This was a council election that had nothing to do with councils, with the poll played out against the backdrop of the Stormont stalemate - but it turned into a coronation for sinnfeinireland, writes endamcclafferty LE23
Crowned local government kingpins without even breaking a sweat.But not even Sinn Féin predicted the scale of its success.
Even in the council where it suffered its greatest loss last time - Derry and Strabane - the party secured seats for all of its 18 candidates. A more radical plan was floated by one-time UUP leader Mike Nesbitt who wants to realign unionism into two parties, one traditional, one more liberal.While another former minister, the DUP's Edwin Poots, said the result should act as "a wake up and smell the coffee moment" for unionists.That was reflected in the turn out figures which meant the three unionist parties were fishing in a smaller pool of votes.
But the loss of its only two councillors in Derry and Strabane is a significant blow for a party keen to build beyond its power base in the east.Alliance Party leader Naomi Long with Nuala McAllister and Sam Nelson wait it out at Belfast City Hall on FridayLosing 21 seats has severely weakened the UUP's power base in many councils where the party once dominated.
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