By 
SINN Fein has enjoyed another highly-successful election campaign after the election of three MPs in the West Tyrone, Fermanagh and South Tyrone and the Mid Ulster constituencies.
Pat Cullen had 4,000 votes to spare over Diana Armstrong, of the Ulster Unionist Party, in Fermanagh and South Tyrone, while Orfhlaith Begley dramatically increased her majority in West Tyrone.
In Mid Ulster, Cathal Mallaghan took the seat vacated by retired Sinn Fein veteran, Francie Molloy.
Speaking after her election, Pat Cullen said it was an ‘honour and privilege’ for her to be elected as the new MP.
The Carrickmore woman said she felt very proud that 24,844 people in Fermanagh and South Tyrone “put their trust in me,” as she and her party romped to a landslide victory.
She pledged to bring ‘sheer energy and sheer determination’ to the role of MP.
Addressing the count centre at Meadowbank Sports Arena, Ms Cullen said she was committed to working with all of the politicians and political leaders in Fermanagh and South Tyrone.
“I want to say a particular mention to Diana [Armstrong],” Ms Cullen said. “We will continue to work together with your role as [Fermanagh and Omagh District] councillor, and my role as MP and we’ve got plenty to do.
While in West Tyrone five years ago Ms Begley polled 16,544 votes, this time around her final tally soared to 22,711.
It ensured a disappointing election for the DUP, SDLP and Alliance in the constituency. Their hopes of potentially closing the gap on the MP completely evaporated.
The widespread battle for Unionist votes between the DUP and Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) was reflected in West Tyrone, where Tom Buchanan’s total was drastically reduced by his party’s direct rivals.
Recent years have seen the veteran Drumquin politician consistently poll around 9,000 votes. But this time around his tally fell by 2,272, while the TUV candidate, Stevan Patterson, recorded a total of 2,530.
Speaking following her success, Ms Begley said they had knocked as many doors as possible, and that the electorate had endorsed Sinn Fein policy ‘in their thousands’.
She pledged that the planned A5 dual carriageway would be ‘delivered’ on the watch of Sinn Fein.
“We stood on a very strong platform of strong leadership, positive change and a pledge to work for everyone across West Tyrone,” she said.
“The electorate came out in their thousands to endorse that commitment to change.”
Cathal Mallaghan also scored a decisive victory in Mid Ulster. He thanked his wife, Louise and his family for their support.
The Pomeroy man claimed his seat in Westminster with an impressive 24,085 votes – more than 50 per-cent more than his nearest rival.
Coming in at second place to Mr Mallaghan was Keith Buchanan, of the DUP, with 9,162 votes.
The youngest candidate to run in Mid Ulster, 19-year-old Jay Basra of the Ulster Unionist Party, stated that campaigning for his first election had been a great chance to build his profile in the area.
Having received 2,269 votes, Mr Basra thanked those who voted for him.
Further results amidst the Mid Ulster candidates saw the SDLP’s Denise Johnston receiving 3,722 votes, with Alliance’s Padraic Farrell receiving 2,001, TUV’s Glen Moore taking 2,978, Aontu’s Alixandra Halliday taking 1,047 votes, and Independent candidate John Kelly taking 181 votes.
If you wish to reflect on the full election coverage, head on over to our blog to look back on the minute-by-minute action: LIVE: Election Blog 2024 | We Are Tyrone
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