Sinn Féin wins three seats in West Tyrone

Sinn Féin has won three seats in West Tyrone in a constituency which could see the SDLP and UUP left without a seat.

Sinn Féin has won three seats in West Tyrone in a constituency which could see the SDLP and UUP left without a seat.

Sinn Féin's vice-president Pat Doherty and Omagh councillor Barry McElduff were elected on the first count and brought in Strabane District councillor Claire McGill who was elected on the third count.

The two DUP candidates, Tom Buchanan and Allan Bresland, were almost neck-and-neck with one of them certain to be elected. If it were to win two seats, it would be at the expense of outgoing UUP MLA Derek Hussey who did not poll strongly.

The SDLP could pay the price for a fractious selection process which saw the party select three candidates, despite having only the prospect of a single quota. Ronan McGreevy