Sinn Féin’s participation in government in Belfast we have no right to baulk at their involvement in Dublin.

In reality, the “new” Sinn Féin could be a force for political change in Ireland.  Most great leaps forward in Irish politics have come from “new” political forces.

In the 1940s (human rights barrister and former IRA chief of staff) Seán MacBride’s Clann na Poblachta married constitutional republicanism to a social conscience and succeeded in eradicating tuberculosis.

In the 80s, the Progressive Democrats shone a light on corruption and seemed ready to replace the decades of Civil War politics with something more ideologically grounded.

The new Sinn Féin presents a similar opportunity. But it frequently undermines its own efforts. It has a history and a core constituency it needs to appease.

Selling IRA memorabilia and even calling for a referendum on a United Ireland – at a time of heightened tension in the North and despite little evidence that such a referendum would pass – conflict with the party’s efforts to be seen as a mature political force.

In late April Red C released a poll on Irish voting intentions: Fine Gael on 28 per cent; Fianna Fáil on 25 per cent; Sinn Féin on 16 per cent; and Labour down on 11 per cent. These figures are broadly in line with other polls over the past few months. They show a resilience in Fine Gael and a collapse in Labour support.

More significantly, Red C’s Richard Colwell says that these figures show “that the opposition parties are going to have to do far more … to persuade further voters to switch to them”.

To do that both Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin will need people to forgive and to forget.

Fergal Davis is a Senior Lecturer in Law at The University of New South Wales. He is active on Twitter, as @Fergal_Davis.

Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness has been invited to attend an event with the Queen on Wednesday. (Pic: File photo)

An historic handshake planned between the Queen and Martin McGuinness is to take place behind closed doors, it has emerged.

The Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister will attend a cross-border event in Belfast on Wednesday, which Irish President Michael D Higgins will also attend.

But the initial meeting and handshake between the Queen and the senior Sinn Féin representative is expected to take place in a private room at the beginning of the engagement, sources close to the planning have said.

The meeting is nevertheless being seen as a major milestone in efforts to normalise relations between nationalists and unionists.

Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams confirmed that his party’s ruling executive had backed the planned meeting.

But he added: “This will understandably cause difficulties for some republicans and nationalists, especially for those folks who suffered at the hands of British forces.”

The leading peace charity Co-operation Ireland is to host the event for the Queen and Mr Higgins to celebrate the arts and culture across the island at Belfast’s Lyric Theatre on Wednesday.

Sinn Féin’s ruling council, the ard comhairle, met for four hours in Dublin yesterday before announcing its decision to accept the invitation made to Mr McGuinness.

Mr Adams said Sinn Féin wanted to see a new republic in which the traditions of orange and green could be brought together in a cordial union.

The ard comhairle decision was not unanimous but was a clear majority, the party confirmed.

There has been speculation since the Queen’s momentous visit to the Republic of Ireland in May last year that a senior Sinn Féin figure would meet her during the two-day trip planned for Northern Ireland next week to mark the Diamond Jubilee.

Mr McGuinness, a former IRA commander, was always the candidate to shake the Queen’s hand but delicate talks have been going on for months to arrange a suitable venue and occasion.

Sinn Féin has stressed the meeting is not a celebration of the Jubilee.

Mr Adams said of the party’s decision: “We don’t have to do it. We’re doing it because it’s the right thing to do, despite the fact that it will cause difficulties for our own folk.

“But it’s good for Ireland. It’s good for this process we’re trying to develop. It’s the right time and the right reason.

“After Martin McGuinness completes this engagement he will be as true, as staunch, as active a republican as he ever was.”

It is understood the meeting will take place without cameras being present, before the Queen, Mr McGuinness and other key guests including Mr Higgins and Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson join the main event, which will be covered by the media.

Mr Adams said his party held 40 meetings with republican activists across Ireland on Thursday to discuss the issue ahead of yesterday’s meeting of the Sinn Féin leadership.

It had been believed that plans for a 20,000-strong Diamond Jubilee celebration, to be held at Stormont during the Queen’s trip, made it more difficult for republicans to hold the meeting there.

But an engagement involving not only the Queen but also Ireland’s head of state provides a more acceptable backdrop for Sinn Fein.

The handshake will be viewed as another in a long list of dramatic advances in Anglo-Irish relations.

One of the most significant was the Queen laying a wreath at the Garden of Remembrance in Dublin, which honours republicans who died fighting British rule, followed by a tour of the headquarters of the GAA, before she spoke Irish at a banquet in her honour.

Since those events Mr McGuinness has spoken several times of how he was struck by the Queen’s gestures.

Mr Robinson, leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, has said republicans should pay due respect to the Queen as a recognition of her importance to many in Northern Ireland.

The First Minister was among those who said such a meeting would also be difficult for the Queen, given that her own family was hurt by republican violence when the IRA killed Lord Mountbatten in a 1979 bombing in Co Sligo.

Co-operation Ireland, established in 1979, creates opportunities for groups from the two main religious communities in Northern Ireland and from both sides of the border to learn about each other’s traditions and cultural backgrounds in order to help build a society based on tolerance and acceptance of cultural difference.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny, who was in Scotland at the British-Irish Council summit today, which was also attended by Mr McGuinness, said he had been confident the handshake would be agreed to.

Mr Kenny said: “The Queen herself, when she spoke in Dublin Castle, said in hindsight if we could do things again there are some things that we might do differently, and some things that we wouldn’t do at all.

“We’re in a very different space in 2012. We’re in a modern era.”

Mr Kenny said a refusal to shake hands would have been a very retrograde step.

Mr Adams called for support for the royal meeting and handshake from republicans and nationalists and said it was a “symbolic and significant step”.

He urged people opposed to the move to protest peacefully.

Former Cabinet minister Lord Tebbit, whose wife was paralysed in the 1984 Brighton bombing, said: “Personally, I think it is hopeful that Mr McGuinness has decided, presumably on behalf of Sinn Féin, that he should accept the sovereignty of the Queen over Northern Ireland.

“I hope it will be followed by some further moves to express repentance for violence that was caused by Sinn Féin-IRA.”

The Tory peer went on: “We know the views of the people of Northern Ireland. They wish to remain within the UK, so hopefully Martin McGuinness now realises that what went on was violence without a point.”

Martin McGuinness has been invited to an event with the Queen, by a cross-border charity.

Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness has been invited to attend an event with the Queen during her Northern Ireland visit next week.

The invitation by a major cross-border charity comes after speculation the senior republican may hold an historic first meeting with the Queen.

Sinn Féin previously said it had yet to be presented with a “doable proposition” over such an encounter.

Now Co-operation Ireland has announced it is to host an event for the Queen and the President of Ireland next Wednesday to celebrate the arts and culture across the island.

It said: “We are inviting the First Minister and Deputy First Minister to join us.”

Meanwhile, RTÉ reports that Sinn Féin will meet later today to discuss whether Mr McGuinness should attend the function.

The Co-operation Ireland reception could set up an historic first meeting and handshake between a British monarch and a senior Sinn Féin figure.

With staff writer

Micheál Martin said his party would not join a coalition with Sinn Féin.

Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams has accused the Fianna Fáil leader of an outrageous attack after he said his party was guilty of prolonging suffering across the island.

The war of words broke out after Micheál Martin used the annual Arbour Hill commemoration flatly to rule out the possibility of a coalition. He has since gone on to criticise Sinn Féin for supporting the IRA.

Mr Adams claimed the attack was motivated by difficulties in Fianna Fáil – in particular Micheál Martin’s leadership and challenges from within against its pro-European treaty stance.

“I believe that many people across the island, not least supporters and members of Mr Martin’s own party, will be disappointed at his remarks,” said Mr Adams.

“The irony of Deputy Martin using an Easter commemoration at Arbour Hill to launch an attack on republicans will be lost on very few.”

Mr Adams insisted that Sinn Féin had been central to bringing peace to Ireland.

He accused Mr Martin of party political point-scoring and said he was using the conflict in Northern Ireland in a cynical and opportunistic way.

The Fianna Fáil leader reiterated his remarks that the party would not join Sinn Féin in a coalition.

He said he believed Sinn Féin had been dishonest about its links with the Provisional IRA, and that there had been a lack of accountability over the Troubles.

“I don’t see Sinn Féin as a Republican party. In the first instance, their actions not just in the past but up to the present day are the very antithesis about what Republicanism should mean,” Mr Martin told RTÉ Radio.

“Republicanism to me is the capacity to unite Protestant and Catholic at the centre and Sinn Féin don’t have that capacity.”

Mr Martin said many people found it hard to accept Sinn Féin because of the “murders and activities” the IRA was engaged in.

He added that many ex-members of the paramilitary group admit there was a real disillusionment among the organisation, particularly in the mid-1970s, about its connection with the War of Independence.

Mr Martin also claimed Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin have conflicting policies on the economy – most notably given the fact Fianna Fáil is campaigning for a Yes vote in the referendum on the European fiscal treaty on May 31, while Sinn Féin is staunchly opposed.

Earlier this week, Mr Martin’s former deputy Éamon Ó Cuív said Sinn Féin would be Fianna Fáil’s preferred coalition partner, were the opportunity to arise in the future.

He said both parties represent true republicanism and that they could work together.

But Mr Ó Cuív and Mr Martin have continued to clash over recent months, with the former being forced to resign from his deputy seat in February after pledging to vote against the European deal.

Despite a gruelling campaign, Martin McGuinness had a spring in his step, holding hands with his wife Bernie, with one of his daughters by his side. (Pic: PA)

You can tell who the happiest politicians are at election counts – they are the ones who don’t want to leave.

That place is usually reserved for the victors, as they enjoy their time in the limelight.

But at the Dublin Castle Count Centre, where the results for the Irish presidential race were declared, it was Sinn Féin who looked as if they might never go home.

Despite a gruelling campaign, Martin McGuinness arrived at the venue with a spring in his step. He was holding hands with his wife Bernie, and the couple were flanked by their two sons and two daughters.

Photographers and reporters raced towards them. The media scrum was intense. It would have frightened Paul O’Connell.

Later in the evening, when the same press pack dived on the diminutive President Elect, there were even concerns that Michael D Higgins and his wife might be injured.

But the man from Derry seemed to be enjoying it all.

He had canvassed every county in Ireland – all 32, he was careful to point out. He had addressed nearly 20 rallies where the venues drew crowds of between 500 and 800 people. But despite the arduous campaign, he looked like a man who would do it all over again.

And after weeks of intense media pressure over his IRA past, the questions were now dominated by enquiries about the Frontline TV debate that saw him sink Sean Gallagher’s campaign.

Sinn Féin are secretly ecstatic at having floored the former Fianna Fail man, but at the count centre Mr McGuinness was rising above it. That was, he said, one for the election analysts.

Gallagher denied all allegations against him following the TV clash, but by that time it was too late.

He had words of praise for Michael D, predicting he would be a great president, and “my president also”.

Critics who queried whether Sinn Féin were disappointed to have added only 3.7% to their general election tally of earlier in the year, were told that coming third in the race, with 13.7% support and a quarter of a million votes, was a good month’s work.

They also nodded towards the dejected Gallagher camp, and towards McGuinness’s election nemesis – the ashen-faced Gay Mitchell. His Fine Gael party rides high with nearly 40% support in opinion polls, but his personal result crashed to 6%.

Cynics said the wily Sinn Fein team were “playing at” being pleased.

But the McGuinness family didn’t look like they were acting, as they beamed for a photographer who they had asked to take their picture on the election podium before they left for home.

Martin McGuinness said the election had been the been the experience of a lifetime.

“It’s probably been an election like no other. At the beginning people said that it was dull, boring, they weren’t interested. And then when I came on the scene they said that my presence had electrified the election,” he said.

“And that has been consistent right through, not least the events of the last couple of days where we have exposed cronyism, which has been so much to the detriment to the interests of the citizens of our country.”

He wished the new president well: “But what’s done is done. And what’s won is won. And Michael D has won it and I fully congratulate him.”

The next decade should be one of reconciliation between nationalist and unionist, Martin McGuinness (centre) has said in launching his presidential campaign. (Pic: PA)

The next decade should be one of reconciliation between nationalist and unionist, Martin McGuinness said tonight.

The 1916 Easter Rising and the signing of the Ulster Covenant against Home Rule will be among important commemorations which the next president will have to mark.

Mr McGuinness launched his election campaign tonight at a Dublin rally.

“It would be my intention as president to use the next ten years from 2012 and the centenary of the formation of the Ulster Volunteers, the Home Rule campaign and the signing of the Ulster Covenant and the anniversary of the 1916 Rising to transform this decade of commemorations into a decade of reconciliation,” he said.

“The decade of reconciliation would celebrate the diverse nature of our society, celebrate the peace we now have and commemorate the events of 100 years ago which defined the direction of Ireland up to the present generation.

:: Tolerant

“I believe that this is what the signatories of the 1916 Proclamation would have wanted. We must continue to reunify the people of Ireland through reconciliation and respect. That is what will lead to an Ireland that is truly united.”

He said a culture of greed was responsible for the financial crisis in Ireland.

“The greed and selfishness that dominated so much of political and business life in Ireland in the Celtic Tiger years is responsible for the financial mess we find ourselves in today,” he added.

“Those responsible for this state of affairs are not patriots. Patriotism is about country and people. It is not about self aggrandisement.

“But greed and selfishness is not the Irish way – local identity, community and sense of place is what defines us as Irish people, knowing and helping your neighbour, being tolerant to those who are different.”

Other candidates are launching their campaigns in the coming days.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny.

Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin is in no position to dictate about television debates, Fine Gael’s Enda Kenny claimed last night (Thursday).

In the opening salvos of the election campaign, Mr Kenny was accused of running scared after shying from a series of live three-way leadership clashes against Mr Martin and Labour’s Eamon Gilmore.

But Sinn Fein – Fianna Fail’s biggest rivals according to opinion polls – turned the tables on Mr Martin claiming he has most to fear from the prime time showdowns.

The Fine Gael chief – bookies’ favourite to become Taoiseach – warned no party should be excluded and called for a five-way debate with Sinn Fein and the Greens.

“Micheal Martin in his first announcement wants to exclude people from debate,” Mr Kenny said.

“It seems to me as if the new Fianna Fail leader wants to dictate the trend of this general election.

“He’s in no position to dictate anything.”

Eamon Gilmore declared his hand immediately after the proposals and accepted an invite to debate.

Mr Martin said he was amazed at Mr Kenny’s reluctance to go head-to-head on a series of television debates, possibly RTE, TV3, Sky and one match up in Irish on TG4.

“Remember it was Enda who said some time ago actually that he was not worried about how many debates and who would participate,” the former foreign affairs minister said.

“I’m absolutely amazed that he would reject my proposal in essence not coming face-to-face with me and Eamon Gilmore.”

Mr Martin added: “I think he should not avoid it. He should come up front and face myself and Eamon Gilmore on debates.”

Fianna Fail are languishing near the bottom of opinion polls and face the daunting challenge of going head-to-head with Sinn Fein to be the third biggest party in the Dail.

At 14%, their rating is a record low and the next Red C poll is due in this weekend’s Sunday Business Post.

Sinn Fein Dail leader Caoimhghin O Caolain said the election was not an X-Factor show.

“Micheal Martin is certainly running scared. Because what he wants over the next three weeks is a campaign that is fought out on the airwaves, in terms of either the television or the radio,” Mr O Caolain said.

“It’s not knocking on the doors, meeting with the constituents on the ground.”

Fine Gael head the polls, with Labour in second, but Mr Gilmore is consistently ranked the country’s most popular leader.

Mr Martin has proposed at least five debates spread out over the four-week campaign before the expected February 25 election. He suggested they would be broadcast on RTE, TV3 and one debate in Irish on TG4, planned for February 16. Sky TV is also trying to get in on the act.

He wanted two three-way debates – Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and Labour – and also head-to-heads between the main leaders.

Mr Martin said if Mr Kenny turned down the TG4 showdown he’d be happy to take on Mr Gilmore alone.

Green leader John Gormley demanded a five-way debate.

Fine Gael are also proposing a five way debate involving the Green Party and Sinn Féin, as well as the larger parties.

Fine Gael has written to broadcasters proposing a debate in a neutral venue with a neutral agreed moderator.

A Fianna Fáil spokesman said that Martin remained of the view that the main debate must be between the three larger parties.

However, he said would participate in a wider debate if Mr Kenny insisted on including Sinn Féin and the Greens.

Brian Cowen

Fianna Fail suffered a bruising last night (Thursday) after an opinion poll put support at just 13%.

It is now in fourth place behind Sinn Fein at 16%, according to the Red C survey for the Irish Sun.

Support for Fine Gael has fallen by 1% to 32% on a similar Red C poll carried out on November 21.

Labour’s popularity has dropped from 27% on the previous poll to 24%.

Support for the Greens remains unchanged at 3%.

The survey of 1,000 adults was carried out on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday this week, days after Sinn Fein’s by-election win in Donegal South West and in the wake of the 85 billion euro bailout.

Red C also asked who they would like to see as the next Taoiseach, with only 8% backing Brian Cowen.

Eamon Gilmore stands at 41% and Enda Kenny at 25%.

Sinn Féin won the Donegal South West by-election in a blow to Ireland’s crisis-hit government.

The party’s candidate Pearse Doherty was declared the victor tonight after four counts having initially seized more than 39% share of the vote.

The result does not immediately threaten government plans to pass a tough budget aimed at saving the crippled economy, but the loss for Fianna Fail raises the political temperature.

Mr Doherty said his win showed the increasing public opposition to the austerity budget and the multi-billion euro bailout planned for Ireland.

“The clear message here is that this government needs to get out of office,” he said.

“And it is not too late for the other parties who claim to care about the disadvantaged in our society to join Sinn Fein in creating a real alternative.”

mfl

Page 2

Voters went to the polls yesterday after the psychological blow of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) arriving in Dublin as it became clear the state’s finances were crippled.

Only 24 hours prior to polling day, Irish premier, Taoiseach Brian Cowen, unveiled his four-year plan for national recovery, which mapped out drastic measures including three billion euro in social welfare cuts, a rise in tax and the axing of 25,000 public sector jobs.

An austerity budget is planned for December 7.

Fianna Fail, the main party of government, had thrown major resources at the contest but saw its vote halved from 50% in 2007 to just 21%.

However, Fianna Fail Minister Eamon O Cuiv said his party polled better than many would have expected following a black week in Ireland’s political history.

“The bigger picture is that if you study the (larger) opposition parties, they did not make the huge gains predicted,” he said.

Mr O Cuiv congratulated Sinn Fein and suggested they would hold the seat in the general election that the government has conceded can take place early next year.

But his contention that Sinn Fein benefited in part from a protest vote was challenged by Mr Doherty.

“This government is in denial,” said the winning candidate, who was flanked by his wife Roisin and his party leader Gerry Adams.

“It was in denial last week over the arrival of the IMF. It is still in denial.

“This is the start of a new beginning in Irish politics.”

The Fianna Fail/Green Party coalition, with the support of independents, commands 82 seats in the Dail parliament, with the opposition and other independents holding 80.

European officials and the IMF are continuing talks with the government over an 85 billion euro rescue package to bail out the economy.

But Mr Doherty said his party opposed seeing “sovereignty” over fiscal decisions passing into outside hands.

Donegal South West is a rural area where people believe they largely missed out on many of the benefits of the Celtic Tiger economic boom. Communities have been hit recently by high unemployment and emigration.

The seat in the Dail Parliament became vacant 18 months ago when Fianna Fail’s Pat “The Cope” Gallagher was elected an MEP.

Mr Doherty launched a successful legal challenge that recently forced the government to hold the delayed by-election.

The stage seemed set for a defeat for Fianna Fail but with the contest taking place in one of its heartlands observers were reluctant to rule out a win against the odds.

That caution was rocked by today’s first preference votes that confirmed a major drop in the support for Fianna Fail.

In the last general election in 2007 the levels of support showed Fine Gael at 23%, Sinn Fein at 21% and Labour at under 3%.

Today Labour increased its standing with 10%, but was expected to do better. Fine Gael took 19%.

Sinn Fein now has five representatives in the Dail.

The party will use the victory to help build its strength.

Gerry Adams, who will fight for a Dail seat in Louth in the general election, said: “Pearse will join the Sinn Fein team in Leinster House in acting as the only effective opposition party determined to oppose the IMF imposed budget.”

Turnout for the by election was put at 56%.

by Steven McCaffrey

DUP leader and NI First Minister Peter Robinson has sensationally lost his Belfast seat.

Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson has sensationally lost his seat in east Belfast.

The MP, whose wife Iris quit in disgrace as MP for Strangford after admitting to an affair, was beaten by the Alliance Party’s Naomi Long, the lord mayor of Belfast, to leave Democratic Unionist Party supporters gasping in disbelief.

Mr Robinson’s support was expected to dip because of his involvement in a controversial land deal, but nobody – not even in the Alliance Party – expected this result which represented an unbelievable 22.9 per cent swing in support.

The defeat was a stunning setback for Mr Robinson who had held the seat since 1979. It was confirmed just minutes after his colleague Ian Paisley Jnr took over from his father as MP for North Antrim.

His big and bitter rival Jim Allister of Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) had been expected to mount a major challenge because of his opposition to Unionists sitting with Sinn Féin in the powersharing government at Stormont.

But he trailed in a poor second, more than 12,500 votes behind Mr Paisley who was favourite to win, but not by such a massive majority. His father, the Ian Paisley, held the seat for 40 years.

The future of Ulster Unionist leader Reg Empey will be in doubt if he fails to oust the DUP’s William McCrea in south Antrim. But it was neck and neck in Fermanagh/South Tyrone where Sinn Fein’s Michelle Gildernew faced huge challenge from Independent Unionist Rodney Connor. The turn out was in the high 70s.

Counting at the Templemore sports centre in Derry had to be suspended because of a bomb alert. The building was evacuated when a car, hijacked earlier in the city, was abandoned in an adjoining car park.

Police moved quickly to evacuate the building where counting was taking place in the Foyle and East Derry constituencies.

As well as the election staff, supporters of some of the candidates left as well and waited on nearby sports pitches. Elderly people living close by had to get out of their homes as well.

Dissident republicans opposed to the Sinn Féin peace process strategy were blamed for the incident.

Police who had been on high alert throughout Northern Ireland because of the security threat had feared some sort of attack, especially in Derry where the dissidents have some support in the city’s nationalist districts.

All doors in the counting hall were locked and sealed, and will not been re-opened until the all-clear is given.

Mark Durkan, the outgoing SDLP MP in Foyle said: “The people responsible for this didn’t stand in the election because they have no mandate. The created an atmosphere of suspicion and people should not be subjected to this type of fear, stress and anxiety,