17.6% - Sinn Féin's record vote
Sinn Féin tops the poll in 5 constituencies
NEIL FORDE analyses SF's record vote
If you were one of the tens of thousands of people who were
watching television coverage of last week's Assembly elections or
perhaps reading one of the many newspaper election supplements
you could be forgiven for thinking that Sinn Féin was a party on
the fringe. TV commentators passed over the party's record
election performance to concentrate instead on the drop in the
Ulster Unionist Party vote which put a virtually unchanged SDLP
in the position of recording the largest number of first
preferences.
When the Sinn Féin vote was discussed it was mostly in terms of
the party's vote management. Sinn Féin were, it seems, the only
party engaged in vote management, the only party who ran
candidates tactically to maximise representation for their
electorate. This of course is nonsense, the truth is that Sinn
Féin produced not the only example of vote management but the
best one.
For the record, in last week's Assembly election Sinn Féin
registered its highest vote since it began in 1981 to contest
elections on a systematic basis. With 17.6% of first preferences
the party also recorded the largest growth in votes of any party
in the election. Sinn Féin elected 18 Assembly members and topped
the poll in five constituencies.
Across the Six Counties Sinn Féin's vote showed gains not only in
first preferences but also in strong transfer patterns from other
parties to Sinn Féin.
Belfast
In the electoral cauldron of North Belfast Sinn Féin topped the
poll just one third of a percent above the DUP and the SDLP. The
party's vote in North Belfast has now stayed ahead of the SDLP in
three consecutive elections.
In East and South Belfast the Sinn Féin vote also increased. In
East Belfast Joe O'Donnell took just over 900 votes, 2.3% of the
poll. Sean Hayes in East Belfast improved on his 1997 local
election performance when he secured a city council seat. This
time Sinn Féin polled 2,605 votes, 6.4% of the poll. An
interesting facet of this count was that the SDLP's Alasdair
McDonnell needed Hayes' transfers to get elected.
In West Belfast the Sinn Féin vote surged from 56% in 1997 to
almost 60% this time around. Such a high first preference vote
delivered four of the six seats for the party.
Newry and Armagh
One of the most impressive results in terms of seats delivered
was in Newry and Armagh. Sinn Féin's vote increased from its 1997
level of 21% to almost 26%. Despite not having enough first
preferences to make up two quotas, Sinn Féin still took the same
number of seats as the SDLP.
Upper Bann
Upper Bann was Sinn Féin's breakthrough constituency in this
election. The party vote increased from 12% of the vote in 1997
to 14.3 % this time. The two Sinn Féin candidates, Dara O'Hagan
and Francie Murray, were just below a full quota.
O'Hagan pulled transfers from across the political spectrum. Dara
even got five votes from David Trimble's surplus as well as 272
from Brid Rodgers. When Francie Murray was eliminated, 83% of his
vote transferred to O'Hagan lifting her above the quota.
South Down
In South Down Mick Murphy repeated his success of 1996 when he
secured a Forum seat for Sinn Féin. The party vote in this
constituency grew by almost 50% between 1997 and 1998. With 15%
of first preferences there was no doubt that Mick Murphy and
Garret O'Fachtna could get a seat for Sinn Féin. When O'Fachtna
was eliminated after the fifth count 69% of his vote transferred
to Murphy.
Fermanagh/South Tyrone
Sinn Féin's electoral progress in the west of the Six Counties
was spectacular. In Fermanagh South Tyrone, Mid Ulster and West
Tyrone Sinn Féin topped the poll. In Fermanagh the Sinn Féin vote
was at almost 27% significantly short of two quotas.
Like Newry Armagh Sinn Féin had run three candidates and all
pulled transfers from other candidates. Pat Treanor, Michelle
Gildernew and Gerry McHugh ran for the party. As the count
progressed it was Gildernew and McHugh who were elected.
Mid Ulster
In Mid Ulster Sinn Féin elected three Assembly members with just
41% of the vote. The DUP's Willie McCrea made much of topping the
vote in terms of being the highest polling candidate, but he was
the sole DUP candidate elected. Martin McGuinness, Francie Molloy
and John Kelly were the three Assembly members elected for Sinn
Féin.
West Tyrone
In West Tyrone Sinn Féin took 34% of the vote and two Assembly
seats. Pat Doherty and Barry McElduff were the two successful
Sinn Féin candidates. Seamus Devine, the third Sinn Féin
candidate, hung on until the ninth count but was pipped at the
end by McElduff and the SDLP's Eugene McMenamin.
Foyle
In Foyle Sinn Féin's vote increased on its 1997 performance. Sinn
Féin won 26% of first preferences; the SDLP vote in this
constituency fell by almost 9% on their 1997 Westminster election
performance..
Sinn Féin ran four candidates in this constituency, electing
Mitchel MacLaughlin and Mary Nelis. Lynn Fleming and Gearoid
O'hEara were eliminated on the fourth and fifth counts
respectively.
Record vote
In other constituencies Sinn Féin stood candidates whose votes
added to the party's record total. In Strangford Paddy McCreevy
polled 614 votes, an increase on 1997. Pat Butler in Lagan Valley
increased the Sinn Féin vote by 70%. His 2,000 votes made up 4.3%
of the poll. There were two Sinn Féin candidates in East Derry.
Again the party vote increased with Sinn Féin taking almost 10%
of the vote. John McAlhenny and Malachy O'Kane were the two
candidates for the party.
In East Antrim Chrissie McAuley increased on her 1997 performance
for Sinn Féin, taking 2% of the vote. In North Antrim the two
Sinn Féin candidates, Joe Cahill and James McCarry, took over 8%
of the vote with 4,000 votes.
Finally, Martin Meehan won't have to give up his burgeoning
acting career. His 3,226 votes were an increase on Sinn Féin's
1997 performance in this constituency. Meehan's 7.33% was some
way off a quota. His transfers pushed the SDLP's Donovan
McClelland over the quota and into an Assembly seat.
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