News

Independent 'humbled' by victory in home town

INDEPENDENT republican Barry Monteith stormed home to victory in the Mid Ulster Council election after topping the poll in his home town.

The Dungannon councillor bagged 1,458 votes to secure a seat on the new 'super council'.

A sitting councillor in the town who topped the council poll in 2011, he is a former member of Sinn Fein who left the party

in 2008.

Last night he described his achievement as "unbelievable" and "humbling".

"It's a strong mandate to go into the new Mid Ulster Council to fight the corner for the ordinary man and woman based on republican principles," he said.

Deputy First minister Martin McGuinness was in Magherafelt to see Sinn Fein storm ahead in the race to become the new Mid Ulster council's largest party yesterday.

The senior Sinn Fein politician is also an assembly member for the area and he was joined by other leading figures at the count centre.

Mid Ulster MP Francie Molloy was on hand to see his son Dominic pick up a seat in Dungannon while Fermanagh South Tyrone MP Michelle Gildernew looked on as her father Phelim pick up a seat in Clogher Valley.

The Meadowbank Arena count centre was a hive of activity as dozens of candidates, election workers and count officials swarmed around the ballot boxes as they were opened early yesterday.

It was apparent early on that Sinn Fein were going to drive home their already significant advantage in the Mid Ulster area which takes in the current

Magherafelt, Cookstown and Dungannon districts.

The wider Mid Ulster area is a key battleground for republicans.

In 1997 Mr McGuinness was parachuted into the area to run against and defeat then DUP MP Rev William McCrea.

"I take particular heart that when I came here in '97 to fight for a seat and our standing in this constituency has gone from strength to strength," he said.

"People in the area are strong supporters of the peace process."

Mr McGuinness said it was difficult to gauge what impact the arrest of party leader Gerry Adams had on the outcome of the local elections.

UUP sources say they were on target for six seats last night.

DUP councillor Paul McLean was the first person elected in the Magherafelt District Electoral Area on the fifth count with the other five seats filled on the next count.

"We believe the DUP has held up and increased slightly despite the low poll," he said.

The SDLP's Denise Mullen won back a seat in Dungannon last night for the party. Mid Ulster assembly member Patsy McGlone said so far he was satisfied with his party's performance.

"The vote has held up very well," he said.

MOYOLA (Quota: 1,235)

Caoimhe O'Neill (SF) 1431 (19.3%) Anne Forde (DUP) 1370 (18.5%) Catherine Elattar (SF) 1256 (16.9%) Derek Irwin McKinney (UUP) 1255 (16.9%) Peter Bateson (SF) 1089 (14.7%) Austin Kelly (SDLP) 1004 (13.5%)

Elected (5 seats)

Catherine Elatter (SF) 1st count Anne Forde (DUP) 1st count Derek Irwin McKinney (UUP)1st count Caoimhe O'Neill (SF) 1st count Peter Bateson (SF) 2nd count

MAGHERAFELT (Quota: 1,164)

Paul McLean (DUP) 1106 (15.8%) Sean Clarke (SF) 1095 (15.6%) Darren Oliver Totten (SF) 975 (13.9%) George Crawford Shiels (UUP) 785 (11.2%) Gareth Ferguson (TUV) 750 (10.7%) Christine McFlynn (SDLP) 719 (10.2%) Ross Alexander Mitchell (DUP)627 (8.9%) Ben Niblock (SDLP) 362 (5.1%) Hugh McCloy (Ind) 231 (3.3%) Michael Anthony Kelly (Ind) 215 (3.07%) Robert Kelly (Ind) 118 (1.6%)

Elected (5 seats)

Paul McLeran (DUP) 5th count Sean Clarke (SF) 6th count Darren Totten (SF) 6th count Christin McFlynn (SDLP) 6th count George Shiels (UUP) 6th count

CLOGHER VALLEY (Quota: 1,219) Frances Burton (DUP) 1584 (18.5%) Phelim Gildernew (SF) 1528 (17.9%) Sean McGuigan (SF) 1290 (15.1%) Sharon McAteer (SDLP) 1151 (13.4%) Robert Mulligan (UUP) 1116 (13%) Neil Somerville (UUP) 1022 (11.9%) Willis Robinson (DUP) 837 (9.8%)

Elected (6 seats)

Frances Burton (DUP) 1st count Phelim Gildernew (SF) 1st count Sean McGuigan (SF) 1st count Sharon McAleer (SDLP) 2nd count Robert Mulligan (UUP) 5th count Willis Robinson (DUP) 5th count

DUNGANNON (Quota: 1,059)

Barry Monteith (Ind) 1458 (19.6%) Walter Cuddy (UUP) 1083 (14.6%) Dominic Joseph Molloy (SF)1045 (14.1%) Kim Elaine Ashton (DUP) 848 (11.4%) Clement Cuthberston (DUP) 693 (9.3%) Denise Maria Mullen (SDLP) 677 (9.1%) Kenny Loughrin (TUV) 496 (6.6%) Dee Varsani (SF) 457 (6.1%) Winston Gervis Duff (UUP) 421 (5.6%) Hannah Su (All) 243 (3.2%)

Elected (6 seats)

Barry Monteith (Ind) 1st count Walter Cuddy (UUP) 1st count Dominic Molloy (SF) 2nd count Denise Mullen (SDLP) 5th count Clement Cuthberston (DUP) 5th count Kim Ashton (DUP) 5th count

TORRENT (Quota: 1,176)

Linda Dillon (SF) 1218 (14.8%) Joe O'Neill (SF) 1147 (13.9%) Kenneth David Reid (UUP) 1104 (13.4%) Ronan McGinley (SF) 906 (11%) Keith Buchanan (DUP) 851 (10.3%) Mickey Gillespie (SF) 840 (10.2%) Deirdre Mayo (SDLP) 759 (9.2%) Malachy Quinn (SDLP) 733 (8.9%) Feargal O'Donnell (Ind) 667 (8.1%)

Elected (6 seats)

Linda Dillon (SF) 1st count Joe O'Neill (SF) 2nd count Mickey Gillespie (SF) 5th count Ronan McGinley (SF) 5th count Malachy Quinn (SDLP) 5th count Kenneth Reid (UUP) 5th count