West Tyrone: A rural GP topped the poll in the West Tyrone constituency, getting elected in the first count.
In what local commentators were describing last night as a "real break from traditional Northern Irish voting patterns," Dr Kieran Deeny polled 6,158 first-preference votes.
This compared with the 6,019 first-preferences polled by Sinn Féin's Pat Doherty, the only other candidate elected in the first count. The quota was 5,962 and the turnout 73.24 per cent.
Standing on a "health issues" ticket, the focus of Dr Deeny's campaign was against what he described as the "downgrading" of Tyrone County Hospital in Omagh in favour of the Erne Hospital in Co Fermanagh. The UCD graduate told The Irish Times last night that he was not surprised by the upset.
"The public have given their answer today. They have given me the mandate to go into the Assembly and then into the Health Committee and see to it that the decimation of hospital services in this proud county of Tyrone is stopped."
The SDLP's Joe Byrne was being seen last night as the main casualty of his success, although Dr Deeny expressed his doubts about that. "My vote was totally cross-community. I was in looking at the ballot papers there in the count and I was getting number ones from people who were voting number two UUP, DUP, Sinn Féin and the SDLP." Asked what his position on the Belfast Agreement was, he said he would be taking advice on whether to take a public stance on it. Dr Deeny is said to be pro-agreement.
An outgoing MLA, Mr Byrne, polled just 2,645 first-preference votes. He is also a member of the Policing Board, a factor which some last night were saying was a factor in his losing his seat. Sinn Féin's Barry McElduff, expected to be elected on the third count, said there was an issue of a "lack of nationalist endorsement of policing".
"Health is a major issue and this sends a strong message. But I would stress that Sinn Féin polled 16,000 first-preference votes in West Tyrone, making it the biggest single party."
A second count distributing Dr Deeny's surplus saw Mr McElduff's vote go up to 5,689.
As counting finished last night, it was expected that Sinn Féin's Mr McElduff and Mr Brian McMahon and the DUP's Mr Thomas Buchanan would win seats. That would leave the UUP's Mr Derek Hussey and Mr Brian McMenamin of the SDLP fighting it out for the last seat.