A TOTAL of 754,296 people voted in the Northern Ireland elections, a turnout of 65 per cent.
Belfast East: No big surprises here, with two main unionist parties sharing four of the seats. Alliance, however, was disappointed it only took one seat for its leader John Alderdice. (DUP, 2; UUP, 2; Alliance, 1)
Belfast North: A 3/2 split between unionists and nationalists. Billy Hutchinson almost clinched a directly elected seat for the PUP. (DUP, 2; UUP, 1; SDLP, 1; SF, 1)
Belfast South: Predictable outcome in a mainly middle class constituency. The Women's Coalition polled almost 1,000 votes, its best showing. (UUP, 2; DUP, 1; SDLP, 1; Alliance, 1)
Belfast West: A crushing blow for the SDLP as Sinn Fain totally reversed the Westminster election result when the SDLP carried the constituency. It augurs well for Gerry Adams in his next Westminster battle against Dr Joe Hendron. (SF, 4; SDLP, 1)
East Antrim: The UUP will have been disappointed not to take three seats in UUP MP Roy Beggs's constituency. (UUP, 2; DUP, 2; Alliance, 1)
North Antrim: Ian Paisley romped home with his son Ian jnr but must have been frustrated not to take a third seat. The UUP performed well to take two seats. (DUP, 2; UUP, 2; SDLP, 1)
South Antrim: Sammy Wilson's recent unwelcome exposure in the Sunday World did not pose difficulties for the DUP, which fared well to take two seats, the same as the UUP. (UUP, 2; DUP 2, SDLP, 1)
North Down: A bitter pill for Robert McCartney in his home constituency. His "crank amateurs" allegation against the UUP must now smack of hubris after the UUP took two seats to his one. (UUP, 2; DUP, 1; UK Unionist, 1; Alliance, 1)
South Down: Another good result for Sinn Fein which, against the odds, won one seat. The local SDLP team led by Eddie McGrady polled firmly, taking three seats. (SDLP, 3; SF, 1; UUP, 1)
Fermanagh/South Tyrone: Sinn Fein ahead of the SDLP in this marginal constituency, reversing positions in the last Westminster election. Sitting MP Ken Maginnis, while topping the poll, was unable to ensure three seats for the UUP. (UUP, 2; DUP, 1; SDLP, 1; SF, 1)
Foyle: SDLP leader John Hume coasted home, taking two candidates with him. Sinn Fein, however, was cock a hoop, winning seats for party luminaries Martin McGuinness and Mitchel McLaughlin. (SDLP, 3; SF, 2)
East Derry: Local UUP MP William Ross blamed the intervention of Robert McCartney's UK Unionist Party for the UUP's failure to win three seats. The DUP did well. The loyalist fringe parties also polled surprisingly strongly in this rural constituency. (UUP, 2; DUP, 2; SDLP, 1)
Lagan Valley: In former UUP leader James Molyneaux's bailiwick, the UUP vote held well. The DUP polled strongly to take a second and extra seat at the expense of Alliance, who failed to take a seat for deputy leader Seamus Close by just a couple of hundred votes. (UUP 3. DUP 2)
Mid Ulster: A disappointment for the DUP which, despite having a sitting MP in William McCrea could only win one seat. Sinn Fein achieved another surprise to take two seats at the expense of the SDLP which won one seat, thus depriving the senior SDLP figure Denis Haughey of a place in the forum. (SF, 2; SDLP, 1; UUP, 1; DUP, 1)
Newry and Armagh: A powerful performance from Sinn Fein, winning two seats, the same as the SDLP, which in Seamus Mallon's heartland might have been expected to take three seats. (SDLP, 2; SF, 2; UUP, 1)
Strangford: The UUP and the DUP were neck and neck, taking two seats each, despite expectations that the UUP might have won three. Good result for Alliance who won the final seat. (UUP, 2; DUP, 2; Alliance, 1)
Upper Bann: Robert McCartney was subjected to a tongue lashing from the sitting MP David Trimble who accused the North Down MP of splitting the unionist vote, thus depriving the UUP of a third seat. Sinn Fein won another seat against the odds. (UUP, 2; DUP, 1; SDLP, 1; Sinn Fein, 1)
West Tyrone: A ding dong of a battle between the SDLP and Sinn Fein for the additional and third nationalist seat, the SDLP winning by a whisker in this new constituency. (SDLP, 2; SF, 1; UUP, 1; DUP, 1)
