THE Leisureplex in Lisburn is a typically happy place where people can enjoy thrills, spills and splashes.
It was Alliance making the biggest splash last night.
The party suggested a lot of new voters, dipping their toe in the water for the first time, helped boost its vote in Lisburn and Castlereagh.
Alliance caused ripples when it topped the poll in each of the seven district electoral areas - and by a big margin in some.
David Honeyford received 1,524 first preferences in Killultagh while Owen Gawith scored a huge 1,616 in Downshire West - more than 500 above the quota.
Mr Honeyford, the son of a Presbyterian minister, who has done work with the Orange Order and GAA, stood for NI21 in 2014.
He benefited from those would-be NI21 votes and also likely from the absence of the SDLP's Máiría Cahill who did not defend her seat due to an administrative issue. She said she was unwilling to make public her home address, due to a restraining order protecting her from an individual.
Sinn Féin had zero success here last time, and was pleased when Gary McCleave became the first member to win a seat since the new council was created. He took a seat away from the SDLP in Killultagh.
He may also have benefited from Ms Cahill's absence, and also received more than 400 transfers from the SDLP. He said his success showed that the politics of Lisburn and Castlereagh had "changed for the better".
Even for a council election where party politics and issues like Brexit should matter not a jot or tittle, it appears they do to some degree.
DUP heavyweights Jeffrey Donaldson, Edwin Poots and Paul Given were all in attendance and were stunned by the news that former blind water skiing champion Janet Gray had failed to win her seat back.
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Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council
40 seats
Change since 2014:
DUP 15 (-5), UUP 11 (+3), All 9 (+2), SDLP 2 (-1), SF 2 (+2), Green 1 (+1), TUV 0 (-1), NI21 0 (-1)
Turnout: 50 per cent
Castlereagh East (6 seats, Quota 998)
Martin Gregg (All) 1,212
Sharon Skillen (DUP) 1,174
Tim Morrow (All) 936
David Drysdale (DUP) 849
John Laverty (DUP) 813
Hazel Legge (UUP) 723
Tommy Jeffers (DUP) 638
Andrew Girvin (TUV) 637
Elected
Martin Gregg (All) 1st count
Sharon Skillen (DUP) 1st count
Tim Morrow (All) 2nd count
David Drysdale (DUP) 5th count
John Laverty (DUP) 5th count
Hazel Legge (UUP) 5th count
Castlereagh South (7 seats, Quota 1,135)
Sorcha Eastwood (All) 1,629
Nathan Anderson (DUP) 1,503
Michelle Guy (All) 1,236
Ryan Carlin (SF) 1,069
John Gallen (SDLP) 975
Simon Lee (Green) 648
Michael Henderson (UUP) 628
Rachael McCarthy (SDLP) 463
Jason Elliott (DUP) 335
Geraldine Rice (Ind) 237
Vasundhara Kamble (DUP) 208
Nicola Girvin (TUV) 146
Elected
Sorcha Eastwood (All) 1st count
Nathan Anderson (DUP) 1st count
Michelle Guy (All) 1st count
John Gallen (SDLP) 7th count
Ryan Carlin (SF) 8th count
Simon Lee (GRN) 8th count
Michael Henderson (UUP) 10th count
Downshire East (5 seats, Quota 1,030)
Aaron McIntyre (All) 1,318
Andrew Gowan (DUP) 1,133
James Baird (UUP) 950
Uel Mackin (DUP) 905
Alex Swan (UUP) 726
Janet Gray (DUP) 721
Owen Beckett (SDLP) 422
Elected
Aaron McIntyre (All) 1st count
Andrew Gowan (DUP) 1st count
James Baird (UUP) 3rd count
Uel Mackin (DUP) 4th count
Alex Swan (UUP) 4th count
Downshire West (5 seats, Quota 1,040)
Owen Gawith (All) 1,616
Caleb McCready (DUP) 1,012
John Palmer (UUP) 915
Allan Ewart (DUP) 670
Jim Dillon (UUP) 667
Vince Curry (DUP) 647
Morgan Crone (SDLP) 308
Luke Robinson (Green) 230
Neil Johnston (Con) 169
Elected
Owen Gawith (All) 1st count
Caleb McCready (DUP) 3rd count
John Palmer (UUP) 5th count
Allan Ewart (DUP) 7th count
Jim Dillon (UUP) 7th count
Killultagh (5 seats, Quota 1,253)
David Honeyford (All) 1,524
Thomas Beckett (DUP) 1,006
Gary McCleave (SF) 994
James Tinsley (DUP) 979
William Leathem (DUP) 871
Ross McLernon (UUP) 707
Ally Haydock (SDLP) 695
Alexander Redpath (UUP) 632
Stuart Brown (Ind) 107
Elected
David Honeyford (All) 1st count
Ross McLernon (UUP) 4th count
Gary McCleave (SF) 6th count
Thomas Beckett (DUP) 7th count
James Tinsley (DUP) 7th count
Lisburn North (6 seats, Quota 1,047)
Stephen Martin (All) 1,483
Jonathan Craig (DUP) 1,187
Johnny McCarthy (SDLP) 852
Scott Carson (DUP) 846
Nicholas Trimble (UUP) 719
Joe Duffy (SF) 654
Stuart Hughes (UUP) 578
Lindsay Reynolds (DUP) 425
Gary Hynds (Con) 423
Alan Love (Ukip) 156
Elected
Stephen Martin (All) 1st count
Jonathan Craig (DUP) 1st count
Johnny McCarthy (SDLP) 2nd count
Scott Carson (DUP) 6th count
Scott Trimble (UUP) 7th count
Stuart Hughes (UUP) 7th count
Lisburn South (6 seats, Quota 995)
Amanda Grehan (All) 929
Jenny Palmer (UUP) 877
Andrew Ewing (DUP) 738
Alan Givan (DUP) 735
Tim Mitchell (UUP) 715
Paul Porter (DUP) 706
Paul Corr (SDLP) 649
Jonny Orr (Ind) 534
Alison Chittick (TUV) 384
Rhoda Walker (DUP) 354
Ricky Taylor (Democratic and Veterans Party) 242
Helen Love (Ukip) 99
Elected
Jenny Palmer (UUP) 4th count
Andrew Ewing (DUP) 4th count
Amanda Grehan (All) 5th count
Alan Givan (DUP) 6th count
Tim Mitchell (UUP) 6th count
Paul Porter (DUP) 6th count