All 108 seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly have been filled this evening with the Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Féin showing the greatest gains.
With the Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Féin as the two biggest parties, the result is likely to lead to political wrangling and another stalemate in the North.
The Irish and British governments said in a statement tonight efforts to try and restore devolution in Northern Ireland would begin next week.
Counting resumed at 9 a.m. after a full day of counting yesterday. All 108 seats have now been allocated. The DUP has surged into the lead with 30 seats, the UUP have 27, Sinn Féin have 24, the SDLP have 18 seats, the Alliance Party have six, the UKUP and PUP have one each and an indenpendent hospital candidate, Dr Kieran Deeny, has been elected in West Tyrone.
The Women's Coalition have lost bboth of their Assembly seats, while the UKUP lost four.
The counting was also disastrous for the SDLP, which with 118,000 votes slipped from first to last of the four main parties compared to five years ago. The party was the first-preference poll-topper with 22 per cent of the vote in the 1998 Assembly election - but won only 17 per cent this time.
In the last assembly election in 1998, the Ulster Unionists won 28 seats, the SDLP 24, the DUP 20 and Sinn Fein had 18 MLAs.
Although there has been speculation that DUP pragmatists might deal with Sinn Féin, the party leader Dr Ian Paisley emphasised yesterday that he would not negotiate with Sinn Féin. "Anyone who talks to Sinn Féin will be out of my party," he said.
The DUP's Mr Gregory Campbell insisted the British prime minister and the Taoiseach would have to admit Belfast Agreement was no longer workable. The East Derry MLA said: "Both of them will have to face up to the same reality as David Trimble.
"They will have to wake up and smell the roses. There is a need for a new settlement which can command the support of both unionists and nationalists."
The Taoiseach said he was ready to move into a review of the Belfast Agreement but that would not amount to a renegotiation of the deal.
Mr Ahern and the British prime minister, Mr Blair, met in Cardiff today for around 45 minutes for talks which were described as very productive by aides. They are expected to meet with the North's parties early next week.
"We now have to find the path ahead," the Taoiseach said following the meeting. "The principles and the value of the Good Friday Agreement do not change."
Ulster Unionist Party leader, Mr David Trimble, today held out the possibility of another election in Northern Ireland in the near future. Mr Trimble said the election result was likely to end in a "stalemate" and that he was not ruling out the possibility of doing it again in six months time.
UUP rebel Mr Jeffrey Donaldson dismissed accusations that he was out-of-step with his own party saying: "If I am getting it so wrong, why is the electorate supporting me?" "They want change," he said.
Asked if he would challenge Mr Trimble for the leadership of UUP, he said: "It is time for change and if a vacancy arises I will consider putting my name forward".