A PAINFULLY slow election count in the Foyle constituency ended with Sinn Féin topping the poll while unionists slugged it out for the final seat.
The republican party faced into the Foyle election on the back of controversy last year when former assembly members Martina Anderson and Karen Mullan were asked to consider their positions as part of a review following two poor elections for Sinn Féin in Derry.
The fallout from the internal purge was forgotten on Friday when Pádraig Delargy, who was co-opted to the assembly last year, secured 9,471 first preference votes and was elected on the first count. When his running mate Ciara Ferguson secured a tally of 5,913 votes it was only a question of time before transfers would see her over the line and she was able to celebrate after the ninth stage on Saturday.
"Obviously I am delighted to be elected as an MLA for Foyle," Ms Ferguson said.
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"It's basically an honour and privilege and I am there to work hard, to get back up the assembly now on Monday and to work hard for the people of Foyle, myself and Pádraig Delargy, and deliver for the people of Foyle."
The SDLPs Mark H Durkan was also celebrating on Friday when he retained his assembly seat on the first count with a vote of 7,999.
With three candidates in the race, Colum Eastwood's party had been keen to capitalise on his 2019 Westminster election success.
Sinead McLaughlin, who replaced Mr Eastwood at the assembly when he became an MP, secured 3,189 first preference votes while Brian Tierney grabbed 3,279.
With just 90 votes separating the pair Mr Tierney's elimination on Saturday put Ms McLaughlin in firm contention for a return to Stormont.
When she was eventually elected at the 12th stage on Saturday count weariness had well and truly set in at Meadowbank Sports Arena in Magherafelt.
"It was a very difficult context in which the election was run," she said.
"And you have to accept the people were feeling very, very nervous. The DUP called it. They set the context. It was very, very negative."
The battle for the last seat wasn't settled until the early hours of Sunday when the UUP man Ryan McCready's challenge to former DUP assembly member Gary Middleton eventually ran out of steam.
Shortly before 1am both men shared a handshake before Mr McCready left for home with just 96 votes between the pair.
Alone on the declaration platform Mr Middleton said he was delighted to secure his seat adding "obviously it was a tight run".
