North Antrim: The DUP put in its strongest performance of the election in the constituency of north Antrim, when Dr Ian Paisley lead his party to three seats and more than 45 per cent of the vote.
However, the party's victory was somewhat dampened by the strong performance of Sinn Féin in the staunch unionist constituency, with candidate Mr Philip McGuigan expected to take a seat.
Dr Paisley and his son Ian were elected on the first count with 8,732 and 7,898 votes respectively. The quota was 6,300.
UUP candidate Mr Robert Coulter was also elected on the first count with 6,385 first-preference votes.
The DUP's Mr Mervyn Storey was the fourth candidate elected, on the third count, helped by Paisley transfers, and the elimination of a number other unionist candidates.
However the SDLP, who had been hoping to take two seats, was lucky to hold its one. Mr Seán Farren, who had enjoyed a high profile as an SDLP Assembly minister, had been hoping to bring home a running mate, Mr Declan O'Loan, husband of Police Ombudsman Ms Nuala O'Loan.
However, the pair failed to achieve a quota between them with Mr Farren polling 3,648 first-preference votes, just over half a quota, while Mr O'Loan polled just over 2,600 first preferences.
Mr Farren and Mr McGuigan are expected to beat outgoing MLA Mr James Currie of the UUP, who polled 3,153 first preferences, to take the final two seats today, once Mr O'Loan is eliminated.
When the results of the first count was announced at the count centre in the Joey Dunlop Leisure Centre in Ballymoney, Co Antrim, Dr Paisley emerged from the count hall, flanked by his son, and Mr Storey.
Describing the Good Friday Agreement as "an abomination", he said the people had spoken and it was a "great day for Ulster" and for the DUP. He pointed out that his son had nearly beaten him into second place.
"Only a Paisley can beat a Paisley," he bragged.
Asked about how a Sinn Féin candidate could be elected in the heartland of the DUP, he said the SDLP and the UUP were to blame and were "reaping" as Sinn Féin was taking a seat at their expense.
Dr Paisley was in vintage form from when he arrived at the count centre at lunch time.
During an interview with UTV, he grabbed reporter Ivan Little by the lapels when was asked about negotiations with Sinn Féin.
"No, do I need to repeat it. Do I need to take you by the neck and say, no, I'm not. I'm not talking to Sinn Féin."
He also had a message for the media - he didn't need them. "I made a deliberate decision I was not going to go to the television box and sit around with journalists and with members of your profession when the people in the sticks wanted to see me. And that's what I've kept to and it has paid off."
Walking outside the centre after he was deemed elected, he was cheered by a group of nearly 100 supporters. He told them how he had travelled 3,600 miles on the now famous battle bus.
He chided the electoral antics of the UUP and SDLP, the latter of whom he said had resorted to balloons in north Antrim. "You'll not stop Paisley with balloons."
And in what has become a Paisley electoral tradition, he led his supporters in song, Psalm 100, also known as the Doxology, "Praise God while all from who the blessings flow".
"No surrender," shouted one supporters. "God bless you madam," Dr Paisley replied as he left.