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Ulster demonstrating tonight why they don't deserve to be in the top 4 of the Pro 12... absolute dross!!!

Will Jonno Gibbs make much of a difference next season??

Some new prayers needed.

Jesus lads the pitch was a proper mud bath it rained the whole time and if the temperature was above 2degress I'd be well surprised..

Was same for both teams but it will always create handling kicking catching errors, as was the case last night...

Wouldn't read too much into that result

Conditions in Belfast were lovely compared to Galway.

But it's always like that in the Sportsground, the great leveller!

By some misfortune, I was born in Lurgan!

As bad as that was, a huge number of us of a particular age were born in Portadown in the Carleton Maternity Hospital on Church Street regardless of where our parents were living.

A bit like no children have been born in Tyrone for at least 15 years.

It rained through the night but it is dry in Omagh this morning.  The river is up to the beginning of the flood defences which indicates a high volume of rain over the last 24 hours.

The main issue is the lack of drainage both natural and forced that is possible at a pitch based on sticky clay close to the surface.  Nothing can be built in the area out the Gortin road without serious piling due to the poor ground conditions.  There is a digger lost under the ground at Healy Park during previous construction before the new stand was built. 

I would say Kennedy was only doing what he was told to do

He was just another incompetent minister way in over his head when trying to ensure a major project is being managed hence they left out key elements of the process but don't forget the major blame belongs to RoI withdrawing the full scale of funding.

Remember these people are not elected on their intellectual ability or managerial competency.  it is amazing that anything is managed by governments.

Or Colm McKinstry, Jimmy Smyth and close by Paddy Moriarty and Brian McAlinden to name a few.

It will be interesting to see how the factions in the DUP deal with the situation, it is a party with severe dividing lines.

I still think Shinners have boxed themselves in by making Arlene a red line issue. DUP will dig their heels in. Direct rule is much more attractive to them than working to Shinner agenda. Tories will be happy to have their lapdog available throughout Brevity and won't pressure them.

Shinners should play nice, get Assembly back, then push o with legislation.  Language Act,  gay marriage  and anything reasonable will be unstoppable.

Unfortunately I think they have a hostage to fortune with Arlene and a period of direct rule lies ahead. 

/Jim.

A SF strategy is to have direct rule and run around the back of DUP to demand the two governments implement changes that DUP would block, e.g. language act, UK wide equal marriage, abortion law.  This is chancy given the link between DUP and Theresa May. Much better to go back in and stick it to DUP with the shift in power.  With opposition likely to continue, there is a chance to bring Justice into DeHondt and share the 10 ministries giving no one overall power in the Executive.  But Adams has no interest in constructive politics and can only deal in agitation and protest.

You have to look at equivalences to see how all fared:

DUP 38 (2016) equals 32 (2017) achieved 28 down by 12.5%

SF 28 (2016) equals 23 (2017) achieved 27 up by 17.4%

UUP 16 (2016) equals 13 (2017) achieved 10 down by 23.1%

SDLP 12 (2016) equals 10 (2017) achieved 12 up by 20%

Alliance 8 (2016) equals 7 (2017) achieved 8 up by 14.3%

[I'm sure Gerry]

Huge result for Nationalists with the seat count dropping by 18 and then both keeping the same number of seats (well SF have 27 now instead of 28).

Unionism in turmoil and a resurgence of the SDLP is great to see. To be fair I don't usually vote for SF but Arelene's arrogance and naked bigotry helped to make my mind up this time.

There was talk she needed a minimum 30 seats to solidify her position as party leader it will be interesting to see how she gets through the next few days. I'm sure Gerry and the BBC will get a get plenty of the blame!

FAKE NEWS

I think the Gerry Adams angle didn't work for her in the election. It would be foolish to keep it up.

Without using Adams she would have seen meltdown. Unionism exists and feeds on bogeymen. It has always created them and used them to great effect. The mindset of unionism has always been a siege mentality and nationalism has risen above it by having a vision and confidence in all aspects of life.

The SDLP calling this a sectarian result is very bad politics. You lose an election you shouldn't react by insulting the electorate.

I didn't vote but I would have voted SF and I'd have been insulted if I was accused of voting for sectarian reasons. Corruption, the Irish language and equality for LGBT community are not sectarian in motive.

Well there should end your contribution to any discussion. Btw SDLP didn't lose they increased seats by 20% on equivalence and narrowly beaten by 143 votes in Strangford which would have almost match SF increase on equivalence.

I assume that Jim Allister would be prepared to join the DUP in most things that they would have a petition of concern about.

He does not like PoCs nor the DUP. I imagine he would extract a very high price for backing one.

But he shares their 'moral' concerns.

As a proportionate loss from 108 to 90 seats, SDLP would have found its level with 10 seats.  To move above this is a major achievement and gives heart to the middle ground with UUP to SDLP transfers to spite the DUP.  Attwood loss was always accepted given that he should have gone last May.  Ritchie in FST was always an outside chance.  Catney was 20/1 with Paddy Power and is one in the eye for the DUP from Jenny Palmer voters.  Weir should have gone too.

Looking like a very good election for SDLP.

Lol. Dead on. SDLP are a party of no return. At this stage, they are only going one way. Slán.

Yer balls. You'd have got long odds on SDLP holding their ground in a 90 seat Stormont.

10 seats was the equivalent for SDLP in the 90 seater.  With 11 seats that is a 10% increase on the last Assembly.

26 all with 5 seats to go. What's left?

EB  1 DUP to be elected
SB  2 seats left
EL  2 seats left

As a proportionate loss from 108 to 90 seats, SDLP would have found its level with 10 seats.  To move above this is a major achievement and gives heart to the middle ground with UUP to SDLP transfers to spite the DUP.  Attwood loss was always accepted given that he should have gone last May.  Ritchie in FST was always an outside chance.  Catney was 20/1 with Paddy Power and is one in the eye for the DUP from Jenny Palmer voters.  Weir should have gone too.

Looking like a very good election for SDLP.

Weir in by a whisker against SDLP in Strangford

DUP 5,392.38   SDLP 5,167.09