It was said to be the most important election in a generation, but for Northern Ireland it may well be the defining moment in the lifetime of an often turbulent state.
The loss of two DUP seats, must surely call for some self reflection by unionists who backed a lame donkey Brexit.
The Leave campaign slogan of 'Take back control' appealed to those who harked back to the days of the British Empire.
Nigel Dodds, the DUP architect of the Northern Ireland Leave campaign, was the biggest casualty of the night.
To loss his seat, not to another unionist, not even to the 'others' in Alliance, but to Sinn Féin must sting the party's former Westminster leader.
Sinn Féin's John Finucane ran a fairly flawless campaign, despite the toxic nature of the unionist counter approach.
When they went low he stayed high and it paid off, as did the commitment of the party who redirected resources from elsewhere to knock on doors from republican hardline heartlands to the leafy suburbs of Belfast North.
While the loyalist vote in North Belfast was up, middle class unionists were clearly turned off by the sectarian campaigning and non traditional Sinn Féin voters suitably outraged at the banners attacking Mr Finucane and his family.
Will the DUP now reflect on the failed tactic of frightening their vote out with dire warnings of galloping republican hoards?
Colum Eastwood will be delighted he was able to claim back the seat of party founder John Hume.
His convincing win seen as a rally call for a return of the Stormont assembly amid a period of crisis in public services.
The decline of the Sinn Féin percentage vote in such numbers it would threaten future electoral success, again another sign that patience is wearing thin with the lack of progress in restoring the institutions.
There can be no doubt that unionists are turning away from the two traditional parties to the socially progressive Alliance, who increased their percentage share of their vote everywhere except south Belfast.
And it was here that the success story of the election unfolded.
Emma Little Pengelly was an expected casualty of the election, albeit the party had factored in her loss buffered by an expected gain in North Down that in the end went instead to Stephen Farry of the Alliance Party.
SDLP candidate Claire Hanna, the party's Brexit expert who unlike her rivals is across every 'jot and tittle' of her brief the bookies favourite.
But in the end the pact with Sinn Féin and the Green Party was unnecessary, as Ms Hanna is surely now the area's MP for life with a stomping 27,079 votes leaving the DUP in the dust.
Nationalism has been invigorated by the general election, Alliance have shown the bounce was not a blip and they are now the party of choice for progressive unionism.
Former Ulster Unionist Party leader Mike Nesbitt must feel vindicated having previously warned that Brexit - any Brexit - placed the union in peril.
Speaking as the true cost of the DUP's dalliance with the 'bad boys of Brexit' was revealed he said that supporting Leave was unionisms greatest ever "own goal" and that the policy could bring about the "end of the UK".
No longer 'king makers' and leaderless at Westminster the DUP may well be in the mood for compromise come the start of Monday's talks process.
That all this political upheaval, debate and analysis of results is happening in peace time is significant.
That violence has not been a factor of this election is to be welcome, it is crucial that all those elected this week or with political influence ensure it stays that way.
